| Election Name: | 2023 South Derbyshire District Council election |
| Country: | Derbyshire |
| Type: | parliamentary |
| Previous Election: | 2019 South Derbyshire District Council election |
| Previous Year: | 2019 |
| Next Election: | 2027 South Derbyshire District Council election |
| Next Year: | 2027 |
| Seats For Election: | All 36 seats to South Derbyshire District Council |
| Majority Seats: | 19 |
| Party1: | Labour Party (UK) |
| Leader1: | Kevin Richards |
| Last Election1: | 14 seats, 38.8% |
| Seats Before1: | 16 |
| Seats1: | 23 |
| Seat Change1: | 9 |
| Popular Vote1: | 24,986 |
| Percentage1: | 48.5% |
| Swing1: | 9.7% |
| Party2: | Conservative Party (UK) |
| Leader2: | Peter Smith (defeated) |
| Last Election2: | 22 seats, 53.4% |
| Seats Before2: | 16 |
| Seats2: | 10 |
| Seat Change2: | 12 |
| Popular Vote2: | 22,487 |
| Percentage2: | 43.7% |
| Swing2: | 9.7% |
| Party4: | Liberal Democrats (UK) |
| Last Election4: | 0 seats, 0.0% |
| Seats Before4: | 0 |
| Seats4: | 2 |
| Seat Change4: | 2 |
| Popular Vote4: | 2,294 |
| Percentage4: | 4.5% |
| Swing4: | N/A |
| Party5: | Independent politician |
| Last Election5: | 0 seats, 0.0% |
| Seats Before5: | 4 |
| Seats5: | 1 |
| Seat Change5: | 1 |
| Popular Vote5: | 1,401 |
| Percentage5: | 2.7% |
| Swing5: | N/A |
| Leader | |
| Posttitle: | Leader after election |
| Before Election: | Kevin Richards Labour |
| Before Party: | No overall control |
| After Election: | Robert Pearson |
| After Party: | Labour Party (UK) |
The 2023 South Derbyshire District Council election took place on 4 May 2023, to elect all 36 members of South Derbyshire District Council in Derbyshire, England. This was on the same day as other local elections across England. Labour took a majority of the seats on the council, which had previously been under no overall control.
Prior to the election the council was under no overall control; Labour and the Conservatives each had 16 seats each on the council, and there were also four independent councillors. At the 2019 election the Conservatives had taken a majority of the seats, but subsequent defections had led to them losing their majority. Since January 2021 the council had been led by a Labour minority administration, with the leader of the council being Kevin Richards. He chose not to stand for re-election.[1]
Labour won a majority of the seats on the council at the election. The result in Hilton ward was declared void after Conservative candidate Gillian Lemmon died during the election count. The three seats for that ward were therefore left vacant pending a by-election.[2] The Hilton election was subsequently held on 15 June 2023 and saw the Liberal Democrats gain two of the three seats there, giving them their first representation on the council. Conservative group leader Peter Smith was one of the candidates defeated in Hilton ward.[3]
Robert Pearson was appointed the new leader of the council at the annual council meeting on 18 May 2023.[4]
Following the results, Labour took the council from no overall control.[5]
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The candidates by ward:[6]
Poll delayed to 15th June due to the death of candidate Gillian Lemmon.[7]
The Melbourne by-election was triggered by the resignation of Conservative councillor Martin Fitzpatrick.[8]
The Hatton by-election was triggered by the resignation of Labour councillor Julie Jackson.[9]