| Election Name: | 2023 Colchester City Council election |
| Country: | Essex |
| Type: | parliamentary |
| Previous Election: | 2022 Colchester Borough Council election |
| Previous Year: | 2022 |
| Next Election: | 2024 Colchester City Council election |
| Next Year: | 2024 |
| Seats For Election: | 17 out of 51 seats to Colchester City Council |
| Majority Seats: | 26 |
| Turnout: | 31.0% (1.1%) |
| Leader1: | Darius Laws |
| Party1: | Conservative Party (UK) |
| Last Election1: | 19 seats, 34.5% |
| Seats Before1: | 19 |
| Seats1: | 6 |
| Seats After1: | 19 |
| Popular Vote1: | 13,216 |
| Percentage1: | 30.5% |
| Swing1: | 4.0% |
| Leader2: | Martin Goss |
| Party2: | Liberal Democrats (UK) |
| Last Election2: | 13 seats, 28.2% |
| Seats Before2: | 15 |
| Seats2: | 6 |
| Seats After2: | 15 |
| Popular Vote2: | 13,116 |
| Percentage2: | 30.3% |
| Swing2: | 1.2% |
| Leader4: | Chris Pearson |
| Party4: | Labour Party (UK) |
| Last Election4: | 14 seats, 29.1% |
| Seats Before4: | 15 |
| Seats4: | 4 |
| Seats After4: | 15 |
| Popular Vote4: | 10,610 |
| Percentage4: | 24.5% |
| Swing4: | 3.7% |
| Leader5: | Mark Goacher |
| Party5: | Green Party of England and Wales |
| Last Election5: | 3 seats, 8.3% |
| Seats Before5: | 2 |
| Seats5: | 1 |
| Seats After5: | 2 |
| Popular Vote5: | 4,412 |
| Percentage5: | 10.2% |
| Swing5: | 1.9% |
| Leader | |
| Posttitle: | Leader after election |
| Before Election: | David King Liberal Democrats |
| Before Party: | No overall control |
| After Election: | David King Liberal Democrats |
| After Party: | No overall control |
The 2023 Colchester City Council election took place on 4 May 2023 to elect members of Colchester City Council in Essex, England.[1] This was on the same day as other local elections across England. There were 17 of the 51 seats on the council up for election, being the usual third of the council, with one seat available for each ward. This set of seats were last contested at the 2019 election.
Prior to the election the council was under no overall control, being run by a Liberal Democrat, Labour and Green coalition. No seats changed party at the election, but after the election the coalition broke down and a minority Liberal Democrat administration formed instead.
Following the last election in 2022 a Liberal Democrat, Labour and Green coalition had formed to replace the previous Conservative and independent coalition.[2] David King (Mile End), a Liberal Democrat, was subsequently elected leader of the council, replacing Paul Dundas (Stanway) of the Conservatives, who had lost his seat. A new Cabinet was formed consisting of four Liberal Democrats, three Labour, and one Green Party member.
No seats changed party at the 2023 election and so the council remained under no overall control. However, immediately after the election the coalition broke up when the National Executive Committee of the Labour Party directed that the Labour group could only stay in the coalition if a Labour leader of the council was appointed, which the other parties did not agree to. At the subsequent annual council meeting on 24 May 2023 a Liberal Democrat minority administration formed instead, still led by David King. The Labour and Green groups voted in support of the minority administration forming.[3]
Although there were no changes in seats, the Conservatives and Labour both lost vote share compared to 2022, with the Liberal Democrats - who came only 100 votes behind the Conservatives in the overall popular vote - and Green Party both making modest advances.
In the marginal wards of Shrub End and Highwoods, the Liberal Democrats held off strong challenges from Labour, whilst the Conservatives held the formerly safe seat of Prettygate over the Liberal Democrat challenger by less than 1%.
Former Conservative leader Paul Dundas, who had lost his seat in 2022, was re-elected to the council and was reappointed as Conservative group leader in place of Darius Laws.[4] The Labour group also changed its leader after the election, with Julie Young replacing Chris Pearson.[5]
| Ward | Incumbent councillor | Party | Re-standing | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Berechurch | Chris Pearson | Yes | ||
| Castle | Mark Goacher | Yes | ||
| Greenstead | Tim Young | Yes | ||
| Highwoods | Alison Jay[18] | Liberal Democrats | Yes | |
| Lexden & Braiswick | Lewis Barber | Yes | ||
| Marks Tey & Layer | Andrew Ellis | Yes | ||
| Mersea & Pyefleet | Patricia Moore | No | ||
| Mile End | Phil Coleman | No | ||
| New Town & Christ Church | Sam McLean[19] | Yes | ||
| Old Heath & The Hythe | Adam Fox | Labour Co-op | No | |
| Prettygate | Leigh Tate[20] | Yes | ||
| Rural North | Nigel Chapman | No | ||
| Shrub End | Sam McCarthy | Yes | ||
| St. Anne's & St. John's | Helen Chuah | No | ||
| Stanway | Lesley Scott-Boutell | Yes | ||
| Tiptree | Barbara Wood | No | ||
| Wivenhoe | Mark Cory | Yes | ||
The Statement of Persons Nominated details the candidates standing in each ward. It was released on 5 April 2023.[21]
Incumbent councillors are marked with an asterisk *
A by-election was called following the resignation of Cllr Catherine Bickersteth (Labour).