St Albans City and District Council election, 2003

Map of the results of the 2003 St Albans City and District Council election. Liberal Democrats in yellow, Conservatives in blue and Labour in red.

The 2003 St Albans City and District Council election took place on 1 May 2003 to elect members of St Albans District Council in Hertfordshire, England. One third of the council was up for election and the council stayed under no overall control.^[1]

After the election, the composition of the council was

• Liberal Democrats 23
• Conservative 21
• Labour 13
• Independent 1^[2]

Background

Following the last election in 2002 the Conservatives were the largest party with 21 seats, compared to 20 for the Liberal Democrats, 15 for Labour, 1 independent and 1 seat was vacant.^[3] However the Liberal Democrats gained a seat from the Conservatives at a by-election in Verulam,^[4] which meant that going into the 2003 election both the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats needed to gain 8 seats to win a majority.^[5]

Voting trial

The election saw a trial of various voting methods. Voters could choose between e-voting, either by computer or on a touchscreen at a polling booth, voting by phone or by post, or on a traditional ballot paper.^[6] The period for voting was also increased to allow voting from the 28 April to the 1 May 2003.^[6]

However problems occurred at 15 polling stations where the system did not recognise voters pin numbers,^[7] which meant that traditional paper ballots had to be used in those polling stations.^[8] The issues meant the election nearly had to be voided, with the count only able to start over 3 hours after polls had closed.^[9]

However turnout was up by 5% on the previous election in 2002 at 43%.^[10]

Election result

The Liberal Democrats gained 2 seats from Labour to become the largest party on the council with 23 councillors.^[9] The Conservatives remained on 21 seats and there was still 1 independent, while the losses for Labour in Ashley and St Peter's wards reduced them to 13 seats.^[9]

Following the election the Liberal Democrat group on the council chose Robert Donald as their new leader taking over from Brian Peyton.^[11]

St Albans local election result 2003[12][13]
Party		Seats	Gains	Losses	Net gain/loss	Seats %	Votes %	Votes	+/−
	Liberal Democrat	12	2	0	+2	57.1	43.8	18,710	+5.0%
	Conservative	5	0	0	0	23.8	35.4	15,126	-0.4%
	Labour	4	0	2	-2	19.0	20.6	8,784	-4.5%
	No Candidate Deserves My Vote!	0	0	0	0	0	0.1	63	-0.2%

Ward results

Ashley[12]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal Democrat	Alan Marshall	942	43.4	+6.9
	Labour	Alistair Cooper	759	35.0	-6.3
	Conservative	Alec Campbell	468	21.6	+1.1
Majority			183	8.4
Turnout			2,169	44.4
	Liberal Democrat gain from Labour		Swing

Batchwood[12]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Martin Leach	873	47.1
	Conservative	Lee Foster	492	26.6
	Liberal Democrat	Debbie Williams	488	26.3
Majority			381	20.5
Turnout			1,853	37.6
	Labour hold		Swing

Clarence[12]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal Democrat	Sheila Burton	1,315	65.3	+6.1
	Labour	Clive Newport	356	17.7	-5.2
	Conservative	Louisa-Jane Rosalki	343	17.0	-0.9
Majority			959	47.6	+11.3
Turnout			2,014	45.8
	Liberal Democrat hold		Swing

Colney Heath[12]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal Democrat	Christopher Brazier	972	58.1	+21.7
	Conservative	David Johns	522	31.2	-12.8
	Labour	David Mclean	179	10.7	-8.9
Majority			450	26.9
Turnout			1,673	43.7
	Liberal Democrat hold		Swing

Cunningham[12]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal Democrat	Robert Donald	1,281	61.3	+18.0
	Labour	Rebecca Gumbrell-Mccormick	416	19.9	-16.1
	Conservative	James Vessey	394	18.8	-1.9
Majority			865	41.4	+34.1
Turnout			2,091	46.2
	Liberal Democrat hold		Swing

Harpenden East[12]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal Democrat	Michael Waddilove	1,149	50.2	+3.5
	Conservative	Elizabeth Stevenson	854	37.3	-1.0
	Labour	David Crew	286	12.5	-2.5
Majority			295	12.9	+4.5
Turnout			2,289	45.5
	Liberal Democrat hold		Swing

Harpenden North[12]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Albert Pawle	1,046	51.1	+3.2
	Liberal Democrat	Rachel Andrew	785	38.4	-3.2
	Labour	Rosemary Ross	214	10.5	+0.0
Majority			261	12.7	+6.4
Turnout			2,045	41.6
	Conservative hold		Swing

Harpenden South[12]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Paul Foster	1,340	61.7	-1.7
	Liberal Democrat	Christopher Canfield	616	28.4	+5.1
	Labour	David Lawlor	216	9.9	-3.4
Majority			724	33.3	-6.8
Turnout			2,172	43.2
	Conservative hold		Swing

Harpenden West[12]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Julian Daly	1,319	56.3	-3.8
	Liberal Democrat	Mary Skinner	753	32.1	+7.0
	Labour	Benjamin Dearman	271	11.6	-3.2
Majority			566	24.2	-10.8
Turnout			2,343	43.6
	Conservative hold		Swing

London Colney[12]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Malcolm Macmillan	1,062	57.7	-4.2
	Conservative	Gilbert Massara	472	25.6	+2.1
	Liberal Democrat	Carol Prowse	308	16.7	+2.1
Majority			590	32.1	-6.3
Turnout			1,842	33.2
	Labour hold		Swing

Marshalswick North[12]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal Democrat	Geoffrey Churchard	1,003	48.5	+1.0
	Conservative	John Foster	782	37.8	+1.3
	Labour	John Baughan	282	13.6	-2.5
Majority			221	10.7	-0.3
Turnout			2,067	43.6
	Liberal Democrat hold		Swing

Marshalswick South[12]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal Democrat	Kathleen Morris	1,364	53.3	-4.5
	Conservative	Richard Bretherton	858	33.5	+5.0
	Labour	Jane Cloke	338	13.2	-0.5
Majority			506	19.8	-9.5
Turnout			2,560	52.7
	Liberal Democrat hold		Swing

Park Street[12]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal Democrat	Stephanie White	1,130	57.7	-7.8
	Conservative	Timothy Randall	554	28.3	+6.8
	Labour	Janet Blackwell	276	14.1	+1.1
Majority			576	29.4	-14.6
Turnout			1,960	38.8
	Liberal Democrat hold		Swing

Redbourn[12]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal Democrat	Christopher O'Donovan	1,019	50.5	-1.8
	Conservative	Maria Maynard	836	41.4	+1.9
	Labour	Linda Spiri	164	8.1	-0.2
Majority			183	9.1	-3.7
Turnout			2,019	45.7
	Liberal Democrat hold		Swing

Sandridge[12]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Christopher Whiteside	769	54.7	+13.4
	Liberal Democrat	Peter Klyhn	465	33.1	-6.9
	Labour	John Baker	171	12.2	-4.8
Majority			304	21.6	+20.3
Turnout			1,405	39.5
	Conservative hold		Swing

Sopwell (2 seats)[12]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Eileen Harris	781
	Labour	Janet Smith	777
	Liberal Democrat	Brian Sinfield	397
	Liberal Democrat	David Terrar	375
	Conservative	Eileen Brown	356
	Conservative	Margaret Brownlie	344
Turnout			3,030	32.4	+9.1
	Labour hold		Swing
	Labour hold		Swing

St Peters[12]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal Democrat	Richard Biddle	927	46.1	+8.0
	Labour	Lynette Warren	715	35.6	-8.1
	Conservative	Virginia Walker	367	18.3	+0.1
Majority			212	10.5
Turnout			2,009	42.1
	Liberal Democrat gain from Labour		Swing

St Stephen[12]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Gordon Myland	1,247	58.1	+2.8
	Liberal Democrat	Louise Searle	634	29.5	-0.2
	Labour	Patricia Allen	266	12.4	-2.6
Majority			613	28.6	+3.0
Turnout			2,147	43.7
	Conservative hold		Swing

Verulam[12]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal Democrat	Martin Frearson	1,457	52.6	+15.5
	Conservative	Robin Streames	1,033	37.3	-11.4
	Labour	Richard Bruckdorfer	217	7.8	-4.9
	No Candidate Deserves My Vote!	Peter Goodall	63	2.3	+0.8
Majority			424	15.3
Turnout			2,770	56.3	+17.4
	Liberal Democrat hold		Swing

Wheathampstead[12]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal Democrat	Christopher Oxley	1,330	59.8	+16.8
	Conservative	Linda Brent	730	32.8	-15.6
	Labour	Mary Cheale	165	7.4	-1.3
Majority			600	27.0
Turnout			2,225	48.9
	Liberal Democrat hold		Swing

By-elections between 2003 and 2004

A by-election was held in Verulam ward on 5 April 2004 after the resignation of Conservative councillor Pauline Buffham, who was moving abroad.^[14] The seat was gained for the Liberal Democrats by Susan Campbell with a majority of 265 votes over the Conservatives.^[15]

Verulam by-election 5 April 2004[15]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal Democrat	Susan Campbell	1,173	49.4	-3.2
	Conservative	Katherine Cramer	908	38.2	+0.9
	St Albans Party	Janet Girsman	167	7.0	+7.0
	Labour	Larry Heyman	90	3.8	-4.0
	Green	Marc Scheimann	37	1.6	+1.6
Majority			265	11.2	-4.1
Turnout			2,375	48.1	-8.2
	Liberal Democrat gain from Conservative		Swing

References

1. "Local elections". BBC News Online. Retrieved 2009-11-09.
2. "How Britain voted: English and Scottish councils". The Independent. 2003-05-03. p. 18.
3. "St Albans". BBC News Online. Retrieved 17 January 2015.
4. Price, Shannon (4 July 2002). "Lib-Dem victory this time around". Hertfordshire County Publications (NewsBank).
5. "London: Local election preview". BBC News Online. 2003-04-04. Retrieved 2009-11-10.
6. Morris, Owen (9 April 2003). "Pupils set to e-vote". Hertfordshire County Publications (NewsBank).
7. "Non-voters are the majority". BBC News Online. 2003-05-02. Retrieved 2009-11-10.
8. "A new day for democracy". www.publicservice.co.uk. 21 May 2003. Archived from the original on 11 March 2002. Retrieved 16 January 2015.
9. Collins, Paul (2 May 2003). "E-voting glitches hamper city elections". Hertfordshire County Publications (NewsBank).
10. "St Albans e-voting trial goes horribly wrong. Almost". The Register. 2003-05-02. Retrieved 2009-11-10.
11. "Lib Dems name new leader". Hertfordshire County Publications (NewsBank). 19 May 2003.
12. "District Council Election Results 1st May 2003". St Albans District and City Council. Retrieved 2009-11-09.
13. "Election results". Financial Times. 2003-05-03. p. 8.
14. "By-election date set after councillor quits". Hertfordshire County Publications (NewsBank). 26 February 2004.
15. "Verulam Ward By Election Result 5th April 2004". St Albans City and District Council. Retrieved 17 January 2015.