Background
Elections were held for Blackpool Council on 4 May 2023 along with councils across England as part of the 2023 local elections. The members were elected in all-out elections, with all 42 councillors up for election across 21 wards every four years. [2] [3]
At the previous election in 2019, 23 Labour councillors and 15 Conservative councillors were elected, alongside 4 independent councillors. Due to a number of changes of allegiance, Labour lost its majority in April 2021. [4] The council then remained under no overall control until the 2023 election with Labour running a minority administration.
In June 2020 former Council Leader Simon Blackburn was suspended by the Labour Party after allegations of inappropriate behaviour. The investigation was dropped a year later after he left the party. Lynn Williams, as Deputy Leader at the time, subsequently became the first female Leader of Blackpool Council. [5] Councillor Blackburn remained an independent Councillor for Brunswick Ward but confirmed he was not seeking re-election in 2023. [6]
In May 2021 Martin Mitchell, Labour Councillor, was removed from his position as Chairman of the Tourism, Economy and Communities Scrutiny Committee after refusing to back the party's proposals to redevelop Stanley Park Golf Course. [7]
6 May 2021 also saw two by-elections following the deaths of two members, Lily Henderson and former Council Leader Peter Callow. Highfield Ward saw the election of Conservative Bradley Mitchell, [8] while in Norbreck Ward Conservative Julie Sloman was also elected. [9]
In April 2022 Martin Mitchell resigned from the Labour Party and remained an independent Councillor for Layton Ward as part of the 'Blackpool Independents' group alongside Debbie and Gary Coleman. He stood for re-election in 2023 as an independent candidate but was defeated. [10]
Following the death of Conservative Councillor John Wing in August 2022, a by-election was held in Greenlands Ward in November which saw the election of Peter Wright for the Labour Party. [11] Wright won the election by a small margin of 32 votes, against the Conservative candidate Jane Warne. [12]
In November 2022 Councillor Derek Robertson was deselected by the Blackpool South Conservative Association as a candidate for the local elections. He had been councillor for Waterloo Ward since 2014 and resigned from the Conservative Party. He served the remainder of his term as an independent. He stood for re-election as a candidate for Reform UK, but was defeated. [13]
In February 2023 Councillor Tony Williams, along with other Tory councillors, signed a letter of no confidence in the Blackpool South MP Scott Benton and was then suspended from the Conservative Party. He subsequently resigned as Leader of the Council's Conservative Group. He served the remainder of his term as an independent councillor. He stood for re-election as an independent in Norbreck Ward but was defeated. [14]
Notice of candidates nominated was given on the 5th of April. [15]
Labour and the Conservatives fielded 42 candidates across all wards. There were a total of 10 independent candidates, the highest in recent decades, followed by Reform UK with 5 candidates, the Green Party also with 5 candidates and lastly the Liberal Democrats with 4 candidates, their lowest number of candidates in Blackpool in recent times.
