Elections to East Ayrshire Council were held on 1 May 2003, the same day as the 31 other local government elections in Scotland and elections to the Scottish Parliament. This was the third election since the council's creation in 1995 and the last election to use first-past-the-post voting.
Labour maintained control of the council after increasing their vote share to 49.2%. The party won a majority of the seats and increased their representation on the council. The Scottish National Party (SNP) remained as the largest opposition party on the council despite a net loss of six seats and the Conservatives held their only seat on the council.
Following the introduction of the Local Governance (Scotland) Act 2004, local elections in Scotland would use the single transferable vote electoral system which meant this was the last election in which the 32 single-member wards created by the Third Statutory Reviews of Electoral Arrangements would be contested.
Summary
Source:
Ward results Stewarton East and Dunlop
Stewarton Central
Kilmaurs and Stewarton South
North Kilmarnock, Fenwick and Waterside
Crosshouse, Gatehead and Knockentiber
Altonhill, Hillhead and Longpark
Onthank
Kilmarnock Central West
Kilmarnock Central East
North New Farm Loch and Dean
South New Farm Loch
Crookedholm, Moscow, Galston West and Hurlford North
Newmilns
Grange and Howard
Kilmarnock Central South
Riccarton
Shortlees
Bellfield
Hurlford
Galston East
Darvel
Mauchline
Catrine, Sorn and Mauchline East
Muirkirk, Lugar and Logan
Drongan, Stair and Rankinston
Ochiltree, Skares, Netherthird and Craigens
Auchinleck
Cumnock West
Cumnock East
Patna and Dalrymple
Dalmellington
New Cumnock
By-elections (2003–07)
References