Conservative Party › 2023
Conservative Party in 2023
Polling day: 4 May 2023. 230 councils held elections.
Summary
- Contested in 230 of 230 councils; ran for 8,031 seats.
- Won 2,270 seats (28.3% of seats up) on 31.0% of the vote.
- Net change vs each council's last appearance in this dataset: -806 seats across 40 councils up, 148 councils down, 42 flat, 0 new to the window.
- Council-control change: 9 gained, 57 lost.
Same votes, different counting rule
Compare the seats Conservative Party actually won under FPTP with a proportional re-count of the same council-level votes. Positive means seats unfairly awarded by FPTP; negative means seats the party was denied by FPTP.
This cycle
230 FPTP council results in 2023
-446 seats
denied by FPTP
(2,270 actual vs
2,716 benchmark)
2016–2023 window
1,212 FPTP council-cycles
-117 seats
denied by FPTP
(13,043 actual vs
13,160 benchmark)
Where Conservative Party led, as of 2023
Councils where Conservative Party was the largest single party in the most recent composition snapshot at or before 2023. Greens ring councils gained at this election; reds ring those lost. Click any hex to drill in.
As of 2023
162 councils led
+9 gained this cycle
−57 lost this cycle
Grey hexes are councils where another party led, or where we don't have a snapshot for that year.
Council-control changes
Councils where the largest party in the running composition changed at this election. How a flip is defined →
Gained (9)
- Herefordshire from Other
- North Kesteven from Other
- Tendring from Other
- Slough from Labour Party
- Stockton-on-Tees from Labour Party
- Arun from Liberal Democrats
- Hart from Liberal Democrats
- Bedford from Liberal Democrats
- North Somerset from Other
Lost (57)
- Amber Valley to Labour Party
- Bracknell Forest to Labour Party
- Plymouth to Labour Party
- Rochford to Other
- Wokingham to Liberal Democrats
- Waverley to Liberal Democrats
- Swale to Labour Party
- Milton Keynes to Labour Party
- Tewkesbury to Liberal Democrats
- East Suffolk to Green Party
- East Staffordshire to Labour Party
- Lewes to Green Party
- Horsham to Liberal Democrats
- Darlington to Labour Party
- Hartlepool to Labour Party
- Wealden to Liberal Democrats
- Bolton to Labour Party
- North West Leicestershire to Labour Party
- Erewash to Labour Party
- Warwick to Green Party
- Mid Devon to Liberal Democrats
- Swindon to Labour Party
- Broxtowe to Labour Party
- Folkestone and Hythe to Green Party
- Canterbury to Labour Party
- Derby to Labour Party
- Mid Sussex to Liberal Democrats
- South Derbyshire to Labour Party
- North East Derbyshire to Labour Party
- Babergh to Green Party
- East Hertfordshire to Green Party
- South Hams to Liberal Democrats
- Stratford-on-Avon to Liberal Democrats
- Chichester to Liberal Democrats
- Central Bedfordshire to Other
- Thanet to Labour Party
- West Berkshire to Liberal Democrats
- Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole to Liberal Democrats
- Malvern Hills to Other
- Staffordshire Moorlands to Labour Party
- Dacorum to Liberal Democrats
- South Ribble to Labour Party
- Windsor and Maidenhead to Liberal Democrats
- Mid Suffolk to Green Party
- Surrey Heath to Liberal Democrats
- Derbyshire Dales to Liberal Democrats
- Medway to Labour Party
- Dover to Labour Party
- Boston to Other
- West Lindsey to Liberal Democrats
- South Kesteven to Other
- Rutland to Liberal Democrats
- North Hertfordshire to Labour Party
- West Oxfordshire to Liberal Democrats
- Worcester to Labour Party
- West Devon to Other
- Maldon to Other
Where the seats came from
Per-council net seat change vs each council's prior appearance in our dataset (typically that council's previous all-out election or its last by-thirds slice). "Debut" rows are councils whose first cycle in our window is 2023 — usually the result of a boundary reorganisation or being a county outside our 2021 LEH coverage.
Seats gained (40 councils)
| Council | Won | Last cycle | Net | Vote share | Seat share |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fenland | 35 | 14 (2019) | +21 | 56.9% | 81.4% |
| Slough | 21 | 2 (2022) | +19 | 46.3% | 50.0% |
| Leicester | 17 | 0 (2019) | +17 | 34.8% | 31.5% |
| Stockton-on-Tees | 26 | 14 (2019) | +12 | 43.0% | 46.4% |
| Derby | 15 | 5 (2022) | +10 | 26.4% | 29.4% |
| Wolverhampton | 13 | 3 (2022) | +10 | 36.9% | 21.7% |
| Wirral | 17 | 8 (2022) | +9 | 25.0% | 25.8% |
| Herefordshire | 21 | 13 (2019) | +8 | 34.6% | 39.6% |
| Bolton | 17 | 9 (2022) | +8 | 32.7% | 28.3% |
| West Lancashire | 15 | 8 (2022) | +7 | 31.4% | 33.3% |
| Uttlesford | 11 | 4 (2019) | +7 | 30.7% | 28.2% |
| Oldham | 11 | 4 (2022) | +7 | 17.4% | 18.3% |
| Trafford | 10 | 3 (2022) | +7 | 28.2% | 15.9% |
| Wyre Forest | 20 | 14 (2019) | +6 | 41.7% | 60.6% |
| North Norfolk | 12 | 6 (2019) | +6 | 37.5% | 30.0% |
| Southampton | 9 | 3 (2022) | +6 | 33.1% | 17.6% |
| Oadby & Wigston | 7 | 2 (2019) | +5 | 44.4% | 26.9% |
| Test Valley | 26 | 22 (2019) | +4 | 42.7% | 60.5% |
| North Kesteven | 21 | 17 (2019) | +4 | 46.5% | 56.8% |
| Torbay | 19 | 15 (2019) | +4 | 44.1% | 52.8% |
| Epping Forest | 14 | 10 (2022) | +4 | 48.3% | 77.8% |
| Bassetlaw | 8 | 4 (2019) | +4 | 36.4% | 16.7% |
| Tendring | 19 | 16 (2019) | +3 | 33.0% | 39.6% |
| Bedford | 14 | 11 (2019) | +3 | 27.8% | 30.4% |
| Mansfield | 5 | 2 (2019) | +3 | 24.3% | 13.9% |
| Redcar & Cleveland | 12 | 11 (2019) | +1 | 25.9% | 20.3% |
| Solihull | 10 | 9 (2022) | +1 | 45.2% | 58.8% |
| Guildford | 10 | 9 (2019) | +1 | 29.5% | 20.8% |
| Gedling | 9 | 8 (2019) | +1 | 33.8% | 22.0% |
| Peterborough | 8 | 7 (2022) | +1 | 35.6% | 38.1% |
| West Oxfordshire | 5 | 4 (2022) | +1 | 36.9% | 31.3% |
| Tameside | 5 | 4 (2022) | +1 | 23.6% | 8.8% |
| Middlesbrough | 4 | 3 (2019) | +1 | 14.7% | 8.7% |
| Ipswich | 3 | 2 (2022) | +1 | 34.2% | 18.8% |
| Bolsover | 3 | 2 (2019) | +1 | 27.2% | 8.1% |
| North Tyneside | 3 | 2 (2022) | +1 | 26.9% | 14.3% |
| Salford | 3 | 2 (2022) | +1 | 23.3% | 14.3% |
| York | 3 | 2 (2019) | +1 | 14.0% | 6.4% |
| Tandridge | 2 | 1 (2022) | +1 | 24.6% | 14.3% |
| Epsom & Ewell | 2 | 1 (2019) | +1 | 20.1% | 5.7% |
Seats lost (148 councils)
| Council | Won | Last cycle | Net | Vote share | Seat share |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bracknell Forest | 10 | 38 (2019) | -28 | 45.2% | 24.4% |
| Wealden | 8 | 33 (2019) | -25 | 34.9% | 18.2% |
| East Suffolk | 15 | 39 (2019) | -24 | 37.0% | 27.3% |
| Bournemouth, Christchurch & Poole | 12 | 36 (2019) | -24 | 25.8% | 15.8% |
| East Hertfordshire | 16 | 38 (2019) | -22 | 34.4% | 32.0% |
| Central Bedfordshire | 20 | 41 (2019) | -21 | 28.8% | 31.7% |
| Horsham | 11 | 32 (2019) | -21 | 33.5% | 22.9% |
| East Riding Of Yorkshire | 29 | 49 (2019) | -20 | 35.7% | 43.3% |
| New Forest | 26 | 45 (2019) | -19 | 42.1% | 54.2% |
| Lewes | 0 | 19 (2019) | -19 | 21.9% | 0.0% |
| South Kesteven | 20 | 38 (2019) | -18 | 31.3% | 38.5% |
| Tonbridge & Malling | 20 | 37 (2019) | -17 | 40.2% | 45.5% |
| Windsor & Maidenhead | 7 | 23 (2019) | -16 | 28.0% | 17.1% |
| Canterbury | 8 | 23 (2019) | -15 | 24.4% | 20.5% |
| Charnwood | 23 | 37 (2019) | -14 | 38.3% | 44.2% |
| Tewkesbury | 9 | 23 (2019) | -14 | 34.3% | 23.7% |
| Dacorum | 18 | 31 (2019) | -13 | 34.7% | 35.3% |
| Hertsmere | 16 | 29 (2019) | -13 | 43.0% | 41.0% |
| West Berkshire | 11 | 24 (2019) | -13 | 35.0% | 25.6% |
| Warwick | 6 | 19 (2019) | -13 | 26.1% | 13.6% |
| Chichester | 5 | 18 (2019) | -13 | 30.9% | 13.9% |
| Broadland | 21 | 33 (2019) | -12 | 38.2% | 44.7% |
| Fylde | 19 | 31 (2019) | -12 | 44.6% | 51.4% |
| East Hampshire | 19 | 31 (2019) | -12 | 43.5% | 44.2% |
| Mid Sussex | 18 | 30 (2019) | -12 | 32.9% | 37.5% |
| Newark & Sherwood | 14 | 26 (2019) | -12 | 41.5% | 35.9% |
| South Derbyshire | 10 | 22 (2019) | -12 | 43.6% | 27.8% |
| Surrey Heath | 6 | 18 (2019) | -12 | 39.4% | 17.1% |
| Mid Devon | 5 | 17 (2019) | -12 | 33.2% | 11.9% |
| South Norfolk | 24 | 35 (2019) | -11 | 39.2% | 52.2% |
| Medway | 22 | 33 (2019) | -11 | 38.4% | 37.3% |
| North East Derbyshire | 19 | 30 (2019) | -11 | 38.3% | 35.8% |
| Erewash | 16 | 27 (2019) | -11 | 40.7% | 34.0% |
| Ribble Valley | 15 | 26 (2019) | -11 | 41.9% | 41.7% |
| Spelthorne | 12 | 23 (2019) | -11 | 38.5% | 30.8% |
| Waverley | 10 | 21 (2019) | -11 | 38.0% | 20.0% |
| Boston | 5 | 16 (2019) | -11 | 29.1% | 16.7% |
| South Gloucestershire | 23 | 33 (2019) | -10 | 35.9% | 37.7% |
| East Lindsey | 16 | 26 (2019) | -10 | 38.4% | 38.1% |
| Broxtowe | 10 | 20 (2019) | -10 | 28.1% | 22.7% |
| Mid Suffolk | 6 | 16 (2019) | -10 | 28.0% | 17.6% |
| Derbyshire Dales | 11 | 20 (2019) | -9 | 33.0% | 32.4% |
| South Hams | 7 | 16 (2019) | -9 | 31.1% | 22.6% |
| South Oxfordshire | 1 | 10 (2019) | -9 | 30.6% | 2.8% |
| Sevenoaks | 33 | 41 (2019) | -8 | 51.1% | 61.1% |
| Braintree | 26 | 34 (2019) | -8 | 39.8% | 53.1% |
| Thanet | 17 | 25 (2019) | -8 | 32.7% | 30.4% |
| East Staffordshire | 15 | 23 (2019) | -8 | 43.1% | 40.5% |
| North West Leicestershire | 12 | 20 (2019) | -8 | 40.6% | 31.6% |
| Stratford On Avon | 12 | 20 (2019) | -8 | 35.7% | 29.3% |
| Babergh | 7 | 15 (2019) | -8 | 24.1% | 21.9% |
| Brighton & Hove | 6 | 14 (2019) | -8 | 17.5% | 11.1% |
| Folkestone & Hythe | 5 | 13 (2019) | -8 | 27.8% | 16.7% |
| Bury | 4 | 12 (2022) | -8 | 28.4% | 23.5% |
| Bath & North East Somerset | 3 | 11 (2019) | -8 | 24.0% | 5.1% |
| Wyre | 30 | 37 (2019) | -7 | 52.8% | 60.0% |
| Breckland | 30 | 37 (2019) | -7 | 44.6% | 61.2% |
| Kings Lynn & West Norfolk | 21 | 28 (2019) | -7 | 40.8% | 38.9% |
| South Ribble | 16 | 23 (2019) | -7 | 36.6% | 32.0% |
| Darlington | 15 | 22 (2019) | -7 | 37.0% | 30.0% |
| Melton | 11 | 18 (2019) | -7 | 44.5% | 39.3% |
| High Peak | 9 | 16 (2019) | -7 | 32.9% | 20.9% |
| Havant | 5 | 12 (2022) | -7 | 39.4% | 50.0% |
| Lancaster | 5 | 12 (2019) | -7 | 19.4% | 8.2% |
| Rochdale | 3 | 10 (2022) | -7 | 23.0% | 15.0% |
| Harborough | 15 | 21 (2019) | -6 | 34.1% | 44.1% |
| Stafford | 14 | 20 (2019) | -6 | 36.1% | 35.0% |
| Bromsgrove | 11 | 17 (2019) | -6 | 37.2% | 35.5% |
| Forest Of Dean | 4 | 10 (2019) | -6 | 27.5% | 10.5% |
| Plymouth | 1 | 7 (2022) | -6 | 25.0% | 5.3% |
| Cheshire West & Chester | 23 | 28 (2019) | -5 | 31.7% | 32.9% |
| Lichfield | 22 | 27 (2019) | -5 | 44.6% | 47.8% |
| Dover | 14 | 19 (2019) | -5 | 37.8% | 43.8% |
| Maldon | 10 | 15 (2019) | -5 | 33.9% | 33.3% |
| Cotswold | 9 | 14 (2019) | -5 | 44.4% | 26.5% |
| Telford & Wrekin | 8 | 13 (2019) | -5 | 26.8% | 14.8% |
| North Devon | 7 | 12 (2019) | -5 | 18.6% | 17.1% |
| Thurrock | 4 | 9 (2022) | -5 | 32.4% | 25.0% |
| Tamworth | 2 | 7 (2022) | -5 | 36.6% | 20.0% |
| Swindon | 2 | 7 (2022) | -5 | 34.6% | 10.5% |
| Vale Of White Horse | 0 | 5 (2019) | -5 | 29.4% | 0.0% |
| South Staffordshire | 29 | 33 (2019) | -4 | 47.0% | 69.0% |
| West Suffolk | 24 | 28 (2019) | -4 | 44.1% | 40.0% |
| North Warwickshire | 17 | 21 (2019) | -4 | 47.9% | 48.6% |
| Swale | 12 | 16 (2019) | -4 | 30.4% | 25.5% |
| Rother | 10 | 14 (2019) | -4 | 37.4% | 26.3% |
| Basildon | 6 | 10 (2022) | -4 | 38.8% | 42.9% |
| Rutland | 6 | 10 (2019) | -4 | 30.8% | 24.0% |
| Torridge | 6 | 10 (2019) | -4 | 25.0% | 16.7% |
| Rushmoor | 4 | 8 (2022) | -4 | 37.1% | 30.8% |
| Reading | 2 | 6 (2022) | -4 | 21.3% | 11.8% |
| Worcester | 0 | 4 (2022) | -4 | 25.5% | 0.0% |
| Staffordshire Moorlands | 22 | 25 (2019) | -3 | 34.7% | 40.0% |
| West Devon | 10 | 13 (2019) | -3 | 38.9% | 33.3% |
| Teignbridge | 9 | 12 (2019) | -3 | 23.1% | 19.1% |
| Cherwell | 3 | 6 (2022) | -3 | 33.9% | 18.8% |
| Winchester | 2 | 5 (2022) | -3 | 32.2% | 12.5% |
| Hartlepool | 2 | 5 (2022) | -3 | 22.6% | 16.7% |
| St Albans | 1 | 4 (2022) | -3 | 26.9% | 5.6% |
| Wakefield | 0 | 3 (2022) | -3 | 21.7% | 0.0% |
| Sefton | 0 | 3 (2022) | -3 | 15.9% | 0.0% |
| Rushcliffe | 25 | 27 (2019) | -2 | 40.7% | 56.8% |
| East Devon | 17 | 19 (2019) | -2 | 35.0% | 28.3% |
| West Lindsey | 13 | 15 (2019) | -2 | 36.8% | 37.1% |
| North East Lincolnshire | 7 | 9 (2022) | -2 | 41.4% | 46.7% |
| Amber Valley | 7 | 9 (2022) | -2 | 31.2% | 16.7% |
| Malvern Hills | 7 | 9 (2019) | -2 | 28.3% | 22.6% |
| Harlow | 5 | 7 (2022) | -2 | 41.5% | 45.5% |
| Pendle | 5 | 7 (2022) | -2 | 40.2% | 41.7% |
| Maidstone | 5 | 7 (2022) | -2 | 32.7% | 27.8% |
| Brentwood | 4 | 6 (2022) | -2 | 37.4% | 33.3% |
| Wokingham | 4 | 6 (2022) | -2 | 36.8% | 22.2% |
| Cannock Chase | 4 | 6 (2022) | -2 | 32.1% | 23.5% |
| Bradford | 4 | 6 (2022) | -2 | 24.0% | 13.3% |
| Leeds | 4 | 6 (2022) | -2 | 22.4% | 12.1% |
| Elmbridge | 2 | 4 (2022) | -2 | 32.8% | 12.5% |
| Milton Keynes | 2 | 4 (2022) | -2 | 32.7% | 10.0% |
| Worthing | 2 | 4 (2022) | -2 | 30.8% | 16.7% |
| Castle Point | 1 | 3 (2022) | -2 | 28.5% | 7.1% |
| Lincoln | 1 | 3 (2022) | -2 | 25.8% | 9.1% |
| Nottingham | 0 | 2 (2019) | -2 | 15.0% | 0.0% |
| Barnsley | 0 | 2 (2022) | -2 | 14.2% | 0.0% |
| Arun | 20 | 21 (2019) | -1 | 40.6% | 37.0% |
| Great Yarmouth | 19 | 20 (2019) | -1 | 43.6% | 48.7% |
| Blaby | 19 | 20 (2019) | -1 | 42.0% | 55.9% |
| Ashford | 19 | 20 (2019) | -1 | 35.8% | 40.4% |
| Gravesham | 17 | 18 (2019) | -1 | 47.7% | 43.6% |
| Blackpool | 14 | 15 (2019) | -1 | 42.4% | 33.3% |
| Stoke On Trent | 14 | 15 (2019) | -1 | 39.0% | 31.8% |
| Dudley | 12 | 13 (2022) | -1 | 42.4% | 48.0% |
| Hinckley & Bosworth | 10 | 11 (2019) | -1 | 36.8% | 29.4% |
| Eastbourne | 8 | 9 (2019) | -1 | 33.0% | 29.6% |
| Reigate & Banstead | 7 | 8 (2022) | -1 | 37.8% | 46.7% |
| Basingstoke & Deane | 6 | 7 (2022) | -1 | 29.7% | 33.3% |
| Runnymede | 5 | 6 (2022) | -1 | 36.9% | 35.7% |
| Hyndburn | 5 | 6 (2022) | -1 | 35.6% | 41.7% |
| Southend On Sea | 5 | 6 (2022) | -1 | 33.3% | 29.4% |
| Crawley | 4 | 5 (2022) | -1 | 40.2% | 33.3% |
| Blackburn with Darwen | 3 | 4 (2022) | -1 | 30.3% | 17.6% |
| North Hertfordshire | 3 | 4 (2022) | -1 | 30.3% | 18.8% |
| Sunderland | 3 | 4 (2022) | -1 | 22.0% | 12.0% |
| Luton | 3 | 4 (2019) | -1 | 10.0% | 6.7% |
| Hart | 2 | 3 (2022) | -1 | 37.8% | 18.2% |
| Rossendale | 2 | 3 (2022) | -1 | 34.1% | 16.7% |
| Sandwell | 2 | 3 (2022) | -1 | 28.5% | 8.3% |
| Ashfield | 2 | 3 (2019) | -1 | 20.0% | 5.7% |
| Portsmouth | 1 | 2 (2022) | -1 | 19.4% | 7.1% |
| Halton | 0 | 1 (2022) | -1 | 16.0% | 0.0% |
No change (42)
- Cheshire East 33 seats (unchanged from 2019)
- Dartford 29 seats (unchanged from 2019)
- Wychavon 29 seats (unchanged from 2019)
- North Lincolnshire 27 seats (unchanged from 2019)
- Chelmsford 21 seats (unchanged from 2019)
- South Holland 19 seats (unchanged from 2019)
- East Cambridgeshire 15 seats (unchanged from 2019)
- Walsall 13 seats (unchanged from 2022)
- North Somerset 13 seats (unchanged from 2019)
- Broxbourne 9 seats (unchanged from 2022)
- Rugby 6 seats (unchanged from 2022)
- Colchester 6 seats (unchanged from 2022)
- Rochford 5 seats (unchanged from 2022)
- Kirklees 5 seats (unchanged from 2022)
- Redditch 4 seats (unchanged from 2022)
- Welwyn Hatfield 4 seats (unchanged from 2022)
- Three Rivers 4 seats (unchanged from 2022)
- Calderdale 4 seats (unchanged from 2022)
- Coventry 4 seats (unchanged from 2022)
- Mole Valley 3 seats (unchanged from 2022)
- Preston 3 seats (unchanged from 2022)
- Tunbridge Wells 2 seats (unchanged from 2022)
- Stevenage 2 seats (unchanged from 2022)
- Burnley 2 seats (unchanged from 2022)
- Wigan 2 seats (unchanged from 2022)
- Chorley 1 seats (unchanged from 2022)
- Exeter 1 seats (unchanged from 2022)
- Woking 0 seats (unchanged from 2022)
- Eastleigh 0 seats (unchanged from 2022)
- Cambridge 0 seats (unchanged from 2022)
- Watford 0 seats (unchanged from 2022)
- Stockport 0 seats (unchanged from 2022)
- Gateshead 0 seats (unchanged from 2022)
- Norwich 0 seats (unchanged from 2022)
- Newcastle Upon Tyne 0 seats (unchanged from 2022)
- Sheffield 0 seats (unchanged from 2022)
- South Tyneside 0 seats (unchanged from 2022)
- Chesterfield 0 seats (unchanged from 2019)
- Manchester 0 seats (unchanged from 2022)
- Kingston Upon Hull 0 seats (unchanged from 2022)
- Liverpool 0 seats (unchanged from 2021)
- Knowsley 0 seats (unchanged from 2022)
Net-change comparisons are versus each council's most recent appearance in our dataset (2021–2026). For all-out councils that's the previous all-out cycle (typically four years prior); for by-thirds councils it's last year's slice. Cross-cycle ward boundary changes can produce small artefacts — see methodology.