Sandwell Council election, 2003
Encyclopedia
The 2003 Sandwell Council election took place on 1 May 2003 to elect members of Sandwell
Metropolitan
Council in the West Midlands
, England
. One third of the council was up for election and the Labour
party stayed in overall control of the council.
After the election, the composition of the council was
had 8 seats and the Liberal Democrats 6 seats. A further seat was vacant in Great Bridge
ward
after the death of Labour councillor
Jean Marson. 24 seats were being contested in the election by a total of 83 candidates. Labour was defending 20 of the 24 seats, with the mayor and 5 members of the cabinet
among those contesting the election. The Conservatives contested every seat, the Socialist Labour Party
stood in 15 seats, Liberal Democrats 10, British National Party
5 and there were 2 candidates from the Freedom Party.
The candidates from the British National Party and the Freedom Party caused controversy, with the UNISON
trade union
calling on its members to vote against them and boycott any councillors from those parties. A local Labour Member of Parliament
Tom Watson
meanwhile said that property prices would fall if any candidates from the British National Party were elected.
by 37 votes and David Watkins took Great Bridge by nearly 100 votes. Meanwhile Labour held control of the council despite dropping seats. The Conservatives gained 1 seat, while the Liberal Democrats stayed on 6 seats.
The first council meeting following the election on 20 May saw a protest by union members against the presence of a British National Party councillor.
Sandwell
Sandwell is a metropolitan borough of the West Midlands with a population of around 289,100, and an area of . The borough is named after Sandwell Priory, and spans a densely populated part of both the Black Country, and the West Midlands conurbation, encompassing the urban towns of Blackheath,...
Metropolitan
Metropolitan borough
A metropolitan borough is a type of local government district in England, and is a subdivision of a metropolitan county. Created in 1974 by the Local Government Act 1972, metropolitan boroughs are defined in English law as metropolitan districts, however all of them have been granted or regranted...
Council in the West Midlands
West Midlands (county)
The West Midlands is a metropolitan county in western central England with a 2009 estimated population of 2,638,700. It came into existence as a metropolitan county in 1974 after the passage of the Local Government Act 1972, formed from parts of Staffordshire, Worcestershire and Warwickshire. The...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. One third of the council was up for election and the Labour
Labour Party (UK)
The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
party stayed in overall control of the council.
After the election, the composition of the council was
- LabourLabour Party (UK)The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
55 - ConservativeConservative Party (UK)The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
9 - Liberal Democrat 6
- British National PartyBritish National PartyThe British National Party is a British far-right political party formed as a splinter group from the National Front by John Tyndall in 1982...
2
Campaign
Before the election the Labour party held control of the council with 57 seats, while the ConservativesConservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
had 8 seats and the Liberal Democrats 6 seats. A further seat was vacant in Great Bridge
Great Bridge, West Midlands
Great Bridge is a village in the Metropolitan Borough of Sandwell. It is situated in Tipton, near the border of West Bromwich, and it is within the metropolitan county of the West Midlands.-Origins and history:...
ward
Wards of the United Kingdom
A ward in the United Kingdom is an electoral district at sub-national level represented by one or more councillors. It is the primary unit of British administrative and electoral geography .-England:...
after the death of Labour councillor
Councillor
A councillor or councilor is a member of a local government council, such as a city council.Often in the United States, the title is councilman or councilwoman.-United Kingdom:...
Jean Marson. 24 seats were being contested in the election by a total of 83 candidates. Labour was defending 20 of the 24 seats, with the mayor and 5 members of the cabinet
Cabinet (government)
A Cabinet is a body of high ranking government officials, typically representing the executive branch. It can also sometimes be referred to as the Council of Ministers, an Executive Council, or an Executive Committee.- Overview :...
among those contesting the election. The Conservatives contested every seat, the Socialist Labour Party
Socialist Labour Party (UK)
The Socialist Labour Party is a far left socialist political party in the United Kingdom. The party is led by former trade union leader Arthur Scargill, who established it in 1996 as a breakaway from the Labour Party...
stood in 15 seats, Liberal Democrats 10, British National Party
British National Party
The British National Party is a British far-right political party formed as a splinter group from the National Front by John Tyndall in 1982...
5 and there were 2 candidates from the Freedom Party.
The candidates from the British National Party and the Freedom Party caused controversy, with the UNISON
UNISON
UNISON is the largest trade union in the United Kingdom with over 1.3 million members.The union was formed in 1993 when three public sector trade unions, the National and Local Government Officers Association , the National Union of Public Employees and the Confederation of Health Service...
trade union
Trade union
A trade union, trades union or labor union is an organization of workers that have banded together to achieve common goals such as better working conditions. The trade union, through its leadership, bargains with the employer on behalf of union members and negotiates labour contracts with...
calling on its members to vote against them and boycott any councillors from those parties. A local Labour Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
Tom Watson
Tom Watson (politician)
Thomas Anthony Watson is a British Labour Party politician, who has been the Member of Parliament for West Bromwich East since 2001. Watson was a Parliamentary Secretary for the Cabinet Office from 2008 to 2009...
meanwhile said that property prices would fall if any candidates from the British National Party were elected.
Election result
The results saw the British National Party win 2 seats on the council for the first time. The British National Party's John Salvage gained Princes EndPrinces End
Princes End is an area of Tipton, West Midlands, England, near the border with Coseley , which was heavily developed during the 19th century with the construction of factories. Several hundred terraced houses were built around the same time to accommodate the factory workers...
by 37 votes and David Watkins took Great Bridge by nearly 100 votes. Meanwhile Labour held control of the council despite dropping seats. The Conservatives gained 1 seat, while the Liberal Democrats stayed on 6 seats.
The first council meeting following the election on 20 May saw a protest by union members against the presence of a British National Party councillor.