2003 Craven District Council election

The 2003 Craven District Council election took place on 1 May 2003 to elect members of Craven District Council in North Yorkshire, 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:

Background

Before the election the Conservatives were the largest group with 13 seats, while there 9 Liberal Democrats and 8 independents.[3] However the council was controlled by an alliance between independents and Liberal Democrats.[3]

10 of the 30 seats on the council were elected in 2003, with the Conservatives defending 6, independents 3 and the Liberal Democrats defended 1 seat.[3] Two of the three independents were re-elected without opposition.[3]

Election result

Independents gained 2 seats from the Conservatives to mean there were 10 independent councillors on the council.[4] The independent gains from the Conservatives came in Skipton East where Mike Hill was elected, and in West Craven where Robert Mason gained a seat.[5] Meanwhile, another independent, Robert Heseltine, regained a seat on the council 3 years after having been forced to resign his seat due to being convicted of falsifying accounts, after defeating the sitting independent councillor Frances Cook by 217 votes in Skipton South.[5]

Despite losing 2 seats the Conservatives remained the largest group on the council with 11 councillors, after holding another 4 seats.[5] Meanwhile, the Liberal Democrats stayed on 9 seats, after holding the only seat they had been defending in Skipton West.[5]

Craven local election result 2003[2][6]
Party Seats Gains Losses Net gain/loss Seats % Votes % Votes +/−
  Independent 5 2 0 +2 50.0 30.0 2,020 -0.9%
  Conservative 4 0 2 -2 40.0 45.7 3,079 +5.6%
  Liberal Democrats 1 0 0 0 10.0 24.3 1,633 -3.8%

Ward results

Bentham[6]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Gerald Hurtley 521 51.5
Independent Manuel Camacho 490 48.5
Majority 31 3.1
Turnout 1,011
Conservative hold Swing
Embsay with Eastby[6]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative John Quinn 404 67.0
Independent Dennis Hall 199 33.0
Majority 205 34.0
Turnout 603
Conservative hold Swing
Gargrave and Malhamdale[6]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative David Crawford 596 58.5
Liberal Democrats Andrew Wood 422 41.5
Majority 174 17.1
Turnout 1,018
Conservative hold Swing
Glusburn[6]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Independent Roger Nicholson unopposed
Independent hold Swing
Skipton East[6]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Independent Michael Hill 423 41.7
Conservative Pamela Heseltine 320 31.5
Liberal Democrats Darren Moorby 272 26.8
Majority 103 10.1
Turnout 1,015
Independent gain from Conservative Swing
Skipton North[6]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Marcia Turner 604 56.4
Liberal Democrats Andrew Rankine 466 43.6
Majority 138 12.9
Turnout 1,070
Conservative hold Swing
Skipton South[6]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Independent Robert Heseltine 412 57.5
Independent Frances Cook 195 27.2
Conservative Kenneth Creek 110 15.3
Majority 217 30.3
Turnout 717
Independent gain from Independent Swing
Skipton West[6]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Pauline English 473 67.0
Conservative Paul Whitaker 233 33.0
Majority 240 34.0
Turnout 706
Liberal Democrats hold Swing
Sutton-in-Craven[6]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Independent Kenneth Hart unopposed
Independent hold Swing
West Craven[6]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Independent Robert Mason 301 50.8 +16.2
Conservative John Binns 291 49.2 +5.6
Majority 10 1.7
Turnout 592
Independent gain from Conservative Swing

By-elections between 2003 and 2004

A by-election was held in Bentham on 13 November 2003 after the resignation of Liberal Democrat councillor John Pilkington on his being charged by police with child pornography.[7][8] The seat was gained by an independent Manuel Camacho with a majority of 107 votes over Conservative John Jackson.[7][8]

Bentham by-election 13 November 2003[7][8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Independent Manuel Camacho 474 56.4 +7.9
Conservative John Jackson 367 43.6 −7.9
Majority 107 12.8 N/A
Turnout 841 29.6
Independent gain from Liberal Democrats Swing

References

  1. ^ "Local elections". BBC News. Retrieved 12 March 2015.
  2. ^ a b "Election results". Financial Times. 2 May 2003. p. 4 – via NewsBank.
  3. ^ a b c d "Craven: Contests in 8 wards". Cumbria County Publications. 11 April 2003 – via NewsBank.
  4. ^ Robinson-Tate, Michaela (2 May 2003). "Election: Craven results". Cumbria County Publications – via NewsBank.
  5. ^ a b c d "Councillor wins back seat after criminal conviction". West Yorkshire and North Yorkshire Counties Publications. 2 May 2003 – via NewsBank.
  6. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k "Craven District Council – Election results". Political Science Resources. Archived from the original on 12 March 2015. Retrieved 12 March 2015.
  7. ^ a b c "Election for seat of accused councillor". West Yorkshire and North Yorkshire Counties Publications. 24 October 2003 – via NewsBank.
  8. ^ a b c "Independents win in byelection polls". The Guardian. Press Association. 14 November 2003. Retrieved 13 March 2015.
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