| Election Name: | 2023 Wyre Forest District Council election |
| Country: | Worcestershire |
| Type: | parliamentary |
| Previous Election: | 2019 Wyre Forest District Council election |
| Previous Year: | 2019 |
| Next Election: | 2027 Wyre Forest District Council election |
| Next Year: | 2027 |
| Seats For Election: | All 33 seats on Wyre Forest District Council |
| Majority Seats: | 17 |
| Party1: | Conservative Party (UK) |
| Leader1: | Marcus Hart |
| Last Election1: | 14 seats, 31.6% |
| Seats Before1: | 14 |
| Seats After1: | 20 |
| Seat Change1: | 6 |
| Popular Vote1: | 8,609 |
| Percentage1: | 29.6 |
| Swing1: | 2.0 |
| Party2: | Independent politician |
| Leader2: | Helen Dyke |
| Last Election2: | 5 seats, 10.6% |
| Seats Before2: | 5 |
| Seats After2: | 6 |
| Seat Change2: | 1 |
| Popular Vote2: | 5,595 |
| Percentage2: | 19.3 |
| Swing2: | 8.7 |
| Party3: | Labour Party (UK) |
| Leader3: | Leigh Whitehouse |
| Last Election3: | 2 seats, 16.1% |
| Seats Before3: | 2 |
| Seats After3: | 4 |
| Seat Change3: | 2 |
| Popular Vote3: | 6,969 |
| Percentage3: | 24.0 |
| Swing3: | 7.9 |
| Party4: | Liberal Democrats (UK) |
| Leader4: | Fran Oborski |
| Last Election4: | 3 seats, 10.5% |
| Seats Before4: | 3 |
| Seats After4: | 2 |
| Seat Change4: | 1 |
| Popular Vote4: | 4,081 |
| Percentage4: | 14.0 |
| Swing4: | 3.5 |
| Party5: | Green Party of England and Wales |
| Last Election5: | 1 seat, 7.7% |
| Seats Before5: | 1 |
| Seats After5: | 1 |
| Popular Vote5: | 3,799 |
| Percentage5: | 13.1 |
| Swing5: | 5.4 |
| Party6: | Independent Community & Health Concern |
| Last Election6: | 8 seats, 17.3% |
| Seats Before6: | 8 |
| Seats After6: | 0 |
| Seat Change6: | 8 |
| Popular Vote6: | n/a |
| Leader | |
| Posttitle: | Leader after election |
| Before Election: | Helen Dyke Independent |
| Before Party: | No overall control |
| After Election: | Marcus Hart |
| After Party: | Conservative Party (UK) |
The 2023 Wyre Forest District Council election took place on 4 May 2023, to elect all 33 members of Wyre Forest District Council in Worcestershire, England. This was on the same day as other local elections across England.
Prior to the election the council was under no overall control, being run by a "progressive alliance" of Independent Health Concern, Labour, Green and independent councillors. The Conservatives won a majority of the seats at this election. Wyre Forest was one of only two councils where the Conservatives gained control in the 2023 elections, with the party generally losing seats and councils elsewhere.
Prior to the election the eight Independent Health Concern councillors, five independent councillors and the one Green councillor had sat together as one "Independent Group", led by independent councillor Helen Dyke. The Independent Group and Labour together formed the council's administration, calling themselves a progressive alliance, with Helen Dyke serving as leader of the council.[1] Local party Independent Health Concern announced in 2022 that it would no longer be fielding candidates at elections; its sitting councillors who chose to stand for re-election in 2023 did so as independent candidates.[2]
The Conservatives and Labour saw gains, whilst the Liberal Democrats and independents (when including the former Independent Health Concern councillors) suffered loses. The only Green councillor retained her seat. Whilst the Conservatives suffered loses throughout the country, in Wyre Forest the Conservatives won a majority of the seats. Torbay and Wyre Forest were the only two councils where the Conservatives gained a majority at this election.[3]
Conservative leader Marcus Hart was appointed leader of the council at the subsequent annual council meeting on 17 May 2023.[4]
The overall results were as follows:[5] |-
The results for each ward were as follows, with an asterisk (*) indicating an incumbent councillor standing for re-election:[6] [7]
John Thomas had been a Health Concern councillor prior to the election.
Anna Coleman and Roger Coleman had both been elected as Conservatives but left the party in 2020 and joined Health Concern. Seat change compared to 2019 result.[8]
Peter Young was a Health Concern councillor prior to the election; seat shown as independent gain from Health Concern to allow comparison with 2019 results.
Ben Brookes and David Ross had previously won their seats in by-elections in 2021 and 2022; their seats shown as Conservative gains from Health Concern to allow comparison with 2019 results.
Dixon Sheppard was a Health Concern councillor prior to the election.
Nicky Martin had been a Health Concern councillor prior to the election; seat shown as independent gain from Health Concern.