2003 Aberdeenshire Council election

←  1999 1 May 2003 (2003-05-01) 2007 →
All 68 seats to Aberdeenshire Council 35 seats needed for a majority
First party Second party   Party Liberal Democrats SNP Last election 28 seats, 32.8% 23 seats, 29.4% Seats won 28 18 Seat change 5 Popular vote 27,953 23,068 Percentage 33.5% 27.6% Swing 0.7% 1.8%   Third party Fourth party   Party Conservative Independent Last election 7 seats, 18.4% 10 seats, 14.3% Seats won 11 11 Seat change 4 1 Popular vote 17,511 12,086 Percentage 21.0% 14.5% Swing 2.6% 0.2%

Elections to the Aberdeenshire Council were held on 1 May 2003, the same day as the other Scottish local government elections and the Scottish Parliament general election. This was the last election to use the first-past-the-post voting system across 68 single member wards.

At the previous election in 1999, the Liberal Democrats won 28 seats, falling 7 short of an overall majority. The Scottish National Party (SNP) won 23 seats, falling 12 short an overall majority. Independents won 10, and the Conservatives won 7, both also falling well short of an overall majority.

Source: ^[1]

There were several changes to the composition of the council during the 1999-2003 term.

Source: ^[2]

2003 Aberdeenshire Council election result

Party		Seats	Gains	Losses	Net gain/loss	Seats %	Votes %	Votes	+/−
	Liberal Democrats	28				41.2	33.5	27,953	0.7
	SNP	18			5	26.5	27.6	23,068	1.8
	Conservative	11			4	16.2	21.0	17,511	2.6
	Independent	11			1	16.2	14.5	12,086	0.2
	Labour	0				0.0	3.3	2,743	1.7
	Scottish Socialist	0				0.0	0.2	189	New

Source: ^{[3] [4] [5]}

On 9 June 2005 a by-election was held in the Huntly East ward. The Scottish Conservative's Moira Ingleby held the seat. ^{[6] [7]}