Worthing Council election, 2003
Encyclopedia
The 2003 Worthing Council election took place on 1 May 2003 to elect members of Worthing
District
Council in West Sussex
, England
. One third of the council was up for election and the Liberal Democrats lost overall control of the council to no overall control
. Overall turnout
was 28.61%.
The election saw 38 candidates from 4 parties competing for the 13 seats which were being contested. 7 sitting councillor
s stood down at the election which saw the Liberal Democrats attempting to defend the majority they had won in the previous election in 2002
. The Liberal Democrats campaigned on the record of their "Clean and Safe Worthing" campaign and on plans to upgrade the leisure centre and replace the Aquarena. However the Conservatives attacked them for stopping improvements to the seafront and for the poor state of facilities in Worthing. The Green
and Labour parties
also stood candidates but did not contest all of the wards
with Labour only putting up 3 candidates.
The results saw the Conservatives make one gain from the Liberal Democrats in Selden ward, with the winner, Jack Saheid, becoming the first Muslim councillor on Worthing council. After the Liberal Democrats failed by 6 votes to gain Gaisford from the Conservatives, both parties ended the election on 18 seats making Worthing a hung council. The results meant that the Liberal Democrat mayor of Worthing had the casting vote
on the council.
After the election, the composition of the council was
Worthing
Worthing is a large seaside town with borough status in West Sussex, within the historic County of Sussex, forming part of the Brighton/Worthing/Littlehampton conurbation. It is situated at the foot of the South Downs, west of Brighton, and east of the county town of Chichester...
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 West Sussex
West Sussex
West Sussex is a county in the south of England, bordering onto East Sussex , Hampshire and Surrey. The county of Sussex has been divided into East and West since the 12th century, and obtained separate county councils in 1888, but it remained a single ceremonial county until 1974 and the coming...
, 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 Liberal Democrats lost overall control of the council to 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...
. 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...
was 28.61%.
The election saw 38 candidates from 4 parties competing for the 13 seats which were being contested. 7 sitting 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:...
s stood down at the election which saw the Liberal Democrats attempting to defend the majority they had won in the previous election in 2002
Worthing Council election, 2002
The 2002 Worthing Council election took place on 2 May 2002 to elect members of Worthing District Council in West Sussex, England. One third of the council was up for election and the Liberal Democrats gained overall control of the council from the Conservative party...
. The Liberal Democrats campaigned on the record of their "Clean and Safe Worthing" campaign and on plans to upgrade the leisure centre and replace the Aquarena. However the Conservatives attacked them for stopping improvements to the seafront and for the poor state of facilities in Worthing. The Green
Green Party of England and Wales
The Green Party of England and Wales is a political party in England and Wales which follows the traditions of Green politics and maintains a strong commitment to social progressivism. It is the largest Green party in the United Kingdom, containing within it various regional divisions including...
and Labour parties
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...
also stood candidates but did not contest all of the wards
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:...
with Labour only putting up 3 candidates.
The results saw the Conservatives make one gain from the Liberal Democrats in Selden ward, with the winner, Jack Saheid, becoming the first Muslim councillor on Worthing council. After the Liberal Democrats failed by 6 votes to gain Gaisford from the Conservatives, both parties ended the election on 18 seats making Worthing a hung council. The results meant that the Liberal Democrat mayor of Worthing had the casting vote
Casting vote
A casting vote is a vote given to the presiding officer of a council or legislative body to resolve a deadlock and which can be exercised only when such a deadlock exists...
on the council.
After the election, the composition of the council was
- 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...
18 - Liberal Democrat 18