The council was under Conservative majority control prior to the election. The Conservatives remained the largest party after the election but lost their majority. Both the Conservative leader, Kelham Cooke, and deputy leader, Adam Stokes, lost their seats.[3]
A coalition of some of the independent councillors and the Greens, Liberal Democrats and Labour formed to take control of the council, narrowly beating a rival coalition of the Conservatives and some of the other independents to form an administration by one vote at the council's subsequent annual meeting on 18 May 2023. Independent councillor Richard Cleaver therefore became leader of the council, defeating the new Conservative leader, Graham Jeal.[4]
Charmaine Morgan had been elected as a Labour councillor in 2019 but left the party to sit as an independent in 2022.[8] Seat shown as independent gain from Labour to allow comparison with 2019 result.
Seat change compared to 2019 election; the Conservative elected in 2019, Matthew Lee, had left the party in 2022 and sat the remainder of his term as an independent.[9] He did not stand for re-election. Jane Kingman had represented Bourne Austerby prior to the election.
This by-election was triggered by the death of Conservative councillor Ray Wootten.[10][11]
References
^Including one vacant seat in Peascliffe and Ridgeway ward previously held by Conservative councillor Rosemary Kaberry-Brown until her resignation in November 2022.
^Of the thirteen independent councillors before the election, four sat with the Liberal Democrats as the "Democratic Independents" group led by independent Philip Knowles, three formed the "Alliance South Kesteven" group led by Ashley Baxter, three formed the "Independent Group" led by Paul Wood and the other three did not form part of a group.[1][2]
