2023 Bracknell Forest Borough Council election

Last updated
2023 Bracknell Forest Borough Council election
  2019 4 May 2023 (2023-05-04)2027 

All 41 seats to Bracknell Forest Borough Council
21 seats needed for a majority
Turnout28% [1] (Decrease2.svg 2pp)
 First partySecond party
 
Lab
Con
LeaderMary TempertonPaul Bettison
Party Labour Conservative
Leader since20111996
Leader's seatGreat HollandsRan in Sandhurst (lost)
Last election3 seats, 26.7%38 seats, 48.5%
Seats before437
Seats won2210
Seat changeIncrease2.svg 19Decrease2.svg 28
Popular vote8,17311,388
Percentage30.4%42.4%
SwingIncrease2.svg 3.7%Decrease2.svg 6.1%

 Third partyFourth party
 
LD
Grn
LeaderThomas Parker
(not standing)
N/A
Party Liberal Democrats Green
Leader since2019N/A
Leader's seatWildridings & CentralN/A
Last election1 seats, 20.4%0 seats, 1.9%
Seats before10
Seats won72
Seat changeIncrease2.svg 6Increase2.svg 2
Popular vote4,5632,258
Percentage17.0%8.4%
SwingDecrease2.svg 3.4%Increase2.svg 6.5%

Bracknell Forest UK ward map 2023.svg
Winner of each seat at the 2023 Bracknell Forest Borough Council election

Leader before election

Paul Bettison
Conservative

Leader after election

Mary Temperton
Labour

The 2023 Bracknell Forest Borough Council election took place on 4 May 2023, to elect all 41 members in 15 wards for Bracknell Forest Borough Council in England. The election took place on the same day as other local elections in England as part of the 2023 United Kingdom local elections. Due to a boundary review there had been a change in ward boundaries, along with a reduction in size from 42 members elected in 2019. This is the first election since 1971 (under the council's predecessor Easthampstead Rural District) where a majority of seats are outside Bracknell. The election was held alongside concurrent town and parish council elections in Binfield, Bracknell, Crowthorne, Sandhurst, Warfield, and Winkfield.

Contents

The Labour Party won an overall majority of 3, ending the 26-year Conservative Party administration, with both the Leader of the Council Paul Bettison and Deputy Leader Dale Birch losing re-election in the new ward of Sandhurst. By seat share, it is the worst result for the Conservatives in the history of Bracknell District and Bracknell Forest, eclipsing their defeat in 1973. Additionally, by measure of seats lost, it was the worst Conservative result in the country that electoral cycle. Conversely, it is the best performance for the Liberal Democrats and its antecedents, winning 7 seats. The Green Party gained victory for the first time in the council's history, winning 2 seats.

Background

The council had been controlled by the Conservative Party since the unitary authority was created in 1998. The predecessor district council was controlled by the Conservatives, save for an initial period from 1973 to 1976 and later 1995 to 1997 when it was controlled by the Labour Party.

Paul Bettison was the Leader of the Council since 1997, having been elected leader of the Conservative group in 1996. [2] Mary Temperton has been leader of the Labour group since 2011. [3] Thomas Parker, the lone Liberal Democrat, announced he would not stand for re-election, having been first elected in 2019.

Pre-Election Composition

37
4
1
PartySeats
Conservatives37
Labour4
Liberal Democrats1

Campaign

The Conservatives nominated a full slate of 41 candidates, whilst Labour only put forward 24, the Liberal Democrats 12, and the Greens 7. However, in none of these contests were Labour and the Liberal Democrats standing against each other, and likewise between the Liberal Democrats and the Greens - in only 2 of the 15 wards were Labour and the Greens opposing each other. This was a significant reversal from 2019, when Labour put up a full slate, and led to accusations that an arrangement had been reached between the three parties as a form of progressive alliance [4] [5] - a fact denied by the local Labour and Liberal Democrats. [5] Reform UK and the Heritage Party also stood 1 candidate each in Harmans Water & Crown Wood - their first entry at a Bracknell Forest election. Finally, two independents stood - one in Town Centre & The Parks and another in Whitegrove.

Soon after nominations closed, controversy emerged over the selection of one of the Conservative candidates for Bracknell Town Council on Priestwood ward, Andrew McBride. McBride was a former regional organiser of the far-right British National Party, having also stood as a BNP candidate for Priestwood & Garth at the 2007 election, as well as a former deputy leader of the far-right Britain First. [6] The Bracknell Conservative Association subsequently suspended his membership and disavowed his candidacy - however, it was legally too late to withdraw McBride from the election, so he appeared on the ballot as a Conservative candidate. [7] The association indicated it would deny him the Conservative whip should he be elected. [7] Outgoing Conservative cabinet member, Marc Brunel-Walker, announced on 12 April that he had submitted a motion of no-confidence in the association's officers over its selection of McBride in the first place. [8]

11 incumbent councillors (10 of them Conservative) announced they would be standing down. [9]

Results

2023 Bracknell Forest Borough Council election
PartySeatsGainsLossesNet gain/lossSeats %Votes %Votes+/−
  Labour 22Increase2.svg 19Steady2.svg 0Increase2.svg 1953.730.48,173+383
  Conservative 10Steady2.svg 0Decrease2.svg 28Decrease2.svg 2824.442.411,388-2,795
  Liberal Democrats 7Increase2.svg 6Steady2.svg 0Increase2.svg 617.117.04,563-1,393
  Green 2Increase2.svg 2Steady2.svg 0Increase2.svg 24.98.42,258+1,708
  Independent 0Steady2.svg 0Steady2.svg 0Steady2.svg 00.00.8221+221
  Heritage 0Steady2.svg 0Steady2.svg 0Steady2.svg 00.00.6155+155
  Reform UK 0Steady2.svg 0Steady2.svg 0Steady2.svg 00.00.5122+122

Ward results

Binfield North & Warfield West

Binfield North & Warfield West (3)
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Green Sheila Collings 1,004 58.0
Green Adrian Michael Haffegee 901 52.1
Conservative John Bruce Harrison 807 46.6
Conservative Ian William Leake79045.7
Conservative Ankur Shiv Bhandari64337.2
Turnout 1,73028
Registered electors 6,254
Green win (new seat)
Green win (new seat)
Conservative win (new seat)

Binfield South & Jennett’s Park

Binfield South & Jennett’s Park (3)
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour Kathryn Claire Neil 1,111 55.4
Labour Georgia Rose Pickering 1,025 51.1
Labour Steve O'Regan 1,007 50.2
Conservative Paul Vincent Byron91045.3
Conservative Kiran Kumar Meka80440.1
Conservative Rishi Bhandari76838.3
Turnout 2,00727
Registered electors 7,597
Labour win (new seat)
Labour win (new seat)
Labour win (new seat)

Bullbrook

Bullbrook (2)
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour Caroline May Egglestone 574 55.1
Labour Kandy Jefferies 510 48.9
Conservative Henry Michael Norman Campbell-Ricketts47445.5
Conservative Sanjeev Prasad46144.2
Turnout 1,04225
Registered electors 4,221
Labour win (new seat)
Labour win (new seat)

Crowthorne

Crowthorne (3)
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Tina McKenzie-Boyle 907 52.2
Liberal Democrats Tina Eberle 829 47.8
Conservative Nicholas Ian Robertson 828 47.7
Conservative Bob Wade79946.0
Liberal Democrats Richard Montague Beaumont79245.6
Liberal Democrats Terry Enga72841.9
Turnout 1,73630
Registered electors 5,755
Conservative win (new seat)
Liberal Democrats win (new seat)
Conservative win (new seat)

Easthampstead & Wildridings

Easthampstead & Wildridings (3)
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour Paul Steven Bidwell 908 57.5
Labour Guy Alexander Gillbe 906 57.3
Labour Helen Amelia Purnell 844 53.4
Conservative Dee Hamilton53533.9
Conservative Iain Alexander McCracken51232.4
Conservative Sabyasachi Chattaraj48130.4
Green Victor John Rones26116.5
Turnout 1,58025
Registered electors 6,432
Labour win (new seat)
Labour win (new seat)
Labour win (new seat)

Great Hollands

Great Hollands (3)
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour Mary Louise Temperton 1,666 76.5
Labour Gerry Webb 1,323 60.7
Labour Naheed Ejaz 1,301 59.7
Conservative Michael Adeniyi Abayomi Gbadebo58827.0
Conservative Kevin Roy Buchler54525.0
Conservative Kenneth Paul Widdowson47021.6
Turnout 2,17833
Registered electors 6,641
Labour win (new seat)
Labour win (new seat)
Labour win (new seat)

Hanworth

Hanworth (3)
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour Jenny Penfold 1,037 55.6
Labour Janet Gwendoline Cochrane 967 51.9
Labour Cath Thompson 936 50.2
Conservative Gill Birch82144.0
Conservative Mike Gibson80343.1
Conservative Michael John Skinner73639.5
Turnout 1,86430
Registered electors 6,320
Labour win (new seat)
Labour win (new seat)
Labour win (new seat)

Harmans Water & Crown Wood

Harmans Water & Crown Wood (3)
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour Cherise April Welch 887 51.7
Labour Pete Frewer 885 51.5
Labour Jodie Christas Watts 882 51.4
Conservative Chris Franklin67139.1
Conservative Lizzy Gibson63737.1
Conservative Christopher Richard Martin Turrell63436.9
Heritage Jason Peter Reardon1559.0
Reform UK John Gallacher1227.1
Turnout 1,71727
Registered electors 6,298
Labour win (new seat)
Labour win (new seat)
Labour win (new seat)

Owlsmoor & College Town

Owlsmoor & College Town (3)
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Nick Allen 1,093 54.8
Conservative Raymond Mossom 1,023 51.3
Liberal Democrats Philip Geoffrey Thompson 937 47.0
Conservative John Edwards89945.1
Liberal Democrats Ben Ian Jeffrey Hutchinson81140.7
Liberal Democrats Leigh Sharon Quigg80340.3
Turnout 1,99427
Registered electors 7,451
Conservative win (new seat)
Conservative win (new seat)
Liberal Democrats win (new seat)

Priestwood & Garth

Priestwood & Garth (3)
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour Tricia Brown 980 60.7
Labour Ryan George Frost 914 56.6
Labour Michael Karim 829 51.4
Conservative Jennie Karen Green65640.6
Conservative Alvin Edwin Finch62138.5
Conservative Hazel Hill57445.6
Turnout 1,61424
Registered electors 6,687
Labour win (new seat)
Labour win (new seat)
Labour win (new seat)

Sandhurst

Sandhurst (3)
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Liberal Democrats Mike Forster 1,325 56.2
Liberal Democrats Christoph Eberle 1,109 47.1
Liberal Democrats Mohammad Nazar Zahuruddin 1,030 43.7
Conservative Parm Panesar1,02443.5
Conservative Dale Philip Birch1,00842.8
Conservative Paul David Bettison96941.1
Turnout 2,35633
Registered electors 7,291
Liberal Democrats win (new seat)
Liberal Democrats win (new seat)
Liberal Democrats win (new seat)

Swinley Forest

Swinley Forest (2)
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Liberal Democrats Sophie Louise Forster 748 57.0
Liberal Democrats Patrick Smith 698 53.2
Conservative Colin Reginald Dudley54441.4
Conservative Ash Merry54041.1
Turnout 1,31328
Registered electors 4,780
Liberal Democrats win (new seat)
Liberal Democrats win (new seat)

Town Centre & The Parks

Town Centre & The Parks (2)
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour Megan Ruth Wright 551 53.8
Labour Roy John Bailey 538 52.5
Conservative Suki Alanna Hayes39738.7
Conservative Peter Heydon37736.8
Independent Olivio Baretto939.1
Turnout 1,02525
Registered electors 4,207
Labour win (new seat)
Labour win (new seat)

Whitegrove

Whitegrove (2)
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Gareth Michael Barnard 913 55.6
Conservative Robert Lauchlan McLean 789 48.1
Labour Grant David Strudley45928.0
Labour Graham William Firth38923.7
Green Rosaleen Melinda Donnan27416.7
Green Philip Vincent Marshall Pitt21112.9
Independent Colleen Dulieu1287.8
Turnout 1,64232
Registered electors 5,152
Conservative win (new seat)
Conservative win (new seat)

Winkfield & Warfield East

Winkfield & Warfield East (3)
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Conservative Moira Kathleen Gaw 1,048 55.0
Conservative Dorothy Andrea Susan Hayes 1,026 53.8
Conservative Tony Virgo 894 46.9
Liberal Democrats Simon Christopher Banks72438.0
Green Samantha Mary Gibbins71937.7
Green Mark Julien Harvey62132.6
Turnout 1,90727
Registered electors 7,114
Conservative win (new seat)
Conservative win (new seat)
Conservative win (new seat)

Aftermath

The Labour takeover was considered one of the shocks of the 2023 United Kingdom local elections, [10] [11] with many pundits ascribing the defeat in part to the theorised deal between Labour and the Liberal Democrats - outgoing leader Paul Bettison himself identified this and the woes of the Conservative government nationally as the reasons for his party's defeat. [12] Mary Temperton, the Labour Party group leader, continued to deny such a pact existed, [13] but nevertheless the result fuelled calls for a progressive alliance. Over a year later at the 2024 general election, both of Bracknell Forest's parliamentary constituencies would flip from the Conservatives - Bracknell to Labour and Maidenhead to the Liberal Democrats.

Councillors standing down

CouncillorWardFirst electedPartyDate announced
Thomas ParkerWildridings & Central 2019 Liberal Democrats 3 October 2022 [14]
Marc Brunel-WalkerCrown Wood 2003 Conservative Party 21 December 2022 [15]
Robert AngellBullbrook 1983 Conservative Party 4 May 2023
Nigel AtkinsonAscot 2019 Conservative Party 4 May 2023
Michael BrossardCentral Sandhurst 2007 Conservative Party 4 May 2023
Sandra InghamWarfield Harvest Ride 2015 Conservative Party 4 May 2023
Gaby KennedyCentral Sandhurst 2016 Conservative Party 4 May 2023
Ian KirkeBullbrook 2019 Conservative Party 4 May 2023
Isabel MattickHarmans Water 1987 Conservative Party 4 May 2023
Pauline McKenzieCollege Town 2015 Conservative Party 4 May 2023
John PorterOwlsmoor 2011 Conservative Party 4 May 2023

By-elections

Great Hollands

Caused by the resignation of Labour councillor Naheed Ejaz

Great Hollands By-Election 7 November 2024 [16]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labour Donna Louise Pressland 681 44.6 −29.3
Conservative Sue Housego41126.9+0.8
Reform UK Colin Wright25816.9New
Independent Michael Gbadebo15810.3New
Heritage Jason Peter Reardon201.3New
Turnout 152822.3
Registered electors
Labour hold Swing -15.1

References

  1. "Borough Council Election 2023 - Thursday, 4 May 2023". Bracknell Forest Borough Council. 5 May 2023. Retrieved 6 May 2023.
  2. "Our Executive Board". iese. Retrieved 2022-12-26.
  3. "Conservative MP James Sunderland's reaction to Labour's Bracknell win". Bracknell News. 12 May 2023. Retrieved 2023-05-12.
  4. Walker, Ben (14 April 2023). "The 2023 English local elections – what to watch out for". The New Statesman. Retrieved 17 April 2023.
  5. 1 2 Savage, Michael (22 April 2023). "Frustration at Labour and Lib Dem HQs as local parties 'go rogue' to create progressive alliance". The Observer. Retrieved 27 April 2023.
  6. Aldridge, James (11 April 2023). "Tory candidate exposed as ex-deputy leader of Britain First". Bracknell News. Retrieved 13 April 2023.
  7. 1 2 Stevens, John (12 April 2023). "Tories pick ex-BNP candidate who wrote vile messages about Meghan Markle". Daily Mirror. Retrieved 13 April 2023.
  8. Marc Brunel-Walker [@MBrunelWalker] (April 12, 2023). "I have submitted a motion of no confidence in the Officers of @BracknellTory whose actions in allowing Andrew McBride to be nominated as an Official @Conservatives Candidate have brought the party into disrepute in violation of the Constitution of the Conservative Party" (Tweet) via Twitter.
  9. "The 11 Bracknell councillors standing down ahead of elections this year". Bracknell News. 7 April 2023. Retrieved 2023-04-14.
  10. Cecil, Nicholas (10 May 2023). "South-East is being 'Londonised' by non-Tory voters moving from capital, says top expert". Evening Standard. Retrieved 10 May 2023.
  11. Teale, Andrew (8 May 2023). "Debriefing the English local elections of 4th May 2023". Britain Elects. Retrieved 11 May 2023.
  12. McBride, Nicole (10 May 2023). "Paul Bettison speaks out about his time as council leader". Bracknell News. Retrieved 10 May 2023.
  13. Knott, Jonathan (10 May 2023). "Exclusive: Bracknell Forest Labour leader denies Lib-Lab pact". Local Government Chronicle. Retrieved 10 May 2023.
  14. "More bullying accusations made against Bracknell Council". Bracknell News. 3 October 2022. Retrieved 2022-12-26.
  15. Marc Brunel-Walker [@MBrunelWalker] (December 21, 2022). "So #Bracknell - what do I do next in May when I'm no longer a Councillor? Helpful suggestions to continue to serve the community are very welcome" (Tweet) via Twitter.
  16. "Election results for Great Hollands". Bracknell Forest Borough Council. 8 November 2024. Retrieved 8 November 2024.