2003 Scottish Borders Council election

Elections for the Scottish Borders Council took place on Thursday 1 May 2003, alongside the wider Scottish local elections.

2003 Scottish Borders Council election

← 1999 3 May 2003 (2003-05-03) 2007 →

All 34 seats to Scottish Borders Council
18 seats needed for a majority
  First party Second party Third party
 
Party Independent Conservative Liberal Democrats
Last election 14 seats, 32.14% 1 seats, 16.9% 14 seats, 27.5%
Seats before 14 1 14
Seats won 14 10 9
Seat change Steady0 Increase9 Decrease5
Popular vote 12,216 11,490 10,561
Percentage 30.4% 28.6% 26.3%
Swing Decrease0.8% Increase11.7% Decrease1.8%

  Fourth party
 
Party SNP
Last election 4 seats, 18.1%
Seats before 4
Seats won 1
Seat change Decrease3
Popular vote 4,625
Percentage 11.5%
Swing Decrease6.6%

Council Leader before election

John Ross Scott
Liberal Democrats

Council Leader after election

David Parker
Independent

No party held a majority, with the largest grouping - local Independents - winning 14 of the council's 34 seats.

Aggregate results

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Scottish Borders Council election, 2003[1]
Party Seats Gains Losses Net gain/loss Seats % Votes % Votes +/−
  Independent 14  0 30.4 12,216  0.8
  Conservative 10  9 28.6 11,490  11.7
  Liberal Democrats 9  5 26.3 10,561  1.8
  SNP 1  3 11.5 4,625  6.6
  Scottish Socialist 0  0 1.9 768 New
  Labour 0  1 1.4 559  14.0

Ward results

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Ward 1: Eyemouth and District South
Party Candidate Votes %
Independent Michael Cook 779 82.4
Conservative Michael Norcott 166 17.6
Majority 613 64.8
Turnout 945 41.8
Independent gain from Independent
Ward 2: Chirnside and District
Party Candidate Votes %
Conservative James Fullarton 614 57.9
SNP Ms Aileen Orr 446 42.1
Majority 168 15.8
Turnout 1,060 43.8
Conservative hold
Ward 3: Coldstream and District
Party Candidate Votes %
Independent John Law 603 41.8
SNP Donald Moffat 556 38.5
Conservative Robert Kennedy 285 19.7
Majority 47 3.3
Turnout 1,444 57.5
Independent hold
Ward 4: Duns and District South
Party Candidate Votes %
Conservative Margaret McCrave 450 40.0
Liberal Democrats Anne de Fernandez 416 37.0
SNP Gordon Mathews 258 23.0
Majority 34 3.0
Turnout 1,124 45.9
Conservative gain from Independent
Ward 5: Duns and District North
Party Candidate Votes %
Independent John Elliot 449 38.1
Liberal Democrats Maureen Ferguson 366 31.0
Conservative Gavin Calder 93 8.3
Majority 83 7.1
Turnout 1,150 47.3
Independent hold
Ward 6: Eyemouth and District North
Party Candidate Votes %
Liberal Democrats George Russell 615 55.0
Conservative Andrew Morgan 504 45.0
Majority 111 10.0
Turnout 1,119 46.1
Liberal Democrats hold
Ward 7: Kelso and District North
Party Candidate Votes %
Independent David Lindores 735 60.2
Conservative Meriel Smith 486 39.8
Majority 249 20.4
Turnout 1,221 44.3
Independent hold
Ward 8: Kelso Central
Party Candidate Votes %
Conservative Alasdair Hutton Unopposed N/A
Conservative gain from Liberal Democrats
Ward 9: Kelso and District South
Party Candidate Votes %
Liberal Democrats Alex Nicol 796 55.2
Conservative Andrew Thomson 646 44.8
Majority 150 10.4
Turnout 442 61.5
Liberal Democrats hold
Ward 10: Jedburgh and District East
Party Candidate Votes %
Conservative Sandy Scott 487 46.3
SNP Natasha York 316 30.1
Liberal Democrats Ian Tunnah 248 23.6
Majority 171 16.2
Turnout 1,051 46.5
Conservative gain from Liberal Democrats
Ward 11: Jedburgh and District West
Party Candidate Votes %
Conservative John Wight 738 61.6
SNP James Brown 460 38.4
Majority 278 23.2
Turnout 1,198 52.0
Conservative hold
Ward 12: Hermitage
Party Candidate Votes %
Independent Val Robson 424 42.0
Liberal Democrats Anne Borthwick 389 38.6
Conservative Hubert Rutherford 196 19.4
Majority 35 3.4
Turnout 1,009 47.7
Independent gain from Liberal Democrats
Ward 13: Burnfoot and Mansfield
Party Candidate Votes %
Independent David Richardson 401 42.4
Liberal Democrats Norman Pender 375 39.6
SNP Harry Stoddart 122 12.9
Conservative John Lamont 48 5.1
Majority 26 2.8
Turnout 946 45.0
Independent gain from Liberal Democrats
Ward 14: Silverbuthall
Party Candidate Votes %
Independent Mary Beck 526 46.2
Liberal Democrats John Scott 502 44.1
Liberal Democrats Jake Irvine 110 9.7
Majority 24 2.1
Turnout 1,138 53.0
Independent gain from Liberal Democrats
Ward 15: Weensland
Party Candidate Votes %
Independent Kenneth McCartney 664 46.7
Liberal Democrats James Scott 369 25.9
Conservative Ms. Alexandra Elliot 299 21.0
SNP Richard Cain 90 6.3
Majority 295 20.8
Turnout 1,422 59.1
Independent gain from Liberal Democrats
Ward 16: Teviot and Central
Party Candidate Votes %
Independent David Paterson 728 63.2
Liberal Democrats Ronald Smith 325 28.2
Conservative Andrew Loyd 98 8.5
Majority 403 35.0
Turnout 1,151 52.3
Independent gain from SNP
Ward 17: Wilton
Party Candidate Votes %
Independent Andrew Farquhar 526 47.4
Liberal Democrats Oliver Angus 320 28.8
Conservative George Turnbull 264 23.8
Majority 206 18.6
Turnout 1,110 50.0
Independent gain from Liberal Democrats
Ward 18: Galawater and Lauderdale
Party Candidate Votes %
Conservative Douglas Younger 465 29.4
Independent Alexander Aitchison 415 26.2
Independent Graeme Donald 374 23.6
Liberal Democrats John Runciman 328 20.7
Majority 50 2.8
Turnout 1,572 58.3
Conservative gain from Independent
Ward 19: Earlston, Gordon and District
Party Candidate Votes %
Conservative Miles Browne Unopposed N/A
Conservative gain from Liberal Democrats
Ward 20: Melrose and District
Party Candidate Votes %
Independent William Smith 831 58.5
Conservative Jonathan Hill 590 41.5
Majority 241 17.0
Turnout 1,421 56.8
Independent hold
Ward 21: Scott's View
Party Candidate Votes %
Conservative Carolyn Riddell-Carre 729 57.3
Liberal Democrats Barbara Wright 543 42.7
Majority 186 14.6
Turnout 1,272 52.8
Conservative gain from Independent
Ward 22: Alewater and Denholm
Party Candidate Votes %
Liberal Democrats John Houston 706 51.0
Conservative John Greenwell 677 49.0
Majority 29 2.0
Turnout 1,383 56.7
Liberal Democrats hold
Ward 23: Old Selkirk
Party Candidate Votes %
Independent Gordon Edgar 618 40.7
Independent John Thomson 544 35.8
Scottish Socialist Kerry Gentleman 143 9.4
SNP Alexander McKie 127 8.4
Conservative Guy Lee 87 5.7
Majority 74 4.9
Turnout 1,519 55.9
Independent hold
Ward 24: Forest
Party Candidate Votes %
Liberal Democrats Vicky Davidson 669 46.9
SNP Christopher Renton 514 36.0
Conservative Kevin Newton 243 17.0
Majority 155 10.9
Turnout 1,426 53.0
Liberal Democrats gain from SNP
Ward 25: Netherdale
Party Candidate Votes %
Conservative Fiona Moore 317 28.3
Independent Angus MacKay 293 20.1
Independent John Robertson 261 23.3
Scottish Socialist Graeme McIver 249 22.2
Majority 24 2.2
Turnout 1,120 46.2
Conservative gain from Independent
Ward 26: Lower Landlee and Tweedbank
Party Candidate Votes %
Independent David Parker 1,113 94.2
Conservative Scott Smith 69 5.8
Majority 1,044 88.4
Turnout 1,182 52.8
Independent gain from SNP
Ward 27: Upper Langlee and Landhope
Party Candidate Votes %
SNP John Mitchell 585 65.2
Conservative Robert Strang 312 34.8
Majority 273 30.4
Turnout 897 41.3
SNP hold
Ward 28: Kilnknowe and Clovenfords
Party Candidate Votes %
Independent Thomas Dumble 462 41.8
SNP Graham Fleming 296 26.8
Conservative Willie Hall 236 21.4
Scottish Socialist Joy McLelland 110 10.0
Majority 166 15.0
Turnout 1,104 46.9
Independent hold
Ward 29: Mossilee and Central
Party Candidate Votes %
Liberal Democrats William Lamb 355 38.3
SNP William Herd 271 29.2
Labour Carolyne Thomson 160 17.2
Conservative Brian Jones 94 10.1
Scottish Socialist Lesley McIver 48 5.2
Majority 84 9.1
Turnout 928 43.0
Liberal Democrats hold
Ward 30: Innerleithen and Walkerburn
Party Candidate Votes %
Liberal Democrats Patricia Purves 862 57.9
SNP William Cox 317 21.3
Conservative John Ballantine 160 10.7
Scottish Socialist Norman Lockhart 150 10.1
Majority 545 36.6
Turnout 1,489 55.3
Liberal Democrats gain from Independent
Ward 31: Peebles and District South
Party Candidate Votes %
Liberal Democrats Graham Garvie 813 50.4
Conservative Charles Cormack 460 28.5
Independent Hector Black 341 21.1
Majority 353 21.9
Turnout 1,614 56.6
Liberal Democrats hold
Ward 32: Peebles and District East
Party Candidate Votes %
Liberal Democrats Catriona Bhatia 829 56.0
SNP George Cowan 267 18.0
Conservative Hilary Ballantine 178 12.0
Labour John Thomson 139 9.4
Scottish Socialist Joan Rowley 68 4.6
Majority 562 38.0
Turnout 1,481 54.4
Liberal Democrats gain from Labour
Ward 33: Peebles and Upper Tweed
Party Candidate Votes %
Independent Nancy Norman 971 62.0
Conservative Hugh Seymour 335 21.4
Labour Julia Reid 260 16.6
Majority 636 40.6
Turnout 1,566 57.5
Independent hold
Ward 34: West Linton and District
Party Candidate Votes %
Conservative Neil Calvert 722 44.7
Independent David Small 634 39.3
Independent Robert Bond 259 16.0
Majority 88 5.4
Turnout 1,615 59.1
Conservative gain from Independent

References

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  1. ^ "Border Councils". andrewteale.me.uk. Retrieved 5 October 2015.