2023 Darlington Borough Council election

2023 Darlington Borough Council election
← 2019 4 May 2023 (2023-05-04) 2027 →
All 50 seats to Darlington Borough Council
26 seats needed for a majority
  First party Second party Third party
  Blank Blank Blank
Leader Stephen Harker Jonathan Dulston Matthew Snedker
Party Labour Conservative Green
Last election 20 seats, 33.2% 22 seats, 41.5% 2 seats, 13.2%
Seats won 24 15 7
Seat change Increase 4 Decrease 7 Increase 5
Popular vote 24,798 26,324 13,271
Percentage 34.9% 37.1% 18.7%
Swing Increase 1.7% Decrease 4.4% Increase 5.5%
  Fourth party Fifth party
  Blank Blank
Leader Anne-Marie Curry
Party Liberal Democrats Independent
Last election 3 seats, 4.2% 3 seats, 6.6%
Seats won 3 1
Seat change Steady 0 Decrease 2
Popular vote 3,347 3,273
Percentage 4.7% 4.6%
Swing Increase 0.5% Decrease 2.0%
Winner of each seat at the 2023 Darlington Borough Council election
Leader before election

Jonathan Dulston
Conservative
No overall control

Leader after election

Stephen Harker
Labour
No overall control

The 2023 Darlington Borough Council election took place on 4 May 2023 to elect all 50 members of Darlington Borough Council in County Durham, England. This was at the same time as other local elections across England.

The council was under no overall control prior to the election, being led by a Conservative minority administration. The council remained under no overall control after the election, but Labour overtook the Conservatives to become the largest party. A Labour and Liberal Democrat coalition formed after the election, with Labour group leader Steven Harker being appointed leader of the council at the subsequent annual council meeting on 25 May 2023.[1]

Results

Following the results, the council remained with no overall control, but Labour became the largest party.[2][3][4]

2023 Darlington Borough Council election
Party Candidates Seats Gains Losses Net gain/loss Seats % Votes % Votes +/−
  Labour 50 24 5 1 Increase 4 48.0 34.9 24,798 +1.7
  Conservative 49 15 0 7 Decrease 7 30.0 37.1 26,324 –4.4
  Green 50 7 7 0 Increase 5 14.0 18.7 13,271 +5.5
  Liberal Democrats 16 3 0 0 Steady 0 6.0 4.7 3,347 +0.5
  Independent 11 1 0 2 Decrease 2 2.0 4.6 3,273 –2.0

[5] [6]

Ward results

The candidates for each ward were named on 13 April 2023.[7]

Bank Top and Lascelles

Bank Top and Lascelles (3 seats)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Helen Crumbie* 593 52.9 +16.3
Labour David Ray 579 51.6 +15.2
Labour Andrew Anderson 577 51.4 +19.4
Conservative Jo Barker 354 31.6 +8.4
Conservative Emily Chamberlain 322 28.7 +5.8
Conservative Pat Tobin 312 27.8 N/A
Independent Darrien Wright* 157 14.0 –38.3
Green Helen Whittington 95 8.5 –13.8
Green Geoff Hill 84 7.5 N/A
Green Ian MacMurray 74 6.6 N/A
Turnout 1,122
Labour hold
Labour gain from Independent
Labour hold

Brinkburn and Faverdale

Brinkburn and Faverdale (3 seats)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Rebecca Baker 987 47.0 +14.9
Labour David Beckett 949 45.2 +14.8
Conservative Scott Durham* 891 42.4 –4.0
Labour Sarah Holt 880 41.9 +12.0
Conservative Sally Clarke 877 41.7 –2.7
Conservative Andrew Raw 843 40.1 +0.4
Green Sarah Siddle 166 7.9 –14.4
Green Ty Hankinson 139 6.6 N/A
Green Nick Wilson 129 6.1 N/A
Liberal Democrats Paul Bennett 86 4.1 N/A
Turnout 2,101
Labour gain from Conservative
Labour gain from Conservative
Conservative hold

Cockerton

Cockerton (3 seats)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Jan Cossins* 738 51.8 +7.2
Labour Jim Garner 652 45.7 +2.9
Labour Neil Johnson 634 44.5 +5.6
Conservative Vicky Bartch 486 34.1 –2.6
Conservative Sam Bell 485 34.0 +3.8
Conservative Jonathan Hodgson 473 33.2 +3.0
Green Vicky Atkinson 184 12.9 –8.2
Green Susie Broughton 143 10.0 N/A
Green Tamara Ullyart 128 9.0 N/A
Liberal Democrats Malcolm Dunstone 71 5.0 –6.7
Turnout 1,426
Labour hold
Labour hold
Labour hold

College

College (2 seats)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Green Matthew Snedker* 1,255 64.9 +10.9
Green Bryony Holroyd* 1,245 64.3 +19.2
Conservative Mark Hardy 479 24.8 –16.2
Conservative Andy Maughan 442 22.8 –10.1
Labour Elizabeth Watson 152 7.9 –2.9
Labour Lian Hutchings 143 7.4 –2.2
Liberal Democrats Charlie Curry 32 1.7 N/A
Turnout 1,935
Green hold
Green hold

Eastbourne

Eastbourne (3 seats)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Independent Kevin Nicholson* 629 42.4 –28.8
Conservative Jonathan Dulston* 622 42.0 +5.2
Labour Joe Dillon 529 35.7 +13.6
Labour Chris Taylor 476 32.1 +11.3
Labour Jan Taylor 466 31.4 +12.1
Independent Maureen Martin 368 24.8 N/A
Conservative Alison Raynolds 276 18.6 N/A
Independent Steven Tait* 268 18.1 –44.3
Green Sue Morley 100 6.7 –16.2
Green Stuart Bramley 90 6.1 N/A
Green Richard Wise 69 4.7 N/A
Turnout 1,482
Independent hold
Conservative hold
Labour gain from Independent

Harrowgate Hill

Harrowgate Hill (3 seats)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Green Roz Henderson 846 44.4 +21.9
Green Anna-Maria Toms 765 40.1 N/A
Green Richard Lawley 720 37.8 N/A
Labour Martin Landers 586 30.7 –6.9
Labour Joe Passman 563 29.5 –7.2
Labour Sophie Landers 561 29.4 –4.2
Conservative Jon Clarke* 489 25.6 –14.8
Conservative Samantha Bedingfield-Weller 475 24.9 –14.8
Conservative Mikey Vasey 421 22.1 –14.6
Independent Ian Ferguson 70 3.7 –16.8
Turnout 1,907
Green gain from Conservative
Green gain from Conservative
Green gain from Labour

Haughton and Springfield

Haughton and Springfield (3 seats)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Chris McEwan* 904 54.8 +8.7
Labour Nick Wallis* 846 51.3 +10.7
Labour Dawn Storr 811 49.2 +4.3
Conservative Paul Culley 627 38.0 –1.0
Conservative Robert Mills 587 35.6 +2.5
Conservative Joe Dunn 548 33.2 +0.3
Green Andrew Bramfitt 151 9.2 –13.2
Green Bill Stuart 130 7.9 N/A
Green Alex Swainston 124 7.5 N/A
Turnout 1,649
Labour hold
Labour hold
Labour hold

Heighington and Coniscliffe

Heighton and Coniscliffe (2 seats)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Gerald Lee* 869 55.9 –14.2
Conservative Paul Crudass* 665 42.8 –15.7
Independent Holly White 425 27.3 N/A
Labour Paul Harman 275 17.7 +4.0
Labour Tony Roberts 273 17.6 +4.0
Green Michael Cooke 178 11.4 –10.1
Green Michael Fearneyhough 122 7.8 N/A
Liberal Democrats Bill Oliver 67 4.3 N/A
Turnout 1,555
Conservative hold
Conservative hold

Hummersknott

Hummersknott (2 seats)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Green Thomas Robinson 1,009 53.2 +32.2
Green Kate Mammolotti 985 51.9 N/A
Conservative Bill Galbraith 798 42.1 –13.0
Conservative Jack Sowerby* 732 38.6 –13.3
Labour Clare McAdam 93 4.9 –9.6
Labour Rebecca Taylor 85 4.5 –6.7
Turnout 1,897
Green gain from Conservative
Green gain from Conservative

Hurworth

Hurworth (2 seats)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Lorraine Tostevin* 716 54.4 +3.3
Conservative Paul Walters 644 49.0 +4.1
Liberal Democrats Joe Kelley 325 24.7 –9.6
Liberal Democrats Nigel Boddy 278 21.1 N/A
Labour Hannah Guy 190 14.4 +3.2
Green Peter Commane 169 12.9 –18.1
Labour Elizabeth Muggleton 157 11.9 +1.7
Green Chris Fishwick 75 5.7 N/A
Turnout 1,315
Conservative hold
Conservative hold

Mowden

Mowden (2 seats)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Pauline Culley* 871 56.9 –5.8
Conservative Alan Marshall* 842 55.0 –5.0
Labour Bob Carson 441 28.8 +8.5
Labour Tom Paver 426 27.8 +8.0
Green Vanessa Hilton 187 12.2 –8.9
Green Paul Hilton 159 10.4 N/A
Liberal Democrats Laura Wilson 60 3.9 N/A
Turnout 1,532
Conservative hold
Conservative hold

North Road

North Road (3 seats)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Anne-Marie Curry* 465 41.1 –5.7
Liberal Democrats Hilary Allen* 438 38.7 –3.0
Liberal Democrats James Coe 394 34.8 +0.5
Labour Jan Bowles 353 31.2 +1.9
Labour Jonnie Vasey 323 28.5 +2.8
Labour Syed Haque 293 25.9 +2.2
Conservative Nigel Kendrew 226 20.0 +8.6
Conservative Rachael Booth 197 17.4 +6.7
Conservative Pratish Thakkar 179 15.8 +5.7
Green Jon Barley 111 9.8 –4.3
Green Kathy Barley 104 9.2 N/A
Green Faith Lawley 100 8.8 N/A
Turnout 1,132
Liberal Democrats hold
Liberal Democrats hold
Liberal Democrats hold

Northgate

Northgate (2 seats)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Sonia Kane 380 50.6 –1.8
Labour Syeda Ali 373 49.7 +0.4
Conservative Yvonne Richardson 207 27.6 +5.4
Conservative Eldhose Saju 188 25.0 +7.5
Liberal Democrats David Collinge 80 10.7 N/A
Green Louise Maddison 72 9.6 –8.4
Green Neil Kang-Scarth 50 6.7 N/A
Turnout 751
Labour hold
Labour hold

Park East

Park East (3 seats)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Libby McCollom* 704 52.7 +8.8
Labour Michael Nicholson* 680 50.9 +13.3
Labour Matthew Roche 663 49.6 +4.7
Conservative Martin Bell 413 30.9 +10.7
Conservative Chris Lowery 385 28.8 +9.0
Conservative Sarah Rose 342 25.6 +7.6
Green Ann Hunter 172 12.9 –9.0
Green Jane Mitchell 137 10.2 N/A
Green Kulvanth Kaur 133 9.9 N/A
Liberal Democrats Scott Wood 92 6.9 –8.9
Independent Janne Gandy 70 5.2 N/A
Turnout 1,337
Labour hold
Labour hold
Labour hold

Park West

Park West (2 seats)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Heather Scott* 789 42.5 –4.2
Conservative Bob Donoghue* 757 40.8 –2.9
Labour Mel McEvoy 399 21.5 +2.9
Liberal Democrats Sarah Sams 399 21.5 N/A
Liberal Democrats Simon Thorley 364 19.6 N/A
Green Martin Wood 324 17.5 –17.8
Labour John Sloss 319 17.2 –1.3
Green William Rowell 226 12.2 –18.8
Turnout 1,856
Conservative hold
Conservative hold

Pierremont

Pierremont (3 seats)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Steve Harker* 872 56.4 +6.4
Labour Mary Layton* 809 52.3 +7.7
Labour James McGill 756 48.9 +2.1
Conservative Roger Clark 488 31.5 –0.7
Conservative Mags Donoghue 461 29.8 –1.5
Conservative Catherine Hart 374 24.2 –2.4
Green Cat McConnachie 194 12.5 –11.0
Green Megan Hemsley 162 10.5 N/A
Green Amy Mycock 150 9.7 N/A
Liberal Democrats Gary Potter 97 6.3 N/A
Turnout 1,547
Labour hold
Labour hold
Labour hold

Red Hall and Lingfield

Red Hall and Lingfield (2 seats)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Mandy Porter 551 52.6 +4.3
Labour Amanda Riley 534 51.0 +5.7
Conservative KJ Hawkins 408 38.9 +5.6
Conservative David Willis 400 38.2 +6.9
Green Joanne Ashwood 64 6.1 –17.0
Green Mary Gravenor 61 5.8 N/A
Turnout 1,048
Labour hold
Labour hold

One of the two Red Hall and Lingfield seats had been vacant prior to the election, following the death in March 2023 of Labour councillor Hilary Lucas.[8]

Sadberge and Middleton St George

Sadberge and Middleton St George (3 seats)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Deborah Liang* 909 48.5 –13.3
Conservative Yvonne Renton 750 40.0 –31.9
Conservative Colin Pease 744 39.7 –31.7
Independent Maria Darling 645 34.4 N/A
Independent David Darling 596 31.8 N/A
Labour Sandy Thorne-Wallis 363 19.4 –3.4
Labour Lee Vasey 283 15.1 –0.6
Labour Paul Webster 259 13.8 –1.2
Green Suzy Lucas 227 12.1 –10.5
Green Paul Foster 224 12.0 N/A
Green Fred Greenhow 182 9.7 N/A
Liberal Democrats Christopher Marlowe 99 5.3 N/A
Turnout 1,874
Conservative hold
Conservative hold
Conservative hold

Stephenson

Stephenson (2 seats)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Ian Haszeldine* 483 50.6 +14.6
Labour Mohammad Mahmud 432 45.2 +10.0
Conservative Mike Renton* 403 42.2 –11.1
Conservative Michael Walker 331 34.7 N/A
Green Lucy Chapman 79 8.3 –19.3
Green Pete Greenwood 48 5.0 N/A
Independent Monty Brack 23 2.4 N/A
Independent Frazer Spence 22 2.3 N/A
Turnout 955
Labour hold
Labour gain from Conservative

Whinfield

Whinfield (2 seats)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Jamie Bartch* 615 44.6 –10.4
Conservative Andy Keir* 612 44.4 –10.5
Green Mike McTimoney 474 34.4 +19.5
Green Terri Hankinson 456 33.1 N/A
Labour Amanda McEwan 266 19.3 –11.6
Labour Josh Spears 234 17.0 –11.4
Turnout 1,379
Conservative hold
Conservative hold

Changes 2023–2027

  • Yvonne Renton, elected as a Conservative, left the party in October 2023 to sit as an independent.[9]
  • Colin Pease, elected as a Conservative, left the party in May 2024 to sit as an independent.[10]

References

  1. ^ Edgar, Bill (26 May 2023). "Cllr Steve Harker elected as new Darlington Council Leader". Northern Echo. Retrieved 15 June 2023.
  2. ^ "Local Elections 2023: All you need to know as Darlington Labour become majority party". Yahoo News. Retrieved 2023-05-07.
  3. ^ "Darlington result - Local Elections 2023". BBC News. Retrieved 2023-05-07.
  4. ^ "Your councillors [pre-2023 election]". Darlington Borough Council. Archived from the original on 5 April 2023. Retrieved 21 May 2023.
  5. ^ "Election results by party, 4 May 2023 Darlington Borough Council". Darlington Borough Council. Retrieved 2023-05-09.
  6. ^ "Election results by Wards, 4 May 2023 Darlington Borough Council". Darlington Borough Council. Retrieved 2023-05-09.
  7. ^ "Darlington local elections 2023: Full list of candidates standing". The Northern Echo. Retrieved 2023-05-07.
  8. ^ Edgar, Bill (16 March 2023). "Tributes paid to Darlington councillor Hilary Lucas after death". Northern Echo. Retrieved 21 May 2023.
  9. ^ Edgar, Bill (4 October 2023). "Darlington Tory councillor Yvonne Renton becomes Independent". Northern Echo. Retrieved 3 March 2024.
  10. ^ Edgar, Bill (30 May 2024). "Darlington councillor Colin Pease quits Conservative Party". Northern Echo. Retrieved 3 June 2024.