| Election Name: | 2003 Basildon District Council election[1] [2] [3] |
| Country: | England |
| Type: | Parliamentary |
| Ongoing: | no |
| Party Colour: | yes |
| Previous Election: | 2002 Basildon District Council election |
| Previous Year: | 2002 |
| Next Election: | 2004 Basildon District Council election |
| Next Year: | 2004 |
| Seats For Election: | 14 of the 42 seats to Basildon District Council |
| Majority Seats: | 22 |
| Election Date: | 1 May 2003 |
| Party1: | Conservative Party (UK) |
| Last Election1: | 21 |
| Seats Before1: | 21 |
| Seats1: | 8 |
| Seat Change1: | 2 |
| Seats After1: | 23 |
| Popular Vote1: | 12,090 |
| Percentage1: | 45.3% |
| Party2: | Labour Party (UK) |
| Last Election2: | 18 |
| Seats Before2: | 16 |
| Seats2: | 5 |
| Seat Change2: | 4 |
| Seats After2: | 14 |
| Popular Vote2: | 7,441 |
| Percentage2: | 27.9% |
| Party3: | Liberal Democrats (UK) |
| Last Election3: | 3 |
| Seats Before3: | 3 |
| Seats3: | 1 |
| Seat Change3: | 1 |
| Seats After3: | 3 |
| Popular Vote3: | 5,255 |
| Percentage3: | 19.7% |
| Party4: | Basildon Independent Residents |
| Last Election4: | 0 |
| Seats Before4: | 2 |
| Seats4: | 0 |
| Seats After4: | 2 |
| Popular Vote4: | n/a |
| Percentage4: | n/a |
| Map Size: | 300px |
| Council control | |
| Posttitle: | Council control after election |
| Before Election: | No overall control |
| After Election: | Conservative Party |
The 2003 Basildon District Council election took place on 1 May 2003 to elect members of Basildon District Council in Essex, England. One third of the council was up for election and the Conservative party gained overall control of the council from no overall control.[4]
After the election, the composition of the council was
The previous election in 2002 saw the Conservatives win exactly half of the seats, but Labour remained in control of the council with the support of the Liberal Democrats.[6] However 6 months before the 2003 election 2 Labour councillors defected and the Conservatives took over the administration of the council.[7]
The results saw the Conservatives win a majority for only the second time in the history of Basildon council.[8]
Following the election the Labour leader on the council Nigel Smith was replaced by his group with Paul Kirkman.[7]