Cherwell Council election, 2003
Encyclopedia
The 2003 Cherwell Council election took place on 1 May 2003 to elect members of Cherwell
District
Council in Oxfordshire
, England
. One third of the council was up for election and the Conservative party
stayed in overall control of the council.
Before the election the Conservatives were expected to lose seats after a recent large council tax
rise. The results saw the Conservative keep a majority but suffer a net loss of 3 seats after losing 2 seats each to Labour
and the Liberal Democrats. The Labour winners included John Hanna who won by 44 votes after losing in the 2002 election
by 8 votes. However the Conservatives did gain a seat in Banbury
Grimsbury & Castle from Labour for the first in over 20 years. Meanwhile the National Front
stood a candidate for the first time to Cherwell Council and said that they would stand in all of the Bicester
wards
in the next election in 2004.
After the election, the composition of the council was
Cherwell (district)
Cherwell is a local government district in northern Oxfordshire, England. The district takes its name from the River Cherwell, which drains south through the region to flow into the River Thames at Oxford....
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...
. One third of the council was up for election and 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...
stayed in overall control of the council.
Before the election the Conservatives were expected to lose seats after a recent large council tax
Council tax
Council Tax is the system of local taxation used in England, Scotland and Wales to part fund the services provided by local government in each country. It was introduced in 1993 by the Local Government Finance Act 1992, as a successor to the unpopular Community Charge...
rise. The results saw the Conservative keep a majority but suffer a net loss of 3 seats after losing 2 seats each to 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...
and the Liberal Democrats. The Labour winners included John Hanna who won by 44 votes after losing in the 2002 election
Cherwell Council election, 2002
The 2002 Cherwell Council election took place on 2 May 2002 to elect members of Cherwell District Council in Oxfordshire, England. The whole council was up for election with boundary changes since the last election in 2000 reducing the number of seats by 2...
by 8 votes. However the Conservatives did gain a seat in Banbury
Banbury
Banbury is a market town and civil parish on the River Cherwell in the Cherwell District of Oxfordshire. It is northwest of London, southeast of Birmingham, south of Coventry and north northwest of the county town of Oxford...
Grimsbury & Castle from Labour for the first in over 20 years. Meanwhile the National Front
British National Front
The National Front is a far right, white-only political party whose major political activities took place during the 1970s and 1980s. Its popularity peaked in the 1979 general election, when it received 191,719 votes ....
stood a candidate for the first time to Cherwell Council and said that they would stand in all of the Bicester
Bicester
Bicester is a town and civil parish in the Cherwell district of northeastern Oxfordshire in England.This historic market centre is one of the fastest growing towns in Oxfordshire Development has been favoured by its proximity to junction 9 of the M40 motorway linking it to London, Birmingham and...
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:...
in the next election in 2004.
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...
34 - 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...
12 - Liberal Democrat 4