Elections to Manchester City Council were held on Thursday, 1 May 2003. One third of the council was up for election as well as a vacancy in Benchill, with each successful candidate to serve a one-year term of office, expiring in 2004, due to the boundary changes and 'all-out' elections due to take place in that year. Turnout was down slightly to 22.2%, with Labour retaining overall control of the council. The election saw the Greens winning their first seat, and half a dozen Liberal Democrat gains resulting in Labour's majority being the lowest in twenty years. The three Independent Labour candidates stood as "Independent Progressive Labour".Manchester Evening News, 2 May 2003.
Election result
PartyVotesSeatsFull CouncilLabour Party31,296 (44.8%) 6.621 (61.7%) 5 71 (71.7%)Liberal Democrats25,261 (36.2%) 5.5 12 (35.3%) 5 27 (27.3%)Green Party4,528 (6.5%) 0.4 1 (2.9%) 1 1 (1.0%)Conservative Party6,951 (10.0%) 0.90 (0.0%) 0 (0.0%)Independent Labour781 (1.1%) 0.3 0 (0.0%) 1 0 (0.0%)Socialist Alliance840 (1.0%) 0.2 0 (0.0%) 0 (0.0%)BNP219 (0.3%) N/A 0 (0.0%) N/A 0 (0.0%)Independent66 (0.1%) 0.5 0 (0.0%) 0 (0.0%)Independent Liberal16 (0.0%) N/A 0 (0.0%) N/A 0 (0.0%)
+ ↓ 1 71 27
Ward results
Ardwick
Baguley
Barlow Moor
Benchill
Beswick and Clayton
Blackley
Bradford
Brooklands
Burnage
Central
Charlestown
Cheetham
Chorlton
Crumpsall
Didsbury
Fallowfield
Gorton North
Gorton South
Harpurhey
Hulme
Levenshulme
Lightbowne
Longsight
Moss Side
Moston
Newton Heath
Northenden
Old Moat
Rusholme
Sharston
Whalley Range
Withington
Woodhouse Park
References