| Election Name: | 2023 East Devon District Council election |
| Country: | Devon |
| Type: | parliamentary |
| Previous Election: | 2019 East Devon District Council election |
| Previous Year: | 2019 |
| Next Election: | 2027 East Devon District Council election |
| Next Year: | 2027 |
| Seats For Election: | All 60 seats to East Devon District Council |
| Majority Seats: | 31 |
| Party1: | Independent politician |
| Last Election1: | 19 seats, 23.6% |
| Seats Before1: | 16 |
| Seats After1: | 19 |
| Popular Vote1: | 20,854 |
| Percentage1: | 25.6% |
| Swing1: | 2.1% |
| Party2: | Liberal Democrats (UK) |
| Last Election2: | 8 seats, 15.3% |
| Seats Before2: | 7 |
| Seats After2: | 18 |
| Seat Change2: | 10 |
| Popular Vote2: | 23,378 |
| Percentage2: | 28.7% |
| Swing2: | 13.5% |
| Leader3: | Philip Skinner (defeated) |
| Party3: | Conservative Party (UK) |
| Last Election3: | 20 seats, 36.2% |
| Seats Before3: | 21 |
| Seats After3: | 17 |
| Seat Change3: | 3 |
| Popular Vote3: | 27,980 |
| Percentage3: | 34.4% |
| Swing3: | 1.8% |
| Party4: | Labour Party (UK) |
| Last Election4: | 0 seats, 6.3% |
| Seats Before4: | 2 |
| Seats After4: | 3 |
| Seat Change4: | 3 |
| Popular Vote4: | 4,698 |
| Percentage4: | 5.8% |
| Swing4: | 0.6% |
| Party5: | Green Party of England and Wales |
| Last Election5: | 2 seats, 3.4% |
| Seats Before5: | 2 |
| Seats After5: | 2 |
| Popular Vote5: | 3,898 |
| Percentage5: | 4.8% |
| Swing5: | 1.4% |
| Party6: | Liberal Party (UK, 1989) |
| Last Election6: | 0 seats, 0.0% |
| Seats Before6: | 0 |
| Seats After6: | 1 |
| Seat Change6: | 1 |
| Popular Vote6: | 534 |
| Percentage6: | 0.7% |
| Swing6: | N/A |
| Leader7: | Paul Arnott |
| Party7: | East Devon Alliance |
| Last Election7: | 11 seats, 14.0% |
| Seats Before7: | 12 |
| Seats After7: | 0 |
| Seat Change7: | 11 |
| Popular Vote7: | 0 |
| Percentage7: | 0.0% |
| Swing7: | 14.0% |
| Leader | |
| Posttitle: | Leader after election |
| Before Election: | Paul Arnott East Devon Alliance |
| Before Party: | No overall control |
| After Election: | Paul Arnott Liberal Democrat |
| After Party: | No overall control |
The 2023 East Devon District Council election took place on 4 May 2023 to elect all 60 members of East Devon District Council in Devon, England. This was on the same day as other local elections across England.
The council remained under no overall control, being led by an alliance of the Liberal Democrats, Greens, Labour and some of the independent councillors.
Prior to the election the council was under no overall control, being led by the "Democratic Alliance Group" of 23 councillors, comprising the East Devon Alliance, Liberal Democrats, Greens, and two of the independent councillors. The group was led by Paul Arnott of the East Devon Alliance. They were supported by some of the other independent groups and Labour. The 16 independent councillors who did not represent a registered political party were divided into five different groupings:
There was also one vacant seat on the council.[1] [2]
The local party of the East Devon Alliance did not contest the 2023 election. Of the 12 councillors it had prior to the election, four stood as Liberal Democrats, five stood as independent candidates and three did not stand for re-election. The East Devon Alliance leader Paul Arnott, who was also leader of the council, was one of those who stood as a Liberal Democrat, having already joined the party at a national level in 2022.[3] [4]
The election saw the council remain under no overall control. The Conservative group leader, Philip Skinner, lost his seat. A Democratic Alliance Group formed again after the election, this time comprising the Liberal Democrats, Greens and nine of the independent councillors. Of the other independent councillors, nine formed the "Independent Group" and one sat with the single Liberal councillor as the "Independent Councillor Group". Paul Arnott was re-appointed leader of the council after the election, this time as a Liberal Democrat.[5]
Following the results, the council remained under no overall control.[6] |-
The ward results were as follow, with an asterisk(*) indicating a sitting councillor standing for re-election.
The number of votes for Ian Morgan was in fact 682 (41.8%). However, his result was declared in error as 109 votes by the returning officer.[7] Under UK election law this result stands, as it can only be changed through a petition to a court. This is unlikely to take place given the elected candidates were not affected by this error.
By-election triggered by resignation of Conservative councillor Fred Caygill.[9] [10]