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2023 Braintree District Council election
← 2019 4 May 2023 (2023-05-04) 2027 →
All 49 seats to Braintree District Council
25 seats needed for a majority
  First party Second party Third party
  Blank Blank Blank
Leader Graham Butland David Mann n/a
Party Conservative Labour Independent
Last election 34 seats, 45.5% 2 seats, 21.1% 3 seats, 5.9%
Seats before 33[a] 3 3
Seats after 26 9 7
Seat change Decrease 8 Increase 7 Increase 4
Popular vote 26,211 17,677 6,727
Percentage 39.8% 26.8% 10.2%
Swing Decrease 5.7pp Increase 5.7pp Increase 4.3pp
  Fourth party Fifth party
  Blank Blank
Leader James Abbott Jackie Pell
Party Green Halstead Residents
Last election 6 seats, 17.8% 4 seats, 4.3%
Seats before 6 4[b]
Seats after 4 3
Seat change Decrease 2 Decrease 1
Popular vote 10,187 2,330
Percentage 15.5% 3.5%
Swing Decrease 2.3pp Decrease 0.8pp
Winner of each seat at the 2023 Braintree District Council election
Leader before election

Graham Butland
Conservative

Leader after election

Graham Butland
Conservative

The 2023 Braintree District Council election took place on 4 May 2023 to elect members of Braintree District Council in Essex, England.[2] This was on the same day as other local elections in England.

The Conservatives retained control of the council, but with a reduced majority.[3]

Summary

Prior to the election the Conservatives had a majority of 17 seats on the council. They had held a majority since 2007. There were four registered political parties represented on the council plus three independent councillors. The three independents formed a political group with the Greens called the "Green and Independent Group", led by Green councillor James Abbott.[4]

After the election, the Conservatives retained their majority but it was reduced to just 3 seats. Conservative group leader Graham Butland continued to serve as leader of the council, a position he had held continuously since 2004.[5] The Greens and independents continued to form a group after the election, but renamed the "Independent and Green Group" and with the group leadership passing to independent councillor Jo Beavis. The Labour group also changed their leader after the election; their previous leader David Mann had not stood for re-election so Lynn Jefferis was appointed to that role.[6]

Election result

2023 Braintree District Council election
Party Candidates Seats Gains Losses Net gain/loss Seats % Votes % Votes +/−
  Conservative 49 26 3 11 Decrease 8 53.1 39.8 26,211 –5.7
Green and Independent group (G&I)
  Green 22 4 0 2 Decrease 2 8.2 15.5 10,187 –2.3
  Independent 8 7 4 0 Increase 4 14.3 10.1 6,663 +6.5
G&I total 30 11 4 2 Increase 2 22.4 25.6 16,850 +4.2
  Labour 49 9 7 1 Increase 7 18.4 26.8 17,677 +5.7
  Halstead Residents 4 3 0 1 Decrease 1 6.1 3.5 2,330 –0.8
  Liberal Democrat 10 0 0 0 Steady 0.0 3.5 2,298 –0.5
  Reform UK 4 0 0 0 Steady 0.0 0.5 321 N/A
  UKIP 1 0 0 0 Steady 0.0 0.1 68 –1.1
  Independent 1 0 0 0 Steady 0.0 0.1 64 –2.2
  Heritage 1 0 0 0 Steady 0.0 0.1 51 N/A
Total 149 49 Turnout

Ward results

The Statement of Persons Nominated, which details the candidates standing in each ward, was released by Braintree District Council following the close of nomination on 5 April 2023.[7] The results of the district council election were released on 5 May 2023.[8]

Incumbent councillors are marked with an asterisk *.

Bocking Blackwater

Bocking Blackwater
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Lyn Walters* 815 50.3 +9.4
Conservative Justin Wrench 804 49.7 +6.3
Conservative Lynette Bowers-Flint 773 47.7 +5.2
Green (G&I) Dormer Andrews 582 35.9 +6.8
Labour Jasmine Curitz 576 35.6 +11.1
Labour David Chidgey 540 33.4 +14.1
Labour Richard Parsons 421 26.0 +7.9
Liberal Democrats James Card 347 21.4 N/A
Turnout 25.0 –1.5
Conservative hold
Conservative hold
Conservative hold

Bocking North

Bocking North
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Lynn Jefferis 565 51.6 +0.5
Conservative John Baugh 522 47.6 +9.3
Labour Keiran Martin 506 46.2 –2.8
Conservative Felicia Ayo-Ajala 372 33.9 N/A
Green (G&I) Andrea Phillips 226 20.6 –1.0
Turnout 28.9 +0.3
Labour hold
Conservative gain from Labour

Bocking South

Bocking South
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Jack Edwards 511 46.8 +1.5
Labour Moia Thorogood 485 45.8 +11.3
Conservative Trevor McArdle* 479 45.3 +8.8
Labour Robert Heath 459 43.4 +9.6
Green (G&I) Karl Handy 181 17.1 –8.7
Turnout 24.7 –0.4
Conservative hold
Labour gain from Conservative

Braintree Central and Beckers Green

Braintree Central & Beckers Green
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Shirley Mason 699 48.9 +19.5
Labour Thomas Diamond 694 48.6 +20.2
Labour Jonathan Ayten 687 48.1 +20.7
Conservative Karen Brown 488 30.5 +3.7
Conservative Sandra Canning 475 30.0 +3.3
Conservative Andrew Hensman* 425 29.8 –5.7
Green (G&I) Simon Attwood 422 27.3 +2.3
Independent (G&I) Colin Riches 393 26.8 +0.7
Turnout 24.5 –1.7
Labour gain from Conservative
Labour gain from Conservative
Labour gain from Conservative

Braintree South

Braintree South
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Martin Green* 468 44.6 +14.5
Conservative Kevin Bowers* 457 43.6 –5.9
Labour Jacqueline Thurgood 444 42.3 +13.2
Conservative Saif Rehman* 399 38.1 –10.4
Green (G&I) Stuart Wicks 185 17.6 –4.2
Liberal Democrats Tom Hughes 144 13.7 N/A
Turnout 24.4 +0.4
Labour hold
Conservative hold

Martin Green previously gained the seat in the 2022 by-election.

Braintree West

Braintree West
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Mary Cunningham* 727 55.1 –0.1
Conservative George Prime 692 52.4 –1.1
Labour Alexander Wilsdon 457 34.6 +9.3
Labour Peter Wyatt 426 32.2 +14.9
Green (G&I) Nick Scales 341 25.8 +0.9
Turnout 30.6 –0.8
Conservative hold
Conservative hold

Bumpstead

Bumpstead
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Diana Garord* 479 60.2 –16.0
Labour Gary Knights 236 29.6 +5.8
Reform UK Norma Saggers 81 10.2 N/A
Majority 243 30.6 –21.8
Turnout 796 34.6 –1.8
Conservative hold Swing Decrease10.9

Coggeshall

Coggeshall (2 seats)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Independent (G&I) Tom Walsh* 981 56.5 +3.0
Independent (G&I) Dennis Abram* 928 53.4 –7.7
Conservative Sue Wilson 540 31.1 +2.9
Conservative Chris Siddall 478 27.5 –0.4
Labour Robert Powers 287 16.5 +5.0
Labour Usha Agarwal-Hollands 260 15.0 +5.0
Turnout 39.0 –4.3
Independent hold
Independent hold

Gosfield and Greenstead Green

Gosfield & Greenstead Green
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Peter Schwier* 396 52.6 +1.0
Green (G&I) Jenny Bishop 219 29.1 –5.3
Labour Deborah Warren 138 18.3 +4.3
Majority 177 23.5 +6.3
Turnout 753 34.9 –6.5
Conservative hold Swing Increase3.2

Great Notley and Black Notley

Great Notley & Black Notley
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Graham Butland* 1,028 54.6 –5.0
Conservative Frankie Ricci* 979 52.0 –0.2
Conservative Tom Cunningham* 969 51.5 –1.2
Green (G&I) Poppy Gerrard-Abbott 490 26.0 –0.8
Labour Andrew Beatty 428 22.7 +7.8
Liberal Democrats Brian Smith 387 20.5 N/A
Labour Antony Jones 384 20.4 +6.9
Labour Bronislaw Jagniaszek 354 18.8 +8.2
Liberal Democrats David Toombs 347 18.4 +3.2
Liberal Democrats Graham Sheppard 284 15.1 –1.7
Turnout 27.0 –1.2
Conservative hold
Conservative hold
Conservative hold

Halstead St. Andrews

Halstead St. Andrews
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Halstead Residents Jim Bond 664 56.7 +3.8
Halstead Residents Andy Munday* 632 53.9 +6.5
Conservative David Finch 289 24.7 +2.0
Labour Steven Knight 286 24.4 +10.5
Labour Kathleen Tearle 255 21.8 +8.7
Conservative Olatunbosun Senbanjo 150 12.8 –7.2
UKIP Judy Wood 68 5.8 N/A
Turnout 25.7 –4.9
Halstead Residents hold
Halstead Residents hold

Halstead Trinity

Halstead Trinity
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Halstead Residents Jackie Pell* 625 54.0 –10.5
Labour Malcolm Fincken 520 44.9 +18.4
Labour Garry Warren 437 37.8 +14.4
Halstead Residents Linda Hilton 409 35.4 –12.4
Conservative Barry Britten 180 15.6 –5.0
Conservative Libby Poole 143 12.4 N/A
Turnout 24.3 –2.5
Halstead Residents hold
Labour gain from Halstead Residents

Hatfield Peverel and Terling

Hatfield Peverel & Terling
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Charley Dervish 877 63.7 +0.3
Conservative James Coleridge* 855 62.1 +2.3
Green (G&I) Jonathan Barker 409 29.7 +6.1
Labour Linda Bennison 312 22.7 +14.3
Labour Tony Bennett 299 21.7 +11.9
Turnout 30.8 –2.8
Conservative hold
Conservative hold

Hedingham

Hedingham
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Independent (G&I) Jo Beavis* 941 73.8 +27.2
Independent (G&I) Wendy Taylor 764 59.9 N/A
Conservative Jason Ferrando 304 23.9 –21.9
Conservative Philip Rawlinson 236 18.5 –8.9
Labour Christine Calver 156 12.2 +4.4
Labour Matthew Creamer 148 11.6 –2.7
Turnout 30.1 +0.1
Independent hold
Independent gain from Conservative

Kelvedon and Feering

Kelvedon & Feering
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Green (G&I) Paul Thorogood* 1,096 57.4 +15.6
Green (G&I) Camilla Finch 940 49.2 –0.8
Conservative Robert Mitchell 668 35.0 –4.2
Conservative India Jayatillake 644 33.7 –3.0
Labour Eileen Davidson 246 12.9 –3.5
Labour Pamela Carlaw 226 11.8 +1.6
Turnout 43.6 +3.3
Green hold
Green hold

Rayne

Rayne
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Independent (G&I) Ann Hooks 528 64.0 N/A
Conservative Glenn Young 218 26.4 –27.9
Labour Nigel Gibson 79 9.6 –3.3
Majority 310 37.6 N/A
Turnout 825 37.6 +1.8
Independent gain from Conservative Swing N/A

Silver End and Cressing

Silver End & Cressing
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Green (G&I) James Abbott* 1,198 75.2 –1.7
Green (G&I) Bob Wright* 1,017 63.8 +2.7
Conservative Jacky Bayford 300 18.8 +4.5
Conservative Darrin Hammond 297 18.6 N/A
Labour Steven Bennison 134 8.4 +2.6
Labour Ann Griffin 126 7.9 +0.9
Independent Annetta Hawkins 64 4.0 N/A
Heritage Andrew Page 51 3.2 N/A
Turnout 31.5 –7.0
Green hold
Green hold

Stour Valley North

Stour Valley North
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Iona Parker* 507 55.6 –28.7
Labour Peter Long 172 18.9 +3.2
Green (G&I) Mark Posen 167 18.3 N/A
Reform UK Raymond Richards 66 7.2 N/A
Majority 335 36.7 –32.0
Turnout 912 36.0 –3.1
Conservative hold Swing Decrease16.0

Stour Valley South

Stour Valley South
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative David Holland 549 59.3 –2.4
Green (G&I) Paul Robinson 221 23.9 N/A
Labour Frederick Hearn 156 16.8 +8.4
Majority 328 35.4 +3.6
Turnout 926 38.0 –0.9
Conservative hold Swing N/A

The Colnes

The Colnes
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative George Courtauld* 724 56.3 –9.1
Conservative Gabrielle Spray* 707 55.0 –7.4
Green (G&I) James Astley 549 42.7 –2.1
Labour Sandra Hindley 346 26.9 +8.2
Labour Felix Preston 247 19.2 +8.6
Turnout 30.8 +4.3
Conservative hold
Conservative hold

Three Fields

Three Fields
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Independent (G&I) Mark Ault 995 53.1 N/A
Independent (G&I) Michael Staines 851 45.4 N/A
Conservative John Warner 818 43.6 –26.2
Conservative Stephen Canning 593 31.6 –30.0
Labour William Edwards 265 14.1 –3.7
Labour Stephen Newton 228 12.2 –5.2
Turnout 43.2 +10.2
Independent gain from Conservative
Independent gain from Conservative

Witham Central

Witham Central
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Sindhu Rajeev 510 39.7 –6.0
Conservative Toby Williams 486 37.9 +1.5
Labour Lucy Barlow 362 28.2 +11.5
Green (G&I) Edwyn Gerrard-Abbott 358 27.9 –3.9
Labour Joan Coleman 288 22.4 +6.5
Liberal Democrats Barry Fleet 259 20.2 –10.7
Liberal Democrats Helen Waring 198 15.4 N/A
Reform UK Richard Thomson 107 8.3 N/A
Turnout 27.9 –0.1
Conservative hold
Conservative hold

Witham North

Witham North
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Billy Taylor 568 39.6 +10.2
Conservative Ethan Williams 543 37.8 +8.8
Labour Philip Barlow 477 33.2 +1.4
Labour Leanora Headley 418 29.1 +4.8
Green (G&I) Stephen Hicks* 401 27.9 –7.9
Green (G&I) Phillip Hughes 396 27.6 –12.0
Reform UK Tim Blaxill 67 4.7 N/A
Turnout 26.9 –3.1
Conservative gain from Green
Conservative gain from Green

Witham South

Witham South
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Paul Heath 501 44.5 +21.1
Labour Jacqueline Martin 473 42.0 +20.2
Conservative William Korsinah 448 39.8 –14.7
Conservative Joe Trigg 424 37.6 –12.7
Green (G&I) Stephanie Bills 174 15.4 N/A
Liberal Democrats Paul Hewitt 137 12.2 –16.7
Liberal Democrats Charlie Ryland 97 8.6 –17.6
Turnout 26.0 +2.0
Labour gain from Conservative
Labour gain from Conservative

Witham West

Witham West
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Jon Hayes 533 40.1 –3.5
Conservative Ron Ramage* 520 39.1 –2.1
Labour Jack Coleman 467 35.1 +9.2
Labour Jack Robertson 427 32.1 +14.5
Green (G&I) Susan Ager 361 27.1 –2.3
Green (G&I) Steven Crane 254 19.1 N/A
Liberal Democrats Andrew Holt 98 7.4 –6.5
Turnout 28.3 –0.8
Conservative hold
Conservative hold

Yeldham

Yeldham
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Richard Van Dulken 312 44.2 –27.9
Independent (G&I) Julia Allen 282 39.9 N/A
Labour Denis Franklin 112 15.9 –12.0
Turnout 706 32.1 +1.0
Conservative hold Swing N/A

References

  1. ^ Includes one vacant seat at Witham Central previously held by Conservative councillor Angela Kilmartin prior to her resignation.
  2. ^ Includes one vacant seat at Halstead St Andrew's previously held by HRA councillor David Hume until his death in February 2023.[1]
  1. ^ Moffat, Macaully (16 February 2023). "Tribute to ex-councillor and mayor David Hume after death". Halstead Gazette. Retrieved 2 June 2023.
  2. ^ "Braintree District Council Elections – Elections 2023". Braintree District Council. Retrieved 3 January 2023.
  3. ^ King, George (5 May 2023). "Braintree Council elections see Conservatives cling to power". Daily Gazette.
  4. ^ "Councillors [at 2 February 2023]". Braintree District Council. Archived from the original on 2 February 2023. Retrieved 2 June 2023.
  5. ^ Moffat, Macaully (31 May 2023). "Graham Butland re-elected as Braintree Council leader". Braintree and Witham Times. Retrieved 2 June 2023.
  6. ^ "Councillors". Braintree District Council. Retrieved 2 June 2023.
  7. ^ "Statement of Persons Nominated and Notice of Poll". Braintree District Council. Retrieved 5 April 2023.
  8. ^ "2023 District council election results". Braintree District Council. 5 May 2023. Retrieved 5 May 2023.
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