2023 Wakefield Metropolitan District Council election

The 2023 Wakefield Metropolitan District Council election took place on 4 May 2023 to elect members of Wakefield Council in West Yorkshire, England. This was on the same day as other local elections across England. There were 21 of the 63 seats up for election, being the usual third of the council.[2]

2023 Wakefield Metropolitan District Council election

← 2022 4 May 2023 2024 →

21 of 63 seats on Wakefield Council
32 seats needed for a majority
  First party Second party
  Blank Blank
Leader Denise Jeffery[1] Tony Hames
Party Labour Conservative
Leader's seat Castleford Central and Glasshoughton Pontefract South
Seats before 43 10
Seats won 20 0
Seats after 49 7
Seat change 6 -4

  Third party Fourth party
  Blank Blank
Leader Tom Gordon
Party Independent Liberal Democrats
Leader's seat Knottingley
Seats before 6[a] 3
Seats won 0 1
Seats after 4 3
Seat change -2 -

Winner of each seat at the 2023 Wakefield Metropolitan Borough Council election

Leader before election

Denise Jeffery
Labour

Leader after election

Denise Jeffery
Labour

Labour retained its majority on the council.[3][4]

Overview

edit

Labour increased its majority by taking four seats from the Conservatives. After the election Labour had 49 councillors. The Conservatives lost all four seats they were defending, leaving them with seven seats. The Liberal Democrats held the one seat they were defending in Knottingley, leaving them with three councillors overall after the election. Both the independent councillors who were standing re-election were defeated, leaving four independent councillors after the election.[5]

Results

edit
2023 Wakefield Metropolitan District Council election
Party This election Full council This election
Seats Net Seats % Other Total Total % Votes Votes % +/−
  Labour 20   6 95.2 29 49 77.8 34,304 52.7 +1.0
  Conservative 0   4 0.0 7 7 11.1 14,153 21.7 -5.8
  Independent 0   2 0.0 4 4 6.3 5,415 8.3 +2.9
  Liberal Democrats 1   4.8 2 3 4.8 3,300 5.1 -0.2
  Green 0   0.0 0 0 0.0 4,663 7.2 +2.3
  Yorkshire 0   0.0 0 0 0.0 2,563 3.9 -0.4
  Reform UK 0   0.0 0 0 0.0 446 0.7 +0.5
  TUSC 0   0.0 0 0 0.0 165 0.3 +0.2
  SDP 0   0.0 0 0 0.0 84 0.1 +0

Results by ward

edit

An asterisk (*) indicates a sitting councillor standing for re-election. Changes with 2019.

Ackworth, North Elmsall and Upton

edit
Ackworth, North Elmsall and Upton
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Jessica Carrington* 1,516 47.5 +12.7
Conservative Chad Jordan Thomas 579 18.1 −0.2
Independent Gwen Marshall 550 17.2 +9.3
Reform UK Arthur Jerome Miles 293 8.8 New
Green Jody Paul Gabriel 267 8.4 New
Majority 937 29.4 +12.1
Turnout 3,221 23.9 −3.4
Rejected ballots 28
Labour hold Swing

Airedale and Ferry Fryston

edit

Comparison for the Wakefield District Independents for this ward are comparing to the Independent candidate in 2019 due to them being of the same grouping, but now formalising this arrangement. However, as a by-election was held in 2021, this seat remains a Labour hold rather than a Labour gain.

Airedale and Ferry Fryston
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Les Shaw 1,061 48.6 +6.3
Wakefield District Independents Neil Kennedy 711 32.5 −12.7
Conservative Keith Hudson 258 11.8 −0.7
Green John Paul Ingham 88 4.0 New
Liberal Democrats Richard Heaps 67 3.1
Majority 350 16.1 +13.2
Turnout 2,192 19 −3.4
Rejected ballots 7
Labour hold Swing

Altofts and Whitwood

edit

Comparison for the Wakefield District Independents for this ward are comparing to the Democrats and Veterans candidate in 2019.

Altofts and Whitwood
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Jo Hepworth* 1,748 52.8 +13.4
Wakefield District Independents John Thomas 804 24.3 +17.8
Conservative Amy Louise Swift 518 15.7 −1.1
Green Katherine Clare Dodd 238 7.2 New
Majority 944 28.5 +21.6
Turnout 3,308 23.0 −1.8
Rejected ballots 11
Labour hold Swing

Castleford Central and Glasshoughton

edit
Castleford Central and Glasshoughton
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Tony Wallis* 1,657 62.1 +19.4
Yorkshire Paul Phelps 435 16.3 −6.1
Conservative Joanne Grace Smart 368 13.8 −5.7
Green Stephen James Brennan 114 4.3 New
Liberal Democrats Janet Walton 95 3.6 New
Majority 1,222 45.8 +30.0
Turnout 2,669 21.3 −4.0
Rejected ballots 16
Labour hold Swing

Crofton, Ryhill and Walton

edit
Crofton, Ryhill and Walton
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Maureen Anne Cummings* 2,032 58.6 +9.5
Conservative Connor James Clayton 904 26.1 −6.2
Yorkshire Daniel Cochran 280 8.1 New
Green Garry Newby 250 7.2 New
Majority 1,128 32.5 +15.7
Turnout 3,466 28.1 +0.5
Rejected ballots 16
Labour hold Swing

Featherstone

edit
Featherstone
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Graham Leslie Isherwood* 2,057 73.1 +2.1
Conservative James Robert Hardwick 475 16.9 −12.1
Green Ashton Victor Howick 281 10.0 New
Majority 1,582 56.2 +14.2
Turnout 2,813 21.5 +2.1
Rejected ballots 18
Labour hold Swing

Hemsworth

edit
Hemsworth
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Jakob Matthew Williamson 1,310 56.3 +18.8
Green Lyn Morton 704 30.3 +24.0
Conservative Liz Cowton 313 13.5 +6.9
Majority 606 26.0
Turnout 2,327 19.3
Rejected ballots 11
Labour gain from Independent Swing

Horbury and South Ossett

edit
Horbury and South Ossett
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Gwen Page 1,796 50.3 +17.5
Conservative Simon John Fishwick* 1,303 36.5 −2.7
Liberal Democrats Mark Andrew Goodair 283 7.9 −3.0
Green Richard Hargreaves Norris 192 5.4 −3.0
Majority 493 13.8
Turnout 3,574 30.7
Rejected ballots 18
Labour gain from Conservative Swing

Knottingley

edit
Knottingley
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Rachel Nadine Speak 1,398 58.6 −4.5
Labour Theo Biddle 734 30.8 +9.5
Conservative Eamonn Malachy Mullins 182 7.6 −0.2
Green Ruth Alexandra Love 72 3.0 −4.8
Majority 664 27.8
Turnout 2,386 22.8
Rejected ballots 11
Liberal Democrats hold Swing

Normanton

edit
Normanton
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Armaan Khan 1,258 47.1 +1.5
Wakefield District Independents Cliff Parsons 520 19.5 −21.0
Conservative Laura Weldon 494 18.5 +4.5
Liberal Democrats Nigel James Ebbs 225 8.4 New
Green John Robert Clayton 175 6.5 New
Majority 738 27.6
Turnout 2,672 20.8
Rejected ballots 13
Labour hold Swing

Ossett

edit
Ossett
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Olivia Maria Rowley 1,531 45.5 +6.3
Independent Deano Kitchen 670 19.9 New
Yorkshire Simon David Watson Britcliffe 484 14.4 New
Liberal Democrats Tony Sargeant 473 14.0 +6.8
Green Stephen Scott 210 6.2 −4.9
Majority 861 25.6
Turnout 3,368 27.0
Rejected ballots 29
Labour gain from Conservative Swing

Pontefract North

edit
Pontefract North
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Hannah Ruth Appleyard 1,832 62.7 +21.3
Conservative Christopher Robert Hyomes 464 15.9 −3.5
Yorkshire Christopher Dawson 375 12.8 −26.4
Green Emma Kay Tingle 151 5.2 New
Liberal Democrats Leah Birdsall 101 3.5 New
Majority 1,368 46.8
Turnout 2,923 20.5
Rejected ballots 9
Labour hold Swing

Pontefract South

edit
Pontefract South
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Brian Arthur Mayhew 1,658 50.0 +3.6
Conservative Arnie Craven 1244 37.5 −2.7
Green Oliver Luke Watkins 164 5.0 New
Liberal Democrats Susan Hayes 163 4.9 −8.5
SDP Trevor Lake 84 2.5 New
Majority 414 12.5
Turnout 3,313 28
Rejected ballots 20
Labour hold Swing

South Elmsall and South Kirkby

edit
South Elmsall and South Kirkby
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Steve Tulley* 2,091 79.8 +4.2
Green Stefan Arnold Ludewig 265 10.1 New
Conservative Perpertua Ruzvidzo 265 10.1 −0.7
Majority 1826 69.7
Turnout 2,621 19.2
Rejected ballots 14
Labour hold Swing

Stanley and Outwood East

edit
Stanley and Outwood East
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Jack Spencer Hemingway* 2,018 55.8 +11.0
Conservative Kully Sanghera 733 20.3 −4.2
Wakefield District Independents Jenny Prest 336 9.3 New
Yorkshire Brent Andrew Hawksley 273 7.5 New
Green Richard David Copeland 223 6.2 New
TUSC Darren Joseph Lumber 36 1.0 New
Majority 1,285 35.5
Turnout 3,619 27.5
Rejected ballots 8
Labour hold Swing

Wakefield East

edit
Wakefield East
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Stuart Heptinstall* 1,815 52.5 −4.4
Conservative Muhammad Ansar Hayat 1,175 34.0 +21.8
Independent Matt Wilson 216 6.2 New
Green Janet Mackintosh 183 5.3 −3.6
TUSC Mick Griffiths 70 2.0 −0.9
Majority 640 18.5
Turnout 3,459 29.6
Rejected ballots 14
Labour hold Swing

Wakefield North

edit
Wakefield North
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Margaret Isherwood* 1,818 61.3 +15.3
Conservative Angela Margaret Holwell 643 21.7 +2.2
Green Daniel Mark Russell 224 7.6 New
Yorkshire Andy Mack 222 7.5 −2.6
TUSC Tom Griffiths 59 2.0 New
Majority 1,175 39.6
Turnout 2,966 24.3
Rejected ballots 11
Labour hold Swing

Wakefield Rural

edit
Wakefield Rural
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Jordan Phillip Bryan 1,530 37.5 +4.5
Conservative Ian John Sanders* 1516 37.2 −7.2
Yorkshire David John Rowntree Herdson 494 12.1 New
Liberal Democrats Mark Simon Lord 300 7.4 −1.1
Green Karen Sadler 240 5.9 −8.3
Majority 14 0.3
Turnout 4,080 29.9
Rejected ballots 13
Labour gain from Conservative Swing

Wakefield South

edit
Wakefield South
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Katrina Pentland Frame Law 1,493 42.6 +14.4
Conservative Naeem Formuli 1,424 40.6 −0.2
Wakefield District Independents Karl Johnson* 298 8.5 −32.3
Green Krys Tal Holmes 291 8.3 New
Majority 69 2.0
Turnout 3,506 32.5
Rejected ballots 13
Labour gain from Independent Swing

Karl Jones had been elected as a Conservative in 2019 but left the party in February 2023 to join the Wakefield District Independents.[6]

Wakefield West

edit
Wakefield West
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Michael Paul Graham* 1,829 64.0 +15.7
Conservative Nick Hannam 681 23.8 +1.7
Wakefield District Independents Christine Mary Gill 190 6.7 New
Green Lewis Elliott 156 5.5 New
Majority 1,148 40.2
Turnout 2,856 25.3
Rejected ballots 10
Labour hold Swing

Wrenthorpe and Outwood West

edit
Wrenthorpe and Outwood West
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Charlie Keith* 1,520 40.2 +6.0
Wakefield District Independents Nic Stansby 1,120 29.7 New
Conservative Waj Ali 614 16.3 −16.8
Liberal Democrats Natasha De Vere 195 5.2 −2.3
Green Oliver Thompson 175 4.6 New
Reform UK David Alan Dews 153 4.1 −13.5
Majority 400 10.5
Turnout 3,777 29.2
Rejected ballots 5
Labour hold Swing

References

edit
  1. ^ Of the five independent councillors prior to the election, two formed the "Wakefield Independent Group", and the other three were described as "Independent".
  1. ^ "Find councillor". Wakefield Council. Retrieved 4 May 2023.
  2. ^ "Election timetable in England". GOV.UK. Retrieved 9 April 2022.
  3. ^ Norden, Jasmine (5 May 2023). "Wakefield Council local election results 2023". Yorkshire Live. Retrieved 20 May 2023.
  4. ^ "Local election results 2023: Labour continue to dominate in West Yorkshire". BBC News. 5 May 2023. Retrieved 20 May 2023.
  5. ^ "Local Election Results 2023". Wakefield Council. Retrieved 5 May 2023.
  6. ^ Boothroyd, David (3 February 2023). "Bristol fashion now wearing Green". Local Councils. Retrieved 21 May 2023.