Labour Party › 2023
Labour 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 2,679 seats (33.4% of seats up) on 31.2% of the vote.
- Net change vs each council's last appearance in this dataset: +696 seats across 131 councils up, 38 councils down, 61 flat, 0 new to the window.
- Council-control change: 28 gained, 2 lost.
Same votes, different counting rule
Compare the seats Labour 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
+291 seats
unfairly awarded by FPTP
(2,679 actual vs
2,388 benchmark)
2016–2023 window
1,203 FPTP council-cycles
+1,277 seats
unfairly awarded by FPTP
(13,409 actual vs
12,132 benchmark)
Where Labour Party led, as of 2023
Councils where Labour 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
137 councils led
+28 gained this cycle
−2 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 (28)
- Amber Valley from Conservative Party
- Bracknell Forest from Conservative Party
- Redcar and Cleveland from Other
- Plymouth from Conservative Party
- Swale from Conservative Party
- Milton Keynes from Conservative Party
- East Staffordshire from Conservative Party
- Darlington from Conservative Party
- Hartlepool from Conservative Party
- Bolton from Conservative Party
- North West Leicestershire from Conservative Party
- Erewash from Conservative Party
- Mansfield from Other
- Swindon from Conservative Party
- Broxtowe from Conservative Party
- Canterbury from Conservative Party
- Derby from Conservative Party
- South Derbyshire from Conservative Party
- North East Derbyshire from Conservative Party
- Thanet from Conservative Party
- Staffordshire Moorlands from Conservative Party
- South Ribble from Conservative Party
- Medway from Conservative Party
- Dover from Conservative Party
- York from Liberal Democrats
- Middlesbrough from Other
- North Hertfordshire from Conservative Party
- Worcester from Conservative Party
Lost (2)
- Slough to Conservative Party
- Stockton-on-Tees to Conservative Party
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 (131 councils)
| Council | Won | Last cycle | Net | Vote share | Seat share |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wigan | 64 | 22 (2022) | +42 | 60.9% | 85.3% |
| Liverpool | 61 | 23 (2021) | +38 | 53.1% | 71.8% |
| Tameside | 52 | 15 (2022) | +37 | 63.3% | 91.2% |
| Wolverhampton | 47 | 17 (2022) | +30 | 57.1% | 78.3% |
| Trafford | 41 | 15 (2022) | +26 | 44.2% | 65.1% |
| Southampton | 38 | 13 (2022) | +25 | 45.2% | 74.5% |
| Amber Valley | 26 | 4 (2022) | +22 | 34.5% | 61.9% |
| Oldham | 32 | 11 (2022) | +21 | 45.9% | 53.3% |
| Wirral | 30 | 9 (2022) | +21 | 40.8% | 45.5% |
| Bracknell Forest | 22 | 3 (2019) | +19 | 32.2% | 53.7% |
| Brighton & Hove | 38 | 20 (2019) | +18 | 47.1% | 70.4% |
| Bolton | 26 | 8 (2022) | +18 | 40.4% | 43.3% |
| Derby | 23 | 7 (2022) | +16 | 41.2% | 45.1% |
| Bolsover | 31 | 16 (2019) | +15 | 48.8% | 83.8% |
| West Lancashire | 26 | 11 (2022) | +15 | 52.7% | 57.8% |
| Stockport | 24 | 9 (2022) | +15 | 32.4% | 38.1% |
| Medway | 33 | 20 (2019) | +13 | 45.0% | 55.9% |
| Stoke On Trent | 29 | 16 (2019) | +13 | 46.6% | 65.9% |
| Broxtowe | 26 | 14 (2019) | +12 | 43.9% | 59.1% |
| West Suffolk | 17 | 5 (2019) | +12 | 30.4% | 28.3% |
| Staffordshire Moorlands | 24 | 13 (2019) | +11 | 36.7% | 43.6% |
| East Staffordshire | 21 | 10 (2019) | +11 | 45.1% | 56.8% |
| Thanet | 30 | 20 (2019) | +10 | 40.2% | 53.6% |
| North East Derbyshire | 28 | 18 (2019) | +10 | 43.1% | 52.8% |
| Mansfield | 25 | 15 (2019) | +10 | 43.2% | 69.4% |
| Erewash | 28 | 19 (2019) | +9 | 43.6% | 59.6% |
| South Derbyshire | 23 | 14 (2019) | +9 | 48.7% | 63.9% |
| High Peak | 30 | 22 (2019) | +8 | 48.3% | 69.8% |
| Redcar & Cleveland | 23 | 15 (2019) | +8 | 31.6% | 39.0% |
| Canterbury | 18 | 10 (2019) | +8 | 36.6% | 46.2% |
| Wyre | 17 | 9 (2019) | +8 | 37.0% | 34.0% |
| Bournemouth, Christchurch & Poole | 11 | 3 (2019) | +8 | 15.3% | 14.5% |
| South Norfolk | 9 | 1 (2019) | +8 | 26.5% | 19.6% |
| South Ribble | 29 | 22 (2019) | +7 | 42.7% | 58.0% |
| York | 24 | 17 (2019) | +7 | 42.9% | 51.1% |
| Charnwood | 20 | 13 (2019) | +7 | 38.3% | 38.5% |
| Lichfield | 17 | 10 (2019) | +7 | 38.3% | 37.0% |
| North West Leicestershire | 17 | 10 (2019) | +7 | 37.7% | 44.7% |
| Hertsmere | 14 | 7 (2019) | +7 | 32.9% | 35.9% |
| Braintree | 9 | 2 (2019) | +7 | 26.8% | 18.4% |
| Arun | 8 | 1 (2019) | +7 | 14.9% | 14.8% |
| Ribble Valley | 7 | 0 (2019) | +7 | 27.6% | 19.4% |
| Cheshire East | 31 | 25 (2019) | +6 | 30.2% | 37.8% |
| Slough | 18 | 12 (2022) | +6 | 42.8% | 42.9% |
| South Gloucestershire | 17 | 11 (2019) | +6 | 24.1% | 27.9% |
| Breckland | 12 | 6 (2019) | +6 | 28.0% | 24.5% |
| Warwick | 11 | 5 (2019) | +6 | 21.4% | 25.0% |
| Lewes | 9 | 3 (2019) | +6 | 16.6% | 22.0% |
| Tamworth | 8 | 2 (2022) | +6 | 43.9% | 80.0% |
| Broadland | 8 | 2 (2019) | +6 | 26.4% | 17.0% |
| Blackpool | 28 | 23 (2019) | +5 | 48.3% | 66.7% |
| Middlesbrough | 25 | 20 (2019) | +5 | 46.5% | 54.3% |
| Dover | 17 | 12 (2019) | +5 | 40.7% | 53.1% |
| East Suffolk | 12 | 7 (2019) | +5 | 19.7% | 21.8% |
| Rother | 8 | 3 (2019) | +5 | 14.2% | 21.1% |
| Melton | 5 | 0 (2019) | +5 | 17.5% | 17.9% |
| Cheshire West & Chester | 39 | 35 (2019) | +4 | 42.6% | 55.7% |
| Darlington | 24 | 20 (2019) | +4 | 35.0% | 48.0% |
| Swindon | 16 | 12 (2022) | +4 | 51.9% | 84.2% |
| Plymouth | 15 | 11 (2022) | +4 | 45.3% | 78.9% |
| Swale | 15 | 11 (2019) | +4 | 25.0% | 31.9% |
| Newark & Sherwood | 11 | 7 (2019) | +4 | 25.5% | 28.2% |
| Ashford | 11 | 7 (2019) | +4 | 25.1% | 23.4% |
| North Somerset | 10 | 6 (2019) | +4 | 21.0% | 20.0% |
| Folkestone & Hythe | 10 | 6 (2019) | +4 | 20.9% | 33.3% |
| Cannock Chase | 9 | 5 (2022) | +4 | 44.9% | 52.9% |
| Rushmoor | 8 | 4 (2022) | +4 | 46.8% | 61.5% |
| Basildon | 6 | 2 (2022) | +4 | 29.1% | 42.9% |
| Central Bedfordshire | 5 | 1 (2019) | +4 | 21.4% | 7.9% |
| East Riding Of Yorkshire | 4 | 0 (2019) | +4 | 21.2% | 6.0% |
| Lancaster | 24 | 21 (2019) | +3 | 31.8% | 39.3% |
| Bradford | 22 | 19 (2022) | +3 | 47.0% | 73.3% |
| Wakefield | 20 | 17 (2022) | +3 | 52.7% | 95.2% |
| Salford | 18 | 15 (2022) | +3 | 56.8% | 85.7% |
| Great Yarmouth | 18 | 15 (2019) | +3 | 45.7% | 46.2% |
| Bedford | 14 | 11 (2019) | +3 | 29.3% | 30.4% |
| Stafford | 13 | 10 (2019) | +3 | 29.1% | 32.5% |
| Milton Keynes | 12 | 9 (2022) | +3 | 38.2% | 60.0% |
| Thurrock | 9 | 6 (2022) | +3 | 45.1% | 56.3% |
| Bromsgrove | 8 | 5 (2019) | +3 | 22.0% | 25.8% |
| Spelthorne | 7 | 4 (2019) | +3 | 13.6% | 17.9% |
| East Hertfordshire | 5 | 2 (2019) | +3 | 19.8% | 10.0% |
| Dacorum | 3 | 0 (2019) | +3 | 17.8% | 5.9% |
| East Devon | 3 | 0 (2019) | +3 | 5.3% | 5.0% |
| Telford & Wrekin | 38 | 36 (2019) | +2 | 52.8% | 70.4% |
| Sefton | 18 | 16 (2022) | +2 | 51.8% | 81.8% |
| Hartlepool | 9 | 7 (2022) | +2 | 44.6% | 75.0% |
| Rushcliffe | 9 | 7 (2019) | +2 | 32.3% | 20.5% |
| Tendring | 8 | 6 (2019) | +2 | 21.4% | 16.7% |
| Bath & North East Somerset | 7 | 5 (2019) | +2 | 15.6% | 11.9% |
| Wyre Forest | 4 | 2 (2019) | +2 | 16.6% | 12.1% |
| Harborough | 3 | 1 (2019) | +2 | 15.4% | 8.8% |
| Tonbridge & Malling | 3 | 1 (2019) | +2 | 7.9% | 6.8% |
| Fylde | 2 | 0 (2019) | +2 | 14.2% | 5.4% |
| North Kesteven | 2 | 0 (2019) | +2 | 10.8% | 5.4% |
| Wealden | 2 | 0 (2019) | +2 | 8.6% | 4.5% |
| Rutland | 2 | 0 (2019) | +2 | 3.1% | 8.0% |
| Nottingham | 51 | 50 (2019) | +1 | 61.7% | 92.7% |
| Bassetlaw | 38 | 37 (2019) | +1 | 54.6% | 79.2% |
| Sandwell | 22 | 21 (2022) | +1 | 57.8% | 91.7% |
| Halton | 17 | 16 (2022) | +1 | 64.4% | 94.4% |
| Sunderland | 17 | 16 (2022) | +1 | 45.3% | 68.0% |
| North Warwickshire | 15 | 14 (2019) | +1 | 45.4% | 42.9% |
| Dudley | 13 | 12 (2022) | +1 | 43.8% | 52.0% |
| Dartford | 11 | 10 (2019) | +1 | 34.9% | 26.2% |
| Kings Lynn & West Norfolk | 11 | 10 (2019) | +1 | 18.3% | 20.4% |
| Lincoln | 8 | 7 (2022) | +1 | 49.2% | 72.7% |
| Crawley | 8 | 7 (2022) | +1 | 47.6% | 66.7% |
| Rossendale | 8 | 7 (2022) | +1 | 44.5% | 66.7% |
| Burnley | 8 | 7 (2022) | +1 | 42.2% | 53.3% |
| Hyndburn | 7 | 6 (2022) | +1 | 52.2% | 58.3% |
| Harlow | 6 | 5 (2022) | +1 | 43.8% | 54.5% |
| North East Lincolnshire | 5 | 4 (2022) | +1 | 38.2% | 33.3% |
| Cherwell | 5 | 4 (2022) | +1 | 25.7% | 31.3% |
| Basingstoke & Deane | 5 | 4 (2022) | +1 | 24.1% | 27.8% |
| Pendle | 4 | 3 (2022) | +1 | 39.7% | 33.3% |
| West Oxfordshire | 4 | 3 (2022) | +1 | 21.1% | 25.0% |
| Watford | 3 | 2 (2022) | +1 | 30.8% | 25.0% |
| Wokingham | 3 | 2 (2022) | +1 | 16.4% | 16.7% |
| Guildford | 3 | 2 (2019) | +1 | 10.5% | 6.3% |
| South Staffordshire | 2 | 1 (2019) | +1 | 19.9% | 4.8% |
| Surrey Heath | 2 | 1 (2019) | +1 | 4.2% | 5.7% |
| Reigate & Banstead | 1 | 0 (2022) | +1 | 16.9% | 6.7% |
| New Forest | 1 | 0 (2019) | +1 | 14.3% | 2.1% |
| Wychavon | 1 | 0 (2019) | +1 | 8.4% | 2.3% |
| Mid Sussex | 1 | 0 (2019) | +1 | 7.7% | 2.1% |
| South Hams | 1 | 0 (2019) | +1 | 7.6% | 3.2% |
| Maldon | 1 | 0 (2019) | +1 | 7.0% | 3.3% |
| West Berkshire | 1 | 0 (2019) | +1 | 5.1% | 2.3% |
| West Devon | 1 | 0 (2019) | +1 | 4.2% | 3.3% |
| Herefordshire | 1 | 0 (2019) | +1 | 4.1% | 1.9% |
Seats lost (38 councils)
| Council | Won | Last cycle | Net | Vote share | Seat share |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rochdale | 16 | 41 (2022) | -25 | 53.2% | 80.0% |
| Leicester | 31 | 53 (2019) | -22 | 40.4% | 57.4% |
| Reading | 11 | 32 (2022) | -21 | 47.2% | 64.7% |
| Bury | 11 | 29 (2022) | -18 | 47.8% | 64.7% |
| Luton | 27 | 32 (2019) | -5 | 50.2% | 60.0% |
| Newcastle Upon Tyne | 14 | 19 (2022) | -5 | 41.7% | 51.9% |
| Exeter | 7 | 12 (2022) | -5 | 44.0% | 53.8% |
| North Hertfordshire | 5 | 9 (2022) | -4 | 25.9% | 31.3% |
| South Tyneside | 11 | 14 (2022) | -3 | 44.1% | 61.1% |
| Portsmouth | 2 | 5 (2022) | -3 | 28.1% | 14.3% |
| Gravesham | 22 | 24 (2019) | -2 | 46.9% | 56.4% |
| Stockton-on-Tees | 22 | 24 (2019) | -2 | 33.6% | 39.3% |
| Gateshead | 15 | 17 (2022) | -2 | 50.2% | 68.2% |
| Ipswich | 12 | 14 (2022) | -2 | 43.0% | 75.0% |
| Cambridge | 10 | 12 (2022) | -2 | 38.2% | 62.5% |
| Worcester | 4 | 6 (2022) | -2 | 28.1% | 36.4% |
| Colchester | 4 | 6 (2022) | -2 | 24.5% | 23.5% |
| Blaby | 4 | 6 (2019) | -2 | 12.3% | 11.8% |
| Chichester | 0 | 2 (2019) | -2 | 5.4% | 0.0% |
| Boston | 0 | 2 (2019) | -2 | 1.9% | 0.0% |
| Gedling | 28 | 29 (2019) | -1 | 52.3% | 68.3% |
| Barnsley | 15 | 16 (2022) | -1 | 46.1% | 71.4% |
| Sheffield | 14 | 15 (2022) | -1 | 40.0% | 48.3% |
| Calderdale | 10 | 11 (2022) | -1 | 44.4% | 58.8% |
| Knowsley | 9 | 10 (2022) | -1 | 59.0% | 56.3% |
| Worthing | 9 | 10 (2022) | -1 | 46.8% | 75.0% |
| Norwich | 7 | 8 (2022) | -1 | 42.7% | 53.8% |
| Walsall | 7 | 8 (2022) | -1 | 42.4% | 35.0% |
| Southend On Sea | 7 | 8 (2022) | -1 | 28.8% | 41.2% |
| Redditch | 6 | 7 (2022) | -1 | 43.8% | 60.0% |
| Maidstone | 2 | 3 (2022) | -1 | 15.6% | 11.1% |
| South Kesteven | 2 | 3 (2019) | -1 | 9.6% | 3.8% |
| Torridge | 2 | 3 (2019) | -1 | 6.7% | 5.6% |
| Ashfield | 1 | 2 (2019) | -1 | 26.6% | 2.9% |
| Babergh | 1 | 2 (2019) | -1 | 13.1% | 3.1% |
| East Hampshire | 1 | 2 (2019) | -1 | 9.2% | 2.3% |
| Sevenoaks | 0 | 1 (2019) | -1 | 4.7% | 0.0% |
| Malvern Hills | 0 | 1 (2019) | -1 | 4.2% | 0.0% |
No change (61)
- Manchester 30 seats (unchanged from 2022)
- Chesterfield 28 seats (unchanged from 2019)
- Leeds 22 seats (unchanged from 2022)
- North Tyneside 18 seats (unchanged from 2022)
- North Lincolnshire 16 seats (unchanged from 2019)
- Blackburn with Darwen 14 seats (unchanged from 2022)
- Kirklees 14 seats (unchanged from 2022)
- Chorley 13 seats (unchanged from 2022)
- Coventry 13 seats (unchanged from 2022)
- Preston 11 seats (unchanged from 2022)
- Stevenage 9 seats (unchanged from 2022)
- Kingston Upon Hull 9 seats (unchanged from 2022)
- Peterborough 6 seats (unchanged from 2022)
- Welwyn Hatfield 6 seats (unchanged from 2022)
- East Lindsey 6 seats (unchanged from 2019)
- Derbyshire Dales 6 seats (unchanged from 2019)
- Rugby 5 seats (unchanged from 2022)
- Forest Of Dean 5 seats (unchanged from 2019)
- Tunbridge Wells 3 seats (unchanged from 2022)
- Epsom & Ewell 3 seats (unchanged from 2019)
- South Oxfordshire 3 seats (unchanged from 2019)
- Havant 2 seats (unchanged from 2022)
- Runnymede 2 seats (unchanged from 2022)
- Hinckley & Bosworth 2 seats (unchanged from 2019)
- Waverley 2 seats (unchanged from 2019)
- Broxbourne 1 seats (unchanged from 2022)
- Brentwood 1 seats (unchanged from 2022)
- Three Rivers 1 seats (unchanged from 2022)
- Woking 1 seats (unchanged from 2022)
- Epping Forest 0 seats (unchanged from 2022)
- East Cambridgeshire 0 seats (unchanged from 2019)
- Solihull 0 seats (unchanged from 2022)
- Rochford 0 seats (unchanged from 2022)
- Fenland 0 seats (unchanged from 2019)
- Castle Point 0 seats (unchanged from 2022)
- Eastleigh 0 seats (unchanged from 2022)
- St Albans 0 seats (unchanged from 2022)
- Tandridge 0 seats (unchanged from 2022)
- Eastbourne 0 seats (unchanged from 2019)
- Chelmsford 0 seats (unchanged from 2019)
- Hart 0 seats (unchanged from 2022)
- Horsham 0 seats (unchanged from 2019)
- Stratford On Avon 0 seats (unchanged from 2019)
- North Norfolk 0 seats (unchanged from 2019)
- Uttlesford 0 seats (unchanged from 2019)
- North Devon 0 seats (unchanged from 2019)
- Elmbridge 0 seats (unchanged from 2022)
- Teignbridge 0 seats (unchanged from 2019)
- Windsor & Maidenhead 0 seats (unchanged from 2019)
- Mid Devon 0 seats (unchanged from 2019)
- Winchester 0 seats (unchanged from 2022)
- Vale Of White Horse 0 seats (unchanged from 2019)
- Tewkesbury 0 seats (unchanged from 2019)
- Oadby & Wigston 0 seats (unchanged from 2019)
- West Lindsey 0 seats (unchanged from 2019)
- Test Valley 0 seats (unchanged from 2019)
- Mid Suffolk 0 seats (unchanged from 2019)
- Torbay 0 seats (unchanged from 2019)
- Mole Valley 0 seats (unchanged from 2022)
- South Holland 0 seats (unchanged from 2019)
- Cotswold 0 seats (unchanged from 2019)
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.