← Portsmouth (all cycles) · 4 May 2023 cohort

Portsmouth 2023

Local elections held 4 May 2023.

14 ward races

14 seats

12 elected below the proportional quota

85.7% of seats below quota

How to read this page

Each race below shows the share of valid ballots the marginal elected candidate actually won, and compares it to the proportional quota: the share that would be needed to be guaranteed that seat under any proportional voting method (1 seats + 1). For a 1-seat ward the quota is 50%; for 2 seats, 33.3%; for 3 seats, 25%.

Where the actual winning share fell below the quota, we show the gap as points under par — the editorial indictment. Above-par results are just majority mandates and pass without comment. The voting method is the subject of every observation here. Named candidates appear as the public election record requires; the cause being audited is the voting method, not the individuals. See the methodology page for derivations.

If votes were counted by party

Across the 14 wards in this cycle, parties received the vote totals below. The proportional column shows what each party would have won if the 14 seats had been allocated to those vote totals in proportion (how, with caveats). The Δ column is the actual seat count minus the proportional seat count — positive numbers are parties First-Past-the-Post over-represented in this council, negative are parties it under-represented.

Party	Votes	Vote %	Seats won	% of seats	Proportional seats	Proportional %	Δ
Liberal Democrats	12,682	29.1%	7	50.0%	5	35.7%	+2
Labour Party	12,264	28.1%	2	14.3%	4	28.6%	-2
Conservative and Unionist Party	8,464	19.4%	1	7.1%	3	21.4%	-2
PORT IND	6,995	16.0%	3	21.4%	2	14.3%	+1
Green Party	1,902	4.4%	0	0.0%	0	0.0%	0
Independent	910	2.1%	1	7.1%	0	0.0%	+1
Reform UK	244	0.6%	0	0.0%	0	0.0%	0
NAT	86	0.2%	0	0.0%	0	0.0%	0
Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition	43	0.1%	0	0.0%	0	0.0%	0
Total	43,590	100.0%	14	100.0%	14	100.0%	0

Vote share vs seats won

The top bar is each party's share of votes cast in this council. Below, one square per seat, coloured by the party that won it — first the actual First-Past-the-Post result, then what a proportional method would have produced from the same vote totals. Divergence between the bar and the actual grid is the indictment of the method.

Vote share

Actual seats

Proportional seats

Wards in this council

Sorted with the largest gap below the quota first. Click any ward to jump to its full result.

Eastney & Craneswater · 1 seat · won at 36.4% · +13.6 pts below quota
Charles Dickens · 1 seat · won at 37.4% · +12.6 pts below quota
Fratton · 1 seat · won at 38.1% · +11.9 pts below quota
St. Jude · 1 seat · won at 39.9% · +10.1 pts below quota
Baffins · 1 seat · won at 42.3% · +7.7 pts below quota
Copnor · 1 seat · won at 46.0% · +4.0 pts below quota
Cosham · 1 seat · won at 46.4% · +3.6 pts below quota
Milton · 1 seat · won at 46.6% · +3.4 pts below quota
St. Thomas · 1 seat · won at 46.9% · +3.1 pts below quota
Central Southsea · 1 seat · won at 47.2% · +2.8 pts below quota
Drayton & Farlington · 1 seat · won at 47.7% · +2.3 pts below quota
Nelson · 1 seat · won at 47.8% · +2.2 pts below quota
Paulsgrove · 1 seat · won at 55.9% · above quota
Hilsea · 1 seat · won at 57.3% · above quota

Race results

Eastney & Craneswater · single-seat

Marginal winner 36.4% Proportional quota 50.0% Difference +13.6 pts below quota Valid ballots 3,804

Rank	Candidate	Party	Votes	Share	Elected
1	Candlish, G.	Liberal Democrats	1,385	36.4%	Elected
2	Shepherd, J.	Labour Party	1,088	28.6%
3	Gorys, S.	Conservative and Unionist Party	881	23.2%
4	Groen, T.	Green Party	209	5.5%
5	Zimmer, M.	Reform UK	148	3.9%
6	Dobson, J.	PORT IND	93	2.4%

Electorate 9,698 · Ballots cast 3,804 · Back to ward index

Charles Dickens · single-seat

Marginal winner 37.4% Proportional quota 50.0% Difference +12.6 pts below quota Valid ballots 2,432

Rank	Candidate	Party	Votes	Share	Elected
1	Corkery, C.	Independent	910	37.4%	Elected
2	Ghosh, R.	Labour Party	780	32.1%
3	Chowdhury, Y.	Liberal Democrats	337	13.9%
4	Henderson, T.	Conservative and Unionist Party	301	12.4%
5	McCulloch, I.	Green Party	104	4.3%

Electorate 13,513 · Ballots cast 2,432 · Back to ward index

Fratton · single-seat

Marginal winner 38.1% Proportional quota 50.0% Difference +11.9 pts below quota Valid ballots 2,759

Rank	Candidate	Party	Votes	Share	Elected
1	Ashmore, D.	Liberal Democrats	1,051	38.1%	Elected
2	Gwyther, A.	Labour Party	840	30.4%
3	Short, J.	PORT IND	457	16.6%
4	Ross, P.	Conservative and Unionist Party	248	9.0%
5	Alves, S.	Green Party	139	5.0%
6	Pickett, C.	Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition	24	0.9%

Electorate 10,475 · Ballots cast 2,759 · Back to ward index

St. Jude · single-seat

Marginal winner 39.9% Proportional quota 50.0% Difference +10.1 pts below quota Valid ballots 3,230

Rank	Candidate	Party	Votes	Share	Elected
1	Heaney, G.	Labour Party	1,288	39.9%	Elected
2	Northern, M.	Liberal Democrats	1,058	32.8%
3	Chandler, D.	Conservative and Unionist Party	400	12.4%
4	Peckham, R.	PORT IND	283	8.8%
5	Mallinder, H.	Green Party	201	6.2%

Electorate 9,206 · Ballots cast 3,230 · Back to ward index

Baffins · single-seat

Marginal winner 42.3% Proportional quota 50.0% Difference +7.7 pts below quota Valid ballots 3,487

Rank	Candidate	Party	Votes	Share	Elected
1	Oliver, L.	Liberal Democrats	1,475	42.3%	Elected
2	Oakley-Cleife, P.	PORT IND	740	21.2%
3	Standen, J.	Conservative and Unionist Party	632	18.1%
4	Farwell, M.	Labour Party	488	14.0%
5	Simmonds, B.	Green Party	152	4.4%

Electorate 11,047 · Ballots cast 3,487 · Back to ward index

Copnor · single-seat

Marginal winner 46.0% Proportional quota 50.0% Difference +4.0 pts below quota Valid ballots 3,027

Rank	Candidate	Party	Votes	Share	Elected
1	Dent, R.	PORT IND	1,391	46.0%	Elected
2	Gardner, S.	Conservative and Unionist Party	725	24.0%
3	Choudhury, A.	Labour Party	597	19.7%
4	Dodd, N.	Liberal Democrats	202	6.7%
5	Warner, B.	Green Party	112	3.7%

Electorate 9,749 · Ballots cast 3,027 · Back to ward index

Cosham · single-seat

Marginal winner 46.4% Proportional quota 50.0% Difference +3.6 pts below quota Valid ballots 2,934

Rank	Candidate	Party	Votes	Share	Elected
1	Vallely, M.	Labour Party	1,362	46.4%	Elected
2	Mason, L.	Conservative and Unionist Party	1,078	36.7%
3	Oulds, T.	PORT IND	208	7.1%
4	Fuller, D.	Liberal Democrats	200	6.8%
5	Wagner, V.	NAT	86	2.9%

Electorate 10,218 · Ballots cast 2,934 · Back to ward index

Milton · single-seat

Marginal winner 46.6% Proportional quota 50.0% Difference +3.4 pts below quota Valid ballots 4,015

Rank	Candidate	Party	Votes	Share	Elected
1	Vernon-Jackson, G.	Liberal Democrats	1,872	46.6%	Elected
2	Savage, P.	Labour Party	1,552	38.7%
3	Smith, J.	Conservative and Unionist Party	252	6.3%
4	Gilbert, S.	Green Party	176	4.4%
5	Zimmer, R.	Reform UK	96	2.4%
6	Hammond, G.	PORT IND	67	1.7%

Electorate 10,539 · Ballots cast 4,015 · Back to ward index

St. Thomas · single-seat

Marginal winner 46.9% Proportional quota 50.0% Difference +3.1 pts below quota Valid ballots 2,878

Rank	Candidate	Party	Votes	Share	Elected
1	Attwell, C.	Liberal Democrats	1,351	46.9%	Elected
2	Batterbury, E.	Labour Party	689	23.9%
3	Sweeney, P.	Conservative and Unionist Party	576	20.0%
4	Lee, E.	Green Party	187	6.5%
5	Miles, G.	PORT IND	75	2.6%

Electorate 10,927 · Ballots cast 2,878 · Back to ward index

Central Southsea · single-seat

Marginal winner 47.2% Proportional quota 50.0% Difference +2.8 pts below quota Valid ballots 3,845

Rank	Candidate	Party	Votes	Share	Elected
1	Horton, S.	Liberal Democrats	1,816	47.2%	Elected
2	Allen, J.	Labour Party	1,551	40.3%
3	Denny, A.	Conservative and Unionist Party	214	5.6%
4	Groen, M.	Green Party	178	4.6%
5	Tindal, L.	PORT IND	86	2.2%

Electorate 11,763 · Ballots cast 3,845 · Back to ward index

Drayton & Farlington · single-seat

Marginal winner 47.7% Proportional quota 50.0% Difference +2.3 pts below quota Valid ballots 3,471

Rank	Candidate	Party	Votes	Share	Elected
1	Brent, H.	Conservative and Unionist Party	1,654	47.7%	Elected
2	Jha, P.	Labour Party	693	20.0%
3	Adair, R.	Liberal Democrats	620	17.9%
4	Custerson, J.	PORT IND	280	8.1%
5	Harvey, M.	Green Party	224	6.5%

Electorate 10,518 · Ballots cast 3,471 · Back to ward index

Nelson · single-seat

Marginal winner 47.8% Proportional quota 50.0% Difference +2.2 pts below quota Valid ballots 2,163

Rank	Candidate	Party	Votes	Share	Elected
1	Hunt, L.	Liberal Democrats	1,033	47.8%	Elected
2	Head, R.	Labour Party	498	23.0%
3	Swann, K.	Conservative and Unionist Party	323	14.9%
4	Thorpe, H.	PORT IND	169	7.8%
5	Robinson, D.	Green Party	121	5.6%
6	Doyle, N.	Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition	19	0.9%

Electorate 10,206 · Ballots cast 2,163 · Back to ward index

Paulsgrove · single-seat

Marginal winner 55.9% Proportional quota 50.0% Difference −5.9 pts Valid ballots 2,286

Rank	Candidate	Party	Votes	Share	Elected
1	Dike, C.	PORT IND	1,279	55.9%	Elected
2	Douglas, C.	Conservative and Unionist Party	446	19.5%
3	Hadenham, E.	Labour Party	425	18.6%
4	Cole, H.	Liberal Democrats	136	5.9%

Electorate 10,224 · Ballots cast 2,286 · Back to ward index

Hilsea · single-seat

Marginal winner 57.3% Proportional quota 50.0% Difference −7.3 pts Valid ballots 3,259

Rank	Candidate	Party	Votes	Share	Elected
1	Strudwick, E.	PORT IND	1,867	57.3%	Elected
2	Payter-Harris, S.	Conservative and Unionist Party	734	22.5%
3	Daniel, M.	Labour Party	413	12.7%
4	Williams, P.	Liberal Democrats	146	4.5%
5	Murphy, E.	Green Party	99	3.0%

Electorate 10,154 · Ballots cast 3,259 · Back to ward index