The 2003 United Kingdom local elections were held on Thursday 1 May 2003, the same day as the Scottish Parliamentary and the Welsh Assembly elections. There were local elections for all councils in Scotland and in most of England. There were no local elections in Wales, Northern Ireland or London.

The ruling Labour Party lost a considerable 833 seats, while both the main opposition parties, Conservative and Liberal Democrat, polled strongly, with the Conservatives enjoying the largest share of the vote. Labour had now been in government for six years and still had a triple-digit majority, and over the summer of 2003 some opinion polls showed the Conservatives level with Labour. However, these were to be the last of the two local council elections contested by the Conservatives under the leadership of Iain Duncan Smith, who was ousted as leader later in the year and succeeded by Michael Howard due to his unpopularity as leader and doubts about his ability to win a general election.

Fifty-nine councils held electoral pilot schemes to try to boost turnout figures. Schemes included all postal voting, mobile polling stations, alterations to voting hours and various kinds of electronic voting. The most successful in raising turnout was all-postal voting which saw turnout rise to an average of 50%. In comparison, turnout across the whole of England was only 33%.

Results The Labour Party lost a considerable 833 seats, losing control of councils such as Birmingham and Coventry, both of which the party had controlled for 20 years.

The Conservative Party, who following the elections had the most councillors in the country (ahead of Labour by 601), extended its lead over the Labour party by 1,399 councillors. However, their celebrations were tempered by the resignation of Conservative front bencher Crispin Blunt, who described the party leader, Iain Duncan Smith as a "handicap" and called for him to be replaced.

Party Councils Councillors Gain Loss Change Total Gain Loss Change Total +31110+5664,423 -2866-8333,001 +528+1932,624 -210-421,142 -11-21182 284 0+934 0+1313 0-29 0-25 0-12 Other000-24107 -5123————

England

Metropolitan boroughs All 36 English Metropolitan borough councils had one third of their seats up for election.

Council Previous control Result Details Barnsley holdDetails Birmingham gainDetails Bolton gainDetails Bradford holdDetails Bury holdDetails Calderdale holdDetails Coventry gainDetails Doncaster holdDetails Dudley gainDetails Gateshead holdDetails Kirklees holdDetails Knowsley holdDetails Leeds holdDetails Liverpool holdDetails Manchester holdDetails Newcastle upon Tyne holdDetails North Tyneside holdDetails Oldham gainDetails Rochdale gainDetails Rotherham holdDetails St. Helens holdDetails Salford holdDetails Sandwell holdDetails Sefton holdDetails Sheffield gainDetails Solihull holdDetails South Tyneside holdDetails Stockport holdDetails Sunderland holdDetails Tameside holdDetails Trafford gainDetails Wakefield holdDetails Walsall holdDetails Wigan holdDetails Wirral holdDetails Wolverhampton holdDetails

Unitary authorities

Whole council In 27 English Unitary authorities the whole council was up for election.

Council Previous control Result DetailsBath and North East Somerset holdDetailsBlackpool ‡ holdDetailsBournemouth ‡ gainDetailsBracknell Forest ‡ holdDetailsBrighton and Hove ‡ gainDetailsDarlington ‡ holdDetailsEast Riding of Yorkshire ‡ holdDetailsHerefordshire ‡ holdDetailsLeicester ‡ holdDetailsLuton ‡ gainDetailsMedway ‡ gainDetailsMiddlesbrough ‡ holdDetailsNorth East Lincolnshire ‡ gainDetailsNorth Lincolnshire ‡ gainDetailsNorth Somerset gainDetailsNottingham ‡ holdDetailsPlymouth ‡ gainDetailsPoole ‡ gainDetailsRedcar and Cleveland ‡ gainDetailsRutland ‡ gainDetailsSouth Gloucestershire gainDetailsStockton-on-Tees holdDetailsTelford and Wrekin ‡ holdDetailsTorbay ‡ gainDetailsWest Berkshire ‡ gainDetailsWindsor and Maidenhead ‡ gainDetailsYork ‡ gainDetails ‡ New ward boundaries

Third of council In 13 English Unitary authorities one third of the council was up for election.

Council Previous control Result DetailsBristol gainDetailsDerby gainDetailsHartlepool holdDetailsKingston upon Hull holdDetailsMilton Keynes holdDetailsPortsmouth holdDetailsReading holdDetailsSlough holdDetailsSouthampton holdDetailsSouthend-on-Sea holdDetailsStoke-on-Trent holdDetailsSwindon holdDetailsWokingham holdDetails

District councils

Whole council In 150 English district authorities the whole council was up for election.

Council Previous control Result DetailsAllerdale gainDetailsAlnwick holdDetailsArun ‡ holdDetailsAshfield ‡ gainDetailsAshford ‡ gainDetailsAylesbury Vale ‡ gainDetailsBabergh ‡ holdDetailsBerwick-upon-Tweed gainDetailsBlaby ‡ holdDetailsBlyth Valley holdDetailsBolsover ‡ holdDetailsBoston holdDetailsBraintree ‡ holdDetailsBreckland ‡ holdDetailsBridgnorth ‡ gainDetailsBromsgrove ‡ holdDetailsBroxtowe ‡ gainDetailsCanterbury ‡ holdDetailsCaradon ‡ holdDetailsCarrick ‡ holdDetailsCastle Morpeth holdDetailsCastle Point ‡ gainDetailsCharnwood ‡ holdDetailsChelmsford ‡ gainDetailsChester-le-Street ‡ holdDetailsChesterfield ‡ gainDetailsChichester ‡ holdDetailsChiltern ‡ holdDetailsChristchurch ‡ holdDetailsCopeland holdDetailsCorby holdDetailsCotswold ‡ gainDetailsDacorum gainDetailsDartford ‡ gainDetailsDerbyshire Dales ‡ holdDetailsDerwentside ‡ holdDetailsDover ‡ holdDetailsDurham ‡ gainDetailsEasington ‡ holdDetailsEast Cambridgeshire ‡ gainDetailsEast Devon ‡ holdDetailsEast Dorset ‡ holdDetailsEast Hampshire ‡ holdDetailsEast Hertfordshire holdDetailsEast Lindsey gainDetailsEast Northamptonshire holdDetailsEast Staffordshire ‡ gainDetailsEden holdDetailsEpsom and Ewell ‡ holdDetailsErewash ‡ gainDetailsFenland ‡ holdDetailsForest Heath ‡ holdDetailsForest of Dean ‡ gainDetailsFylde ‡ gainDetailsGedling ‡ gainDetailsGravesham ‡ holdDetailsGuildford ‡ gainDetailsHambleton ‡ holdDetailsHarborough ‡ holdDetailsHigh Peak ‡ gainDetailsHinckley and Bosworth ‡ gainDetailsHorsham ‡ gainDetailsKennet ‡ holdDetailsKerrier ‡ holdDetailsKettering gainDetailsKing's Lynn and West Norfolk ‡ gainDetailsLancaster ‡ holdDetailsLewes ‡ holdDetailsLichfield ‡ holdDetailsMaldon ‡ holdDetailsMalvern Hills ‡ gainDetailsMansfield ‡ gainDetailsMelton ‡ gainDetailsMendip gainDetailsMid Bedfordshire ‡ holdDetailsMid Devon ‡ holdDetailsMid Suffolk ‡ gainDetailsMid Sussex ‡ holdDetailsNew Forest ‡ holdDetailsNewark and Sherwood ‡ holdDetailsNorth Cornwall ‡ holdDetailsNorth Devon ‡ holdDetailsNorth Dorset ‡ holdDetailsNorth East Derbyshire ‡ holdDetailsNorth Kesteven holdDetailsNorth Norfolk ‡ gainDetailsNorth Shropshire ‡ gainDetailsNorth Warwickshire ‡ gainDetailsNorth West Leicestershire ‡ holdDetailsNorth Wiltshire ‡ holdDetailsNorthampton gainDetailsOadby and Wigston ‡ holdDetailsOswestry ‡ holdDetailsRestormel ‡ holdDetailsRibble Valley ‡ gainDetailsRichmondshire ‡ holdDetailsRother ‡ holdDetailsRushcliffe ‡ holdDetailsRyedale ‡ holdDetailsSalisbury ‡ gainDetailsScarborough ‡ gainDetailsSedgefield ‡ holdDetailsSedgemoor holdDetailsSelby ‡ gainDetailsSevenoaks ‡ holdDetailsShepway ‡ gainDetailsSouth Bucks ‡ holdDetailsSouth Derbyshire ‡ holdDetailsSouth Hams holdDetailsSouth Holland gainDetailsSouth Kesteven gainDetailsSouth Norfolk ‡ holdDetailsSouth Northamptonshire holdDetailsSouth Oxfordshire ‡ gainDetailsSouth Ribble ‡ holdDetailsSouth Shropshire ‡ holdDetailsSouth Somerset holdDetailsSouth Staffordshire ‡ holdDetailsSpelthorne ‡ holdDetailsSt Edmundsbury ‡ gainDetailsStafford ‡ gainDetailsStaffordshire Moorlands ‡ holdDetailsSuffolk Coastal ‡ holdDetailsSurrey Heath ‡ holdDetailsTaunton Deane gainDetailsTeesdale ‡ gainDetailsTeignbridge ‡ holdDetailsTendring ‡ holdDetailsTest Valley ‡ holdDetailsTewkesbury ‡ holdDetailsThanet ‡ gainDetailsTonbridge and Malling ‡ gainDetailsTorridge ‡ holdDetailsTynedale gainDetailsUttlesford ‡ gainDetailsVale of White Horse ‡ holdDetailsVale Royal gainDetailsWansbeck holdDetailsWarwick ‡ holdDetailsWaverley ‡ gainDetailsWealden ‡ holdDetailsWear Valley ‡ holdDetailsWellingborough gainDetailsWest Devon ‡ holdDetailsWest Dorset ‡ gainDetailsWest Somerset holdDetailsWest Wiltshire ‡ gainDetailsWychavon ‡ holdDetailsWycombe ‡ holdDetailsWyre ‡ holdDetails ‡ New ward boundaries

Third of council In 82 English district authorities one third of the council was up for election.

Council Previous control Result DetailsAdur holdDetailsAmber Valley holdDetailsBarrow-in-Furness gainDetailsBasildon gainDetailsBasingstoke and Deane holdDetailsBassetlaw holdDetailsBedford holdDetailsBrentwood gainDetailsBroadland holdDetailsBroxbourne holdDetailsBurnley holdDetailsCambridge holdDetailsCannock Chase gainDetailsCarlisle holdDetailsCherwell holdDetailsChester holdDetailsChorley holdDetailsColchester holdDetailsCongleton gainDetailsCraven holdDetailsCrawley holdDetailsCrewe and Nantwich holdDetailsDaventry holdDetailsEastbourne holdDetailsEastleigh holdDetailsEllesmere Port and Neston holdDetailsElmbridge holdDetailsEpping Forest holdDetailsExeter gainDetailsGloucester holdDetailsGreat Yarmouth holdDetailsHarlow holdDetailsHarrogate holdDetailsHart holdDetailsHavant holdDetailsHertsmere holdDetailsHuntingdonshire holdDetailsHyndburn gainDetailsIpswich holdDetailsLincoln holdDetailsMacclesfield holdDetailsMaidstone holdDetailsMole Valley holdDetailsNewcastle-under-Lyme holdDetailsNorth Hertfordshire holdDetailsNorwich holdDetailsPendle holdDetailsPenwith holdDetailsPreston holdDetailsPurbeck holdDetailsRedditch holdDetailsReigate and Banstead holdDetailsRochford holdDetailsRossendale gainDetailsRugby holdDetailsRunnymede holdDetailsRushmoor holdDetailsShrewsbury and Atcham holdDetailsSouth Bedfordshire holdDetailsSouth Cambridgeshire holdDetailsSouth Lakeland holdDetailsSt Albans holdDetailsStevenage holdDetailsStratford-on-Avon gainDetailsStroud holdDetailsSwale holdDetailsTamworth holdDetailsTandridge holdDetailsThree Rivers holdDetailsTunbridge Wells holdDetailsWatford gainDetailsWaveney holdDetailsWelwyn Hatfield holdDetailsWest Lancashire holdDetailsWest Lindsey holdDetailsWest Oxfordshire holdDetailsWeymouth and Portland holdDetailsWinchester holdDetailsWoking holdDetailsWorcester gainDetailsWorthing gainDetailsWyre Forest holdDetails

Scotland

All 32 Scottish unitary authorities held elections. They were held at the same time as the 2003 Scottish Parliament election.

Council area Previous control Result DetailsAberdeen City holdDetailsAberdeenshire holdDetailsAngus holdDetailsArgyll and Bute holdDetailsClackmannanshire gainDetailsNa h-Eileanan Siar holdDetailsDumfries and Galloway holdDetailsDundee City holdDetailsEast Ayrshire holdDetailsEast Dunbartonshire holdDetailsEast Lothian holdDetailsEast Renfrewshire holdDetailsCity of Edinburgh holdDetailsFalkirk holdDetailsFife holdDetailsGlasgow City holdDetailsHighland holdDetailsInverclyde gainDetailsMidlothian holdDetailsMoray holdDetailsNorth Ayrshire holdDetailsNorth Lanarkshire holdDetailsOrkney holdDetailsPerth and Kinross holdDetailsRenfrewshire gainDetailsScottish Borders holdDetailsShetland holdDetailsSouth Ayrshire gainDetailsSouth Lanarkshire holdDetailsStirling gainDetailsWest Dunbartonshire gainDetailsWest Lothian holdDetails

Notes

References

Vote 2003 BBC News Local elections 2003. House of Commons Library Research Paper 03/44. Voting Pilots in 2003 The Guardian 2003 election coverage