2003 Argyll and Bute Council election

Main article: 2003 Scottish local elections

The 2003 elections to Argyll and Bute Council were held on the 1 May 2003 and were the third for the unitary authority, which was created under the Local Government etc (Scotland) Act 1994 and replaced the previous two-tier system of local government under Strathclyde Regional Council and Dumbarton and Argyll & Bute District Councils. It was held on the same day as the second Scottish Parliament election and resulted in no change to the administration of the council - independent control. These were the last elections to the council using the first past the post electoral system.

2003 Argyll and Bute Council election

1 May 2003 (2003-05-01)
All 36 seats to Argyll and Bute Council 19 seats needed for a majority
First party Second party Third party   Party Independent Liberal Democrats SNP Last election 20 6 5 Seats won 22 8 3 Seat change 2 2 2 Popular vote 18,843 5,243 4,829 Percentage 51.5% 14.3% 13.2% Swing 8.3% 6.2% 2.6%   Fourth party Fifth party   Party Conservative Labour Last election 4 1 Seats won 3 0 Seat change 1 1 Popular vote 6,224 1,004 Percentage 17.0% 2.7% Swing 6.3% 7.2%
Results by ward
Council Leader before election Allan MacAskill Independent Council Leader Allan MacAskill Independent

Election results

Argyll and Bute Local Election Results 2003

Party		Seats	Gains	Losses	Net gain/loss	Seats %	Votes %	Votes	+/−
	Independent	22	6	4	2	61.11	51.5	18,843	8.3
	Liberal Democrats	8	3	1	2	22.22	14.3	5,243	6.2
	SNP	3	0	2	2	8.33	13.2	6,224	2.6
	Conservative	3	1	2	1	8.33	17.0	4,829	6.3
	Labour	0	0	1	1	0.00	2.7	1,004	7.2
	Scottish Socialist	0	0	0	0	0.00	1.2	439	New

Ward results

Ward 1: South Kintyre

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Conservative	Donald Kelly	900	83.0
	Labour	Joyce Oxborrow	184	17.0
Majority			716	66.0
Turnout			1,084	58.1
	Conservative hold

Ward 2: Campbeltown Central

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Independent	Alastair M McKinlay	414	40.0
	Liberal Democrats	Morris McIntyre	320	30.9
	Independent	John J Sloey	106	10.2
	SNP	Anne C Baird	99	9.6
	Independent	David Card	96	9.3
Majority			94	9.1
Turnout			1,035	52.4
	Independent hold

Ward 3: East Central Kintyre

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Liberal Democrats	Rory Colville	505	44.7
	Labour	George McMillan	272	24.1
	Independent	Johnny Durnan	238	21.1
	SNP	A John MacLellan	115	10.2
Majority			233	20.6
Turnout			1,130	57.3
	Liberal Democrats gain from Independent

Ward 4: North and West Kintyre

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Independent	John McAlpine	338	27.8
	Independent	Mary Smith	252	20.8
	Liberal Democrats	Douglas Robertson	214	17.6
	Independent	Dougie MacKinnon	198	16.3
	SNP	Alexander MacDougall Horn	136	11.2
	Independent	Arthur A McFarlane	76	6.3
Majority			86	7.0
Turnout			1,214	65.1
	Independent gain from Independent

Ward 5: Knapdale

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Independent	Bruce Robertson	595	52.9
	Independent	Sandy Cameron	437	38.8
	Conservative	Hew W M D Service	93	8.3
Majority			158	14.1
Turnout			1,125	61.4
	Independent hold

Ward 6: Lochgilphead

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Independent	Donnie MacMillan	663	52.9
	Labour	Douglas T Philand	426	36.3
	Liberal Democrats	Trevor J Oxborrow	84	7.2
Majority			237	16.6
Turnout			1,173	59.2
	Independent hold

Ward 7: Craignish - Glenaray

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Liberal Democrats	Alison J Hay	645	54.8
	Independent	David D Litster	449	38.1
	Conservative	Miranda Mary Van Lynden	84	7.1
Majority			196	16.7
Turnout			1,178	58.3
	Liberal Democrats hold

Ward 8: Islay North, Jura and Colonsay

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Liberal Democrats	Robin Currie	Unopposed	N/A
	Liberal Democrats hold

Ward 9: Islay South

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Independent	John M R Findlay	Unopposed	N/A
	Independent hold

Ward 10: Awe

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Independent	Allan N Macaskill	590	55.5
	SNP	Alexander MacKinnon	339	31.9
	Conservative	Ray Norris	135	12.7
Majority			251	23.6
Turnout			1,064	61.5
	Independent hold

Ward 11: Oban North

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Independent	Sidney D MacDougall	390	37.3
	Independent	David V Webster	267	25.5
	Independent	Neil Morrison MacKay	256	24.5
	Conservative	David D Petrie	133	12.7
Majority			123	11.8
Turnout			1,046	57.2
	Independent gain from Independent

Ward 12: Oban Central

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Independent	Robin Banks	563	54.2
	Conservative	Roy Bain Irvine Rutherford	238	22.9
	SNP	Donald J MacDonald	238	22.9
Majority			325	31.3
Turnout			1,039	55.3
	Independent hold

Ward 13: Oban South

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	SNP	Donald McIntosh	551	52.1
	Independent	Frederick MacKenzie	364	34.4
	Independent	Allan Maurice McKie	142	13.4
Majority			187	17.7
Turnout			1,057	52.9
	SNP hold

Ward 14: Ardconnel - Kilmore

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Independent	Duncan C MacIntyre	696	58.3
	SNP	George Berry	249	20.9
	Independent	Michael F W MacKenzie	248	20.8
Majority			447	37.4
Turnout			1,193	60.5
	Independent hold

Ward 15: North Lorn

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Independent	Elaine M Robertson	853	62.1
	SNP	Campbell Cameron	520	37.9
Majority			333	24.2
Turnout			1,373	63.3
	Independent gain from SNP

Ward 16: Mull

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Independent	Alistair MacDougall	716	54.6
	SNP	Gordon Chalmers	595	45.4
Majority			121	9.2
Turnout			1,311	58.8
	Independent hold

Ward 17: Tiree and Coll

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Independent	Ian Gillies	Unopposed	N/A
	Independent hold

Ward 18: Bute North

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	SNP	Robert E Macintyre	777	74.5
	Independent	Robert W Colquhoun	184	17.6
	Scottish Socialist	Roberta McPherson	82	7.9
Majority			593	56.9
Turnout			1,043	61.5
	SNP hold

Ward 19: Bute Central

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	SNP	Isobel Strong	752	70.4
	Independent	Fraser Gillies	316	29.6
Majority			436	40.8
Turnout			1,068	54.7
	SNP hold

Ward 20: Bute South

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Independent	Len Scoullar	888	88.0
	Scottish Socialist	Anthony Edwards	121	12.0
Majority			767	76.0
Turnout			1,236	60.2
	Independent hold

Ward 21: East Lochfyne

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Local and Rural Issues	Douglas C Currie	468	34.4
	Independent	Alexander McNaughton	453	33.3
	SNP	Gordon Neish	251	18.4
	Conservative	John D Geary	190	14.0
Majority			15	1.1
Turnout			1,362	65.1
	Independent hold

Ward 22: Kirn and Hunter's Quay

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Independent	Brian J Chennell	764	71.7
	SNP	Roy E Rees	301	28.3
Majority			463	43.4
Turnout			1,065	56.6
	Independent gain from SNP

Ward 23: Ardenslate

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Independent	James McQueen	633	58.0
	SNP	Alister MacAlister	199	18.2
	Liberal Democrats	Philip W W Norris	146	13.4
	Scottish Socialist	Desmond Divers	114	10.4
Majority			434	39.8
Turnout			1,092	56.4
	Independent hold

Ward 24: Milton

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Independent	Gordon C McKinven	588	55.8
	Liberal Democrats	Marco A Pellicci	211	20.0
	SNP	David W M Hill	133	12.6
	Scottish Socialist	John G Dysart	122	11.6
Majority			377	35.8
Turnout			1,054	59.6
	Independent gain from Labour

Ward 25: Auchamore and Innellan

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Independent	Dick Walsh	740	61.1
	SNP	Alan Clayton	244	20.1
	Conservative	Linda M Pursley	227	18.7
Majority			496	41.0
Turnout			1,211	61.8
	Independent hold

Ward 26: Holy Loch

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Conservative	Bruce Marshall	735	61.0
	SNP	Andrew D MacNicol	469	39.0
Majority			266	22.0
Turnout			1,204	63.0
	Conservative hold

Ward 27: Helensburgh East

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Liberal Democrats	Eric Thompson	625	63.3
	Independent	Jeannette Scobie	153	15.5
	Labour	Brett Weintz	145	14.7
	Conservative	Sharon Spruce	65	6.6
Majority			472	47.8
Turnout			988	51.7
	Liberal Democrats hold

Ward 28: East Central Helensburgh

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Liberal Democrats	Moyra Stewart	591	61.6
	Independent	Tony Dance	238	24.8
	Conservative	David McEwan	130	13.6
Majority			353	36.8
Turnout			959	54.1
	Liberal Democrats hold

Ward 29: Helensburgh Central

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Liberal Democrats	John Tacchi	323	34.4
	Conservative	Sheila Wilson	322	34.3
	Independent	Gordon Hanning	294	31.3
Majority			1	0.1
Turnout			939	49.3
	Liberal Democrats gain from Conservative

Ward 30: Helensburgh North

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Liberal Democrats	Ellen Morton	417	39.2
	Conservative	Nigel Spruce	210	19.7
	Independent	Wilma Hanlon	205	19.2
	Labour	Caroline Weintz	161	15.1
	SNP	Elizabeth Buist	72	6.8
Majority			207	19.5
Turnout			1,065	47.0
	Liberal Democrats hold

Ward 31: Helensburgh West

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Liberal Democrats	Al Reay	529	42.0
	Conservative	John Stirling	426	33.8
	Independent	David Sinclair	306	24.3
Majority			103	8.2
Turnout			1,261	54.5
	Liberal Democrats gain from Conservative

Ward 32: West Helensburgh and Rhu

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Conservative	Gary Mulvaney	386	35.8
	Independent	Stanley Latimer	368	34.1
	Liberal Democrats	Nigel Millar	324	30.1
Majority			18	1.7
Turnout			1,078	57.1
	Conservative gain from Independent

Ward 33: Garelochhead and Cove

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Independent	George Freeman	705	80.8
	Liberal Democrats	Eric Routley	84	9.6
	Conservative	Jacqueline Findlay	84	9.6
Majority			621	71.2
Turnout			873	54.1
	Independent hold

Ward 34: Arrochar, Luss, Arden and Ardenconnell

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Independent	Billy Petrie	634	64.4
	SNP	Thomas G McCormick	184	18.7
	Conservative	Peter Ramsay	167	17.0
Majority			450	45.7
Turnout			985	52.8
	Independent hold

Ward 35: Rosneath, Clynder and Kilcreggan

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Independent	Daniel Kelly	543	43.5
	Independent	Robert G MacIntyre	379	30.4
	Liberal Democrats	Alison Cameron	179	14.3
	Independent	William Reaney	96	7.7
	Conservative	Cyril T Skrastin	51	4.1
Majority			164	13.1
Turnout			1,248	63.5
	Independent gain from Liberal Democrats

Ward 36: Cardross

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Independent	Ronald Kinloch	803	76.0
	Conservative	Ian Smith	253	24.0
Majority			550	52.0
Turnout			1,056	59.5
	Independent hold