| Election Name: | 2023 Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council election |
| Type: | parliamentary |
| Ongoing: | no |
| Country: | Dorset |
| Previous Election: | 2019 Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council election |
| Previous Year: | 2019 |
| Next Election: | 2027 Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council electionjud |
| Next Year: | 2027 |
| Seats For Election: | All 76 seats on Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council |
| Majority Seats: | 39 |
| Election Date: | 4 May 2023 |
| Leader1: | Vikki Slade |
| Party1: | Liberal Democrats (UK) |
| Last Election1: | 15 seats, 19.7% |
| Seats1: | 28 |
| Seat Change1: | 13 |
| Popular Vote1: | 62,537 |
| Percentage1: | 31.4% |
| Swing1: | 9.0% |
| Leader2: | Phil Broadhead |
| Party2: | Conservative Party (UK) |
| Last Election2: | 36 seats, 32.1% |
| Seats2: | 12 |
| Seat Change2: | 24 |
| Popular Vote2: | 51,323 |
| Percentage2: | 25.8% |
| Swing2: | 6.3% |
| Leader3: | George Farquhar |
| Party3: | Labour Party (UK) |
| Last Election3: | 3 seats, 14.2% |
| Seats3: | 11 |
| Seat Change3: | 8 |
| Popular Vote3: | 30,417 |
| Percentage3: | 15.3% |
| Swing3: | 1.1% |
| Leader4: | Paul Hillard |
| Party4: | Christchurch Independents |
| Last Election4: | N/A |
| Seats4: | 8 |
| Seat Change4: | 8 |
| Popular Vote4: | 15,231 |
| Percentage4: | 7.7% |
| Swing4: | N/A |
| Leader5: | Chris Rigby |
| Party5: | Green Party of England and Wales |
| Last Election5: | 2 seats, 7.5% |
| Seats5: | 5 |
| Seat Change5: | 3 |
| Popular Vote5: | 16,915 |
| Percentage5: | 8.5% |
| Swing5: | 1.0% |
| Party6: | Independent politician |
| Last Election6: | 11 seats, 14.2% |
| Seats6: | 5 |
| Seat Change6: | 6 |
| Popular Vote6: | 9,050 |
| Percentage6: | 4.5% |
| Swing6: | 9.7% |
| Leader7: | Mark Howell |
| Party7: | Poole People Party |
| Last Election7: | 7 seats, 5.4% |
| Seats7: | 5 |
| Seat Change7: | 2 |
| Popular Vote7: | 5,995 |
| Percentage7: | 3.0% |
| Swing7: | 2.4% |
| Leader8: | Judes Butt |
| Party8: | Poole Engage Party |
| Last Election8: | 0 seats, 0.3% |
| Seats8: | 2 |
| Seat Change8: | 2 |
| Popular Vote8: | 6,966 |
| Percentage8: | 3.5% |
| Swing8: | 3.2% |
| Map Size: | 300px |
| Leader | |
| Posttitle: | Leader after election |
| Before Election: | Philip Broadhead Conservative |
| Before Party: | No overall control |
| After Election: | Vikki Slade Liberal Democrats |
| After Party: | No overall control |
The 2023 Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council election took place on 4 May, 2023, to elect all 76 members of Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council in Dorset, England.[1]
The council stayed with no overall control but the Liberal Democrats became the largest single party.[2] [3] As no one party controlled a majority of the council the Liberal Democrats, Christchurch Independents, Poole People Party and The Bournemouth Independent Group subsequently formed a coalition administration known as the "Three Towns Alliance."[4] [5]
Prior to the election the council was under no overall control, being led by a minority Conservative administration. Eight registered political parties were represented on the council, in addition to eight independent councillors who did not belong to a party. Some of the parties and independents formed political groups:
The other parties each formed their own groups, and the remaining five independent councillors were not aligned to any group.[6] [7]
| Councillor | Ward | First elected | Party | Date announced | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Norman Decent | Kinson | 2019 | Conservative | 10 May 2022[8] | |
| Mike Brooke | Broadstone | 1999 | Liberal Democrats | 3 November 2022[9] | |
| Drew Mellor | Talbot and Branksome Woods | 2019 | Conservative | 13 February 2023[10] | |
| Mike Greene | Bournemouth Central | 2009 | Conservative | 25 February 2023[11] | |
| Nicola Greene | Westbourne and West Cliff | 2007 | Conservative | 25 February 2023[12] | |
| Ann Stribley | Parkstone | 1977 | Conservative | 30 March 2023[13] | |
| Lewis Allison | Boscombe West | 2019 | Labour | 6 April 2023 | |
| Peter Hall | Christchurch Town | 2015 | Conservative | ||
| Diana Butler | Creekmoor | 2019 | UKIP | ||
| Mark Robson | Newtown and Heatherlands | 2019 | Liberal Democrats | ||
| L-J Evans | Poole Town | 2019 | Poole People Party | ||
| Susan Phillips | Wallisdown and Winton West | 2011 | Conservative | ||
| Lisa Lewis | West Southbourne | 2019 | Labour | ||
On 5 April 2023, the full list of candidates was published:[14]
In addition, 33 Independent candidates, and 1 candidate without a description, sought election.
Following the results, the council remained in no overall control but the Liberal Democrats became the largest party with 13 gains.[15] The Conservatives fell sharply from 34 to 12 seats.[16] The Labour Party nearly quadrupled their seat total from 3 to 11.[17] The Green Party went from 2 seats to 5.[18]
|-
UKIP and ALL both lost one seat, but are not shown in the table above as no candidates contested on behalf of those parties.
Incumbent councillors are indicated with '‡'.
Five days after the election, newly elected Labour councillor Martin Bedford for East Cliff and Springbourne resigned due to ill health.[19]