South Oxfordshire Council election, 2003
Encyclopedia
The 2003 South Oxfordshire Council election took place on 1 May 2003 to elect members of South Oxfordshire
District
Council in Oxfordshire
, England
. The whole council was up for election with boundary changes since the last election in 1999
reducing the number of seats by 2. The Conservative party
gained overall control of the council from no overall control
.
coalition that had run the council before the election. This was the first time the Conservatives had controlled the council since 1995 and came after they made 5 gains to hold 27 of the 48 seats on the council. The Liberal Democrats lost eight seats, including the council chairman John Griffin in Crowmarsh
ward
and the council leader Jan Morgan. Meanwhile Labour also lost three seats including the cabinet member for finance Nick Hards. However the Henley Residents Group gained seats, picking up all 4 seats for Henley
. Overall turnout
in the election was 35.13%, after voting hours had been extended in an attempt to increase turnout.
South Oxfordshire
South Oxfordshire is a local government district in Oxfordshire, England. Its council is based in Crowmarsh Gifford, just outside Wallingford....
District
Non-metropolitan district
Non-metropolitan districts, or colloquially shire districts, are a type of local government district in England. As created, they are sub-divisions of non-metropolitan counties in a so-called "two-tier" arrangement...
Council in Oxfordshire
Oxfordshire
Oxfordshire is a county in the South East region of England, bordering on Warwickshire and Northamptonshire , Buckinghamshire , Berkshire , Wiltshire and Gloucestershire ....
, 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...
. The whole council was up for election with boundary changes since the last election in 1999
South Oxfordshire Council election, 1999
The 1999 South Oxfordshire Council election took place on 6 May 1999 to elect members of South Oxfordshire District Council in Oxfordshire, England. The whole council was up for election and the council stayed under no overall control.-Election result:...
reducing the number of seats by 2. The Conservative party
Conservative 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...
gained overall control of the council from no overall control
No overall control
Within the context of local councils of the United Kingdom, the term No Overall Control refers to a situation in which no single party achieves a majority of seats and is analogous to a hung parliament...
.
Election result
The results saw the Conservatives take control from the Liberal Democrat and 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...
coalition that had run the council before the election. This was the first time the Conservatives had controlled the council since 1995 and came after they made 5 gains to hold 27 of the 48 seats on the council. The Liberal Democrats lost eight seats, including the council chairman John Griffin in Crowmarsh
Crowmarsh
Crowmarsh is a civil parish in South Oxfordshire, England.-Formation and constituent settlements:The civil parish was formed on 1 April 1932 by the amalgamation of four existing parishes....
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:...
and the council leader Jan Morgan. Meanwhile Labour also lost three seats including the cabinet member for finance Nick Hards. However the Henley Residents Group gained seats, picking up all 4 seats for Henley
Henley-on-Thames
Henley-on-Thames is a town and civil parish on the River Thames in South Oxfordshire, England, about 10 miles downstream and north-east from Reading, 10 miles upstream and west from Maidenhead...
. Overall turnout
Voter turnout
Voter turnout is the percentage of eligible voters who cast a ballot in an election . After increasing for many decades, there has been a trend of decreasing voter turnout in most established democracies since the 1960s...
in the election was 35.13%, after voting hours had been extended in an attempt to increase turnout.