2023 South Kesteven District Council election

The 2023 South Kesteven District Council election took place on 4 May 2023 to elect all 56 members of South Kesteven District Council in Lincolnshire, England. This was on the same day as other local elections across England.

2023 South Kesteven District Council election

← 2019 4 May 2023 (2023-05-04) 2027 →

All 56 seats on South Kesteven District Council
29 seats needed for a majority
  First party Second party Third party
  Blank Blank Blank
Leader Kelham Cooke
Party Conservative Independent Green
Last election 40 seats, 53.3% 11 seats, 19.2% 0 seats, 3.8%
Seats before 38[a] 13[b] 0
Seats after 24 22 4
Seat change Decrease16 Increase11 Increase4
Popular vote 10,450 12,527 3,906
Percentage 30.0% 36.0% 11.2%
Swing Decrease23.3% Increase16.8% Increase7.4%

  Fourth party Fifth party
  Blank Blank
Party Liberal Democrats Labour
Last election 2 seats, 3.3% 3 seats, 5.6%
Seats before 3 2
Seats after 4 2
Seat change Increase2 Decrease1
Popular vote 2,844 4,528
Percentage 8.2% 13.0%
Swing Increase4.9% Increase7.4%

Map of the results of the 2023 South Kesteven District Council election. Conservatives in blue, Liberal Democrats in orange, Labour in red, Green Party in green, and independents in grey.

Leader before election

Kelham Cooke
Conservative

Leader after election

Richard Cleaver
Independent
No overall control

The council was under Conservative majority control prior to the election. The Conservatives remained the largest party after the election but lost their majority. Both the Conservative leader, Kelham Cooke, and deputy leader, Adam Stokes, lost their seats.[3]

A coalition of some of the independent councillors and the Greens, Liberal Democrats and Labour formed to take control of the council, narrowly beating a rival coalition of the Conservatives and some of the other independents to form an administration by one vote at the council's subsequent annual meeting on 18 May 2023. Independent councillor Richard Cleaver therefore became leader of the council, defeating the new Conservative leader, Graham Jeal.[4]

Results

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The overall results were as follows:[5]

South Kesteven District Council election result 2023
Party Seats Gains Losses Net gain/loss Seats % Votes % Votes +/−
  Independent 22 12 1 +11 39.3 36.0 12,527 +10.4
  Conservative 24 0 16 -16 42.9 30.0 10,450 -23.3
  Labour 2 1 2 -1 3.6 13.0 4,528 +7.4
  Green 4 4 0 +4 7.1 11.2 3,906 +7.4
  Liberal Democrats 4 2 0 +2 7.1 8.2 2,844 +4.9
  Reform UK 0 0 0 0 0.0 1.1 371 n/a
  Lincolnshire Independent 0 0 0 0 0.0 0.6 192 n/a
  SDP 0 0 0 0 0.0 0.0 17 n/a

Four seats were elected unopposed, all of which were taken by Conservatives.

Ward results

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The results for each ward were as follows, with an asterisk (*) indicating an incumbent councillor standing for re-election.[6][7]

Aveland

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Aveland
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Richard Adrian Dixon-Warren* 457 58.6 +58.6
Liberal Democrats James Robert Brown 210 26.9 N/A
Reform UK Michael George Rudkin
(Mike Rudkin)
113 14.5 N/A
Turnout 780 39.02
Registered electors 2,009
Conservative hold

Belmont

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Belmont (2 seats)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Independent Philip Alan Gadd
(Phil Gadd)
514 54.3 +22.2
Independent Elvis Stooke 446 47.1 N/A
Conservative Linda Wootten* 332 35.1 −14.2
Conservative Dean Anthony William Ward* 275 29.1 −22.1
Labour Myles Joseph Thomas Sadler 203 21.5 −4.3
Turnout 946 26.99
Registered electors 3,505
Independent gain from Conservative
Independent gain from Conservative

Dean Ward represented Grantham St Wulfram's ward prior to the election.

Belvoir

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Belvoir (2 seats)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Pamela Bosworth* 901 61.9 −3.3
Conservative Robert Ian Leadenham 791 54.4 −7.7
Labour David Julian Simpson
(Julian Simpson)
505 34.7 +8.5
Turnout 1,455 35.75
Registered electors 4,123
Conservative hold
Conservative hold

Bourne Austerby

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Bourne Austerby (3 seats)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Independent Paul David Fellows* 664 47.6 −5.8
Green Emma Louise Baker 587 42.1 +11.4
Green Rhys Rhobat Baker 530 38.0 N/A
Conservative Robert Philip Harry Reid* 504 36.2 −3.7
Conservative Christopher Neal
(Chris Neal)
454 32.6 −6.8
Green Ian Paul Simmons 394 28.3 N/A
Turnout 1,394 22.78
Registered electors 6,154
Independent hold
Green gain from Conservative
Green gain from Conservative

Bourne East

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Bourne East (2 seats)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Independent Philip James Knowles* 417 42.9 −12.9
Conservative Zoe Emma Lane 355 36.5 −9.4
Conservative Julia Ray Reid* 353 36.3 −0.6
Independent Brenda Maureen Johnson 352 36.2 N/A
Labour Barnabas Baricz Hughes 214 22.0 +2.7
Turnout 973 28.07
Registered electors 3,470
Independent hold
Conservative hold

Bourne West

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Bourne West (2 seats)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Helen Joyce Crawford* 629 50.4 −0.6
Independent Anna Sylvia Kelly* 600 48.0 −11.2
Liberal Democrats John Bernard Ireland 579 46.4 N/A
Labour John Stephen Francis Riley 194 15.5 −4.6
Turnout 1,249 32.21
Registered electors 3,903
Conservative hold
Independent hold

Casewick

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Casewick (2 seats)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Green Vanessa Mary Smith 1,057 62.8 N/A
Conservative Rosemary Helen Trollope-Bellew* 709 42.2 −27.9
Conservative Kelham Harry Cooke* 688 40.9 −34.2
Turnout 1,682 37.49
Registered electors 4,502
Green gain from Conservative
Conservative hold

Castle

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Castle
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Nick Robins* unopposed −47.8
Conservative hold

Deeping St James

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Deeping St James (3 seats)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Independent Philip Maurice Dilks* 1,470 76.1 +6.8
Independent Bridget Ann Ley 1,224 63.4 N/A
Independent James Alexander Denniston 973 50.4 N/A
Independent Judy Deanne Stevens* 736 38.1 −12.6
Labour Michael Kenton Horder
(Mike Horder)
371 19.2 −5.6
Turnout 1,931 33.95
Registered electors 5,703
Independent hold
Independent gain from Conservative
Independent gain from Conservative

Judy Stevens was elected as a Conservative in 2019 but stood as an independent in 2023.

Dole Wood

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Dole Wood
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Barry Martin Dobson* 409 53.7 +53.7
Independent Nigel Gareth Eveleigh 352 46.3 N/A
Turnout 761 38.78
Registered electors 1,970
Conservative hold

Glen

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Glen
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Penny Robins* unopposed −75.0
Conservative hold

Grantham Arnoldfield

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Grantham Arnoldfield (2 seats)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Independent Paul David Alec Stokes 529 42.9 N/A
Conservative Paul Michael Martin 449 36.4 −32.0
Conservative Kathleen-Mary Rice-Oxley*
(Kaffy Rice-Oxley)
420 34.1 −29.9
Labour Thomas Vincent Greenwood
(Tom Greenwood)
412 33.4 +9.2
Independent Michael Detlef Beckett
(Mike Beckett)
357 29.0 N/A
Turnout 1,233 29.25
Registered electors 4,232
Conservative hold
Independent gain from Conservative

Grantham Barrowby Gate

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Grantham Barrowby Gate (2 seats)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Gareth Lewis Keith Knight 467 40.1 −22.2
Conservative Mark Anthony Whittington* 445 38.2 −28.1
Labour Jonathan Michael Cook 430 36.9 +5.8
Independent Adrian Mark Smith 343 29.5 N/A
Green Raymond David Shrouder
(Ray Shrouder)
257 22.1 N/A
Independent John Raymond Parkhill 206 17.7 N/A
Turnout 1,164 30.11
Registered electors 3,872
Conservative hold
Conservative hold

Grantham Earlesfield

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Grantham Earlesfield (2 seats)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Lee Andrew Steptoe* 305 51.9 +12.3
Independent Steven Cunnington 301 51.2 N/A
Labour Carole Anne Thomson
(Caz Thomson)
218 37.1 −11.6
Independent Bruce Wells 214 36.4 +2.3
Turnout 588 14.93
Registered electors 3,959
Labour hold
Independent gain from Labour

Grantham Harrowby

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Grantham Harrowby (2 seats)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Independent Ian Edward Selby* 526 60.5 −7.9
Independent Christopher Thomas Noon
(Chris Noon)
468 53.8 N/A
Labour David Aaron Burling 259 29.8 +10.6
Conservative Clio Lyndon Perraton-Williams 187 21.5 +0.1
Turnout 870 24.09
Registered electors 3,620
Independent hold
Independent gain from Conservative

Grantham Springfield

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Grantham Springfield (2 seats)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Robert Murray Shorrock
(Rob Shorrock)
364 41.8 +0.2
Conservative Nicola Anne Manterfield*
(Nikki Manterfield)
301 34.6 −16.3
Conservative Adam Neil Stokes* 295 33.9 −16.8
Independent Matthew William Ash 277 31.8 N/A
Green John Chadwick 210 24.1 N/A
Turnout 871 23.01
Registered electors 3,799
Labour gain from Conservative
Conservative hold

Grantham St Vincent's

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Grantham St Vincent's (3 seats)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Green Patricia Ellis
(Patsy Ellis)
520 35.8 +6.1
Independent Charmaine Dawn Morgan* 517 35.6 −9.1
Conservative Graham Frank Jeal* 400 27.5 −10.7
Labour Tracey Ann Forman 393 27.0 −8.0
Green Anne Elizabeth Gayfer 375 25.8 +2.6
Green Alex James Ferguson 372 25.6 N/A
Labour Janeile Eardley 365 25.1 −5.8
Conservative Brian Rodney Monro 344 23.7 −11.7
Independent John George Morgan 328 22.6 −8.3
Independent Gary Wayne Rudd 324 22.3 N/A
Turnout 1,454 28.07
Registered electors 5,194
Green gain from Conservative
Independent gain from Labour
Conservative hold

Charmaine Morgan had been elected as a Labour councillor in 2019 but left the party to sit as an independent in 2022.[8] Seat shown as independent gain from Labour to allow comparison with 2019 result.

Grantham St Wulfram's

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Grantham St Wulfram's (2 seats)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Independent Timothy James Harrison
(Tim Harrison)
588 44.9 N/A
Conservative Raymond Wootten*
(Ray Wootten)
523 39.9 −17.8
Independent Susan Elizabeth Swinburn 471 35.9 N/A
Conservative Mary June Whittington* 390 29.7 −20.7
Labour Beverley Sarah Jones 321 24.5 +8.1
Turnout 1,311 32.37
Registered electors 4,053
Independent gain from Conservative
Conservative hold

Isaac Newton

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Isaac Newton (2 seats)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative David Michael Bellamy* 576 59.5 −4.6
Conservative Benjamin Samuel Oliver Green*
(Ben Green)
512 52.9 −16.9
Labour Archie George Hine 281 29.0 +6.1
Green Michael James Turner
(Mike Turner)
277 28.6 N/A
Turnout 968 26.34
Registered electors 3,721
Conservative hold
Conservative hold

Lincrest

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Lincrest
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Sarah Joan Trotter* unopposed −73.8
Conservative hold

Loveden Heath

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Loveden Heath
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Independent Penelope Milnes*
(Penny Milnes)
539 63.6 +12.0
Conservative Judith Rebecca Sharman 309 36.4 +16.7
Turnout 848 40.69
Registered electors 2,099
Independent hold

Market and West Deeping

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Market and West Deeping (3 seats)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Independent Ashley John Baxter* 1,255 71.9 +9.1
Independent Virginia Elizabeth Moran* 934 53.5 +10.7
Independent Pamela Pauline Byrd
(Pam Byrd)
803 46.0 N/A
Independent Robert John Broughton*
(Bob Broughton)
751 43.0 −0.2
Independent Martin Reilly 563 32.2 N/A
Independent Xanthe Judith Collins
(Xan Collins)
244 14.0 N/A
Turnout 1,746 32.10
Registered electors 5,468
Independent hold
Independent hold
Independent gain from Conservative

Bob Broughton had been elected in 2019 as a Conservative but stood in 2023 as an independent.

Morton

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Morton
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Sue Woolley* unopposed −73.9
Conservative hold

Peascliffe and Ridgeway

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Peascliffe and Ridgeway (2 seats)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Ian Stokes* 561 46.4 −7.4
Conservative Peter Francis Howard Stephens 497 41.1 −15.3
Independent Nicholas Stewart Johnson
(Nick Johnson)
306 25.3 N/A
Labour Keith Richard White 276 22.8 +8.1
Green John Hadden Millar 254 21.0 −9.7
Independent Verena Ridgley
(Vee Ridgley)
175 14.5 N/A
Turnout 1,209 30.25
Registered electors 4,010
Conservative hold
Conservative hold

Stamford All Saints

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Stamford All Saints (2 seats)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Habibur Rahman
(Habib Rahman)
550 51.7 N/A
Independent Maxwell Graham Sawyer
(Max Sawyer)
467 43.9 N/A
Conservative Breda-Rae Griffin* 375 35.2 −24.9
Conservative Nicola Sandall 335 31.5 −25.5
Turnout 1,064 28.08
Registered electors 3,814
Liberal Democrats gain from Conservative
Independent gain from Conservative

Seat change compared to 2019 election; one of the seats had been won by an independent at a by-election in 2021.

Stamford St George's

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Stamford St George's (2 seats)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Rhea Natasha Rayside 548 56.6 +17.5
Conservative Gloria Johnson* 424 43.8 +4.7
Reform UK Angela Michelle Carter-Begbie 202 20.9 N/A
Turnout 968 26.60
Registered electors 3,729
Liberal Democrats hold
Conservative hold

Stamford St John's

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Stamford St John's (2 seats)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Independent Richard James Cleaver* 1,041 79.7 N/A
Conservative Susan Jennifer Sandall* 375 28.7 −21.5
Conservative Percival William Robert Sandall
(Robert Sandall)
353 27.0 −23.2
Turnout 1,306 30.72
Registered electors 4,287
Independent gain from Conservative
Conservative hold

Richard Cleaver represented Stamford All Saints prior to the election.

Stamford St Mary's

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Stamford St Mary's
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Doarkanathsing Harrish Bisnauthsing*
(Harrish Bisnauthsing)
701 59.0 +8.3
Conservative Jane Kingman* 441 37.1 −12.9
Independent Julie Clarke 414 34.8 N/A
Green Judith Carol Clarke
(Judi Clarke)
350 29.5 N/A
Turnout 1,188 32.64
Registered electors 3,679
Liberal Democrats hold
Conservative hold

Seat change compared to 2019 election; the Conservative elected in 2019, Matthew Lee, had left the party in 2022 and sat the remainder of his term as an independent.[9] He did not stand for re-election. Jane Kingman had represented Bourne Austerby prior to the election.

Toller

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Toller
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Murray Frank Turner* 256 36.5 N/A
Lincolnshire Independent Christopher Clark
(Chris Clark)
192 27.4 N/A
Conservative Anthony Philip Vaughan
(Tony Vaughan)
181 25.8 −22.7
Reform UK Amanda Gackowska
(Amanda Gee)
56 8.0 N/A
SDP Alexander Leslie Mitchell 17 2.4 N/A
Turnout 702 33.91
Registered electors 2,082
Liberal Democrats gain from Independent

Seat change compared to 2019 election; Murray Turner had won the seat at a by-election in December 2022.

Viking

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Viking (2 seats)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Independent Paul Wood* 1,055 70.5 +6.7
Independent Jane Wood* 937 62.6 +9.1
Conservative Claire Margaret Storer 585 39.1 +11.8
Turnout 1,497 37.00
Registered electors 4,073
Independent hold
Independent hold

Changes 2023–2027

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Grantham St Wulfram's

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Grantham St Wulfram's by-election, 9 November 2023
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Matthew Robert Bailey 361 33.7
Independent Susan Elizabeth Swinburn 233 21.8
Labour Jonathan Michael Cook 173 16.2
Green Anne Elizabeth Gayfer 145 13.5
Liberal Democrats James Antony Osborn 135 12.6
Independent Dean Anthony William Ward 24 2.2
Turnout 1,071 26.7
Registered electors 4,057
Conservative hold

This by-election was triggered by the death of Conservative councillor Ray Wootten.[10][11]

References

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  1. ^ Including one vacant seat in Peascliffe and Ridgeway ward previously held by Conservative councillor Rosemary Kaberry-Brown until her resignation in November 2022.
  2. ^ Of the thirteen independent councillors before the election, four sat with the Liberal Democrats as the "Democratic Independents" group led by independent Philip Knowles, three formed the "Alliance South Kesteven" group led by Ashley Baxter, three formed the "Independent Group" led by Paul Wood and the other three did not form part of a group.[1][2]
  1. ^ Waller, Jamie (6 January 2023). "New political group is largest opposition party on South Kesteven District Council". Grantham Journal. Retrieved 29 November 2023.
  2. ^ Bond, Marie (18 January 2023). "Rift between Independents on South Kesteven District Council led to split". Grantham Journal. Retrieved 29 November 2023.
  3. ^ "South Kesteven eyes regime change as council leader and deputy out". The Lincolnite. 2023-05-05. Retrieved 2023-05-07.
  4. ^ Jaines, Daniel; Baynes, Chris (18 May 2023). "South Kesteven: Independent-led coalition takes control of council". BBC News. Retrieved 29 November 2023.
  5. ^ "South Kesteven result - Local Elections 2023". BBC News. Retrieved 2023-05-07.
  6. ^ "South Kesteven District Council Election Results May 2023". South Kesteven District Council. Retrieved 29 November 2023.
  7. ^ "Your councillors". South Kesteven District Council. Archived from the original on 30 March 2023. Retrieved 29 November 2023.
  8. ^ Taylor, Matthew (29 April 2022). "Grantham councillor Charmaine Morgan resigns from Labour Party". Grantham Journal. Retrieved 29 November 2023.
  9. ^ Waller, Jamie (22 December 2022). "Former Conservative council leader quits party after row". The Lincolnite. Retrieved 29 November 2023.
  10. ^ Jaines, Daniel (5 October 2023). "Honouring a "local titan": Grantham prepares for poignant by-election". The Lincolnite. Retrieved 29 November 2023.
  11. ^ Green, Katie (10 November 2023). "Results announced for Grantham by-elections". Grantham Journal. Retrieved 29 November 2023.