| Election Name: | 2023 Southend-on-Sea City Council election |
| Country: | Essex |
| Type: | Parliamentary |
| Ongoing: | no |
| Party Colour: | yes |
| Previous Election: | 2022 Southend-on-Sea Borough Council election |
| Previous Year: | 2022 |
| Next Election: | 2024 Southend-on-Sea City Council election |
| Next Year: | 2024 |
| Seats For Election: | 17 of the 51 seats to Southend-on-Sea City Council |
| Majority Seats: | 26 |
| Election Date: | 4 May 2023 |
| Image1: | Cllr Tony Cox (51193361428) (cropped).jpg |
| Leader1: | Tony Cox |
| Party1: | Conservative Party (UK) |
| Leader Since1: | 9 May 2019 |
| Last Election1: | 21 seats, 38.2% |
| Leaders Seat1: | West Shoebury |
| Seats Before1: | 21 |
| Seats1: | 5 |
| Seats After1: | 22 |
| Seat Change1: | 1 |
| Popular Vote1: | 13,305 |
| Percentage1: | 33.2% |
| Swing1: | 5.0% |
| Leader2: | Stephen George |
| Party2: | Labour Party (UK) |
| Leader Since2: | 11 May 2022[1] |
| Leaders Seat2: | Milton |
| Last Election2: | 16 seats, 30.4% |
| Seats Before2: | 15 |
| Seats2: | 7 |
| Seats After2: | 17 |
| Seat Change2: | 2 |
| Popular Vote2: | 11,487 |
| Percentage2: | 28.7% |
| Swing2: | 1.7% |
| Image3: | Ind |
| Leader3: | n/a |
| Party3: | Independent politician |
| Leaders Seat3: | n/a |
| Last Election3: | 8 seats, 8.4% |
| Seats Before3: | 9 |
| Seats3: | 3 |
| Seats After3: | 7 |
| Seat Change3: | 2 |
| Popular Vote3: | 4,928 |
| Percentage3: | 12.3% |
| Swing3: | 3.9% |
| Image4: | File:Carole Mulroney (cropped).jpg |
| Leader4: | Carole Mulroney |
| Party4: | Liberal Democrats (UK) |
| Leader Since4: | May 2017[2] |
| Leaders Seat4: | Leigh |
| Last Election4: | 6 seats, 13.2% |
| Seats Before4: | 6 |
| Seats4: | 1 |
| Seats After4: | 4 |
| Seat Change4: | 2 |
| Popular Vote4: | 5,298 |
| Percentage4: | 13.2% |
| Swing4: | 0.0% |
| Image5: | Cllr Richard Longstaff (52890594287) (cropped).jpg |
| Leader5: | Richard Longstaff |
| Party5: | Green Party of England and Wales |
| Leader Since5: | 4 May 2023 |
| Leaders Seat5: | Leigh |
| Last Election5: | 0 seats, 7.4% |
| Seats Before5: | 0 |
| Seats5: | 1 |
| Seats After5: | 1 |
| Seat Change5: | 1 |
| Popular Vote5: | 3,653 |
| Percentage5: | 9.1% |
| Swing5: | 1.7% |
| Map Size: | 350px |
| Leader | |
| Posttitle: | Leader after election |
| Before Election: | Stephen George Labour |
| Before Party: | No overall control |
| After Election: | Tony Cox Conservative |
| After Party: | No overall control |
The 2023 Southend-on-Sea City Council election was held on 4 May 2023 to elect members of Southend-on-Sea City Council in England. It coincided with local elections across the United Kingdom.
The council is elected by thirds, so a single member will be elected from all 17 wards to a term of four years. The seats elected at this election were last contested in 2019.[3]
Prior to the election the council was under no overall control, being run by a Labour, Liberal Democrat and independent coalition. Following the election the council remained under no overall control, but the Conservatives were able to form a minority administration with support from some of the independent councillors.[4]
In the 2022 election, the Conservative Party and the Independents lost seats while Labour and the Liberal Democrats gained seats.[5] While the Conservative were the largest party, the council was run by a Labour-led coalition along with the Liberal Democrats and Independents. Since then one Labour and one Independent councillor left their groups and formed a new group called Residents First.[6]
| After 2022 election[7] | Before 2023 election[8] | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Seats | Party | Seats | ||
| 21 | 21 | ||||
| 16 | 15 | ||||
| 6 | 6 | ||||
| 6 | 5 | ||||
| 2 | 2 | ||||
| 2 | |||||
Results of the City Council election were released by Southend-on-Sea City Council on 5th May 2023.[9]
Seat changes are compared to the 2019 election and do not take into account interim changes due to by-elections or defections.