2023 North Hertfordshire District Council election

2023 North Hertfordshire District Council election
16 out of 49 seats to North Hertfordshire District Council; 25 seats needed for a majority
	Winner of each seat at the 2023 North Hertfordshire District Council election
Leader before election; Elizabeth Dennis-Harburg; Labour; No overall control	Leader after election ; Elizabeth Dennis-Harburg; Labour; No overall control

The 2023 North Hertfordshire District Council election took place on 4 May 2023 to elect members of North Hertfordshire District Council in Hertfordshire, England. This was on the same day as other local elections across England. The council remained under no overall control.

Overview

The council had been under no overall control since 2019, being run by a Labour and Liberal Democrat coalition. The leader of the council was Labour councillor Elizabeth Dennis-Harburg, who had been leader since 2021.

The council remained under no overall control. Labour overtook the Conservatives to become the largest party on the council for the first time since 1999. The Liberal Democrats took the most votes across the district.^[1] The Labour and Liberal Democrat coalition continued running the council after the election.^[2]

Overall results

The overall results were:^[3]

2023 North Hertfordshire District Council election
Party		This election			Full council			This election
Party		Seats	Net	Seats %	Other	Total	Total %	Votes	Votes %	+/−
	Liberal Democrats	8	2	50.0	7	15	30.6	9,237	32.4	+2.3
	Conservative	3	4	18.8	12	15	30.6	8,622	30.3	-3.2
	Labour	5	2	31.3	14	19	38.8	7,365	25.9	-4.9
	Green	0		0.0	0	0	0.0	2,140	7.5	+2.3
	Independent	0		0.0	0	0	0.0	778	2.7	+2.6
	Reform UK	0		0.0	0	0	0.0	204	0.7	n/a
	CPA	0		0.0	0	0	0.0	142	0.5	+0.3

Ward results

The Statement of Persons Nominated, which details the candidates standing in each ward, was released by North Hertfordshire District Council following the close of nominations on 5 April 2023.^[4] The results for each ward were as follows. An asterisk (*) indicates a sitting councillor standing for re-election, and a double dagger (‡) indicates a sitting councillor contesting a different ward.^[5]

Arbury

Arbury
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal Democrats	Thomas Wade Tyson* (Tom Tyson)	618	53.7	+2.8
	Conservative	Nicola Marianne Da Costa (Nikki Da Costa)	437	38.0	−2.5
	Labour	Leo James Chapman	53	4.6	n/a
	Green	Davina Ruth Malcolm	42	3.7	−4.2
Majority			181	15.7
Turnout			1,153	51.04
Registered electors			2,259
	Liberal Democrats hold		Swing	+2.6

Baldock Town

Baldock Town
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Michael Muir*	917	42.8	+5.2
	Labour Co-op	James Thomas O'Gorman Toone	774	36.1	−4.5
	Liberal Democrats	Stephen Paul Thomas (Steve Thomas)	279	13.0	+3.2
	Green	Timothy Peter Lee (Tim Lee)	173	8.1	−2.4
Majority			143	6.7
Turnout			2,156	38.24
Registered electors			5,638
	Conservative hold		Swing	+4.8

Cadwell

Cadwell
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal Democrats	Louise Jane Peace	480	56.7	+8.7
	Conservative	Christopher Gregson Williams (Chris Williams)	235	27.7	−0.5
	Labour	Alan Garth Trangmar	75	8.9	−4.1
	Green	Anni Elke Sander	57	6.7	−3.1
Majority			245	29.0
Turnout			850	43.08
Registered electors			1,973
	Liberal Democrats hold		Swing	+4.6

Chesfield

Chesfield
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal Democrats	Dominic John Crean Griffiths	697	42.9	+0.6
	Conservative	Steven Neil Patmore	509	31.3	−10.9
	Labour Co-op	Vijaiya Prashan Poopalasingham	419	25.8	+11.2
Majority			188	11.6
Turnout			1,636	31.96
Registered electors			5,119
	Liberal Democrats gain from Conservative		Swing	+5.8

Ermine

Ermine
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Gerald Edward Morris*	518	56.2	−3.0
	Liberal Democrats	Hugo John Rainey	197	21.4	−1.1
	Green	Hugh David Parker	107	11.6	−0.9
	Labour	Vaughan West	99	10.7	+5.9
Majority			321	34.8
Turnout			927	43.24
Registered electors			2,144
	Conservative hold		Swing	-0.9

Hitchin Bearton

Hitchin Bearton
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour Co-op	David James Winstanley (Dave Winstanley)	1,309	55.0	+0.9
	Green	Deolinda Maria Eltringham	382	16.1	+1.9
	Conservative	Charles Laing	341	14.3	−1.7
	Liberal Democrats	Jonathan Clayden	302	12.7	−2.9
	CPA	Sidney Clifford Cordle (Sid Cordle)	46	1.9	n/a
Majority			927	38.9
Turnout			2,384	37.90
Registered electors			6,290
	Labour hold		Swing	-0.5

This seat was previously held by Labour councillor Judi Billing, but had been vacant since her death in November 2022.^[6]

Hitchin Highbury

Hitchin Highbury
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal Democrats	Keith Hoskins*	1,678	62.8	+4.5
	Conservative	Ethan Singh Parmar	479	17.9	−10.7
	Labour	Angela Jean Griggs	362	13.6	+6.0
	Green	Kruna Vukmirovic	113	4.2	−1.3
	CPA	Leigh Smith	38	1.4	n/a
Majority			1,199	44.9
Turnout			2,679	43.27
Registered electors			6,191
	Liberal Democrats hold		Swing	+7.6

Hitchin Walsworth

Hitchin Walsworth
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour Co-op	Daniel Ian Wright-Mason	1,103	49.5	+3.6
	Conservative	Samuel William Forsyth (Sam Forsyth)	482	21.6	−2.7
	Liberal Democrats	Elizabeth Julie Townsend (Liz Townsend)	312	14.0	−1.6
	Green	William Barry Lavin	272	12.2	−2.0
	CPA	Asher Smith	58	2.6	n/a
Majority			621	27.9
Turnout			2,236	36.45
Registered electors			6,134
	Labour hold		Swing	+3.1

This seat was previously held by Labour councillor Kay Tart, but had been vacant since her resignation in March 2023.^[7]

Hitchwood, Offa & Hoo

Hitchwood, Offa & Hoo
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	David John Barnard*	1,191	50.1	−2.8
	Liberal Democrats	Susana Muñoz Maniega	445	18.7	−11.0
	Green	Nicola Jane Clark (Nicky Clark)	421	17.7	n/a
	Labour	Thomas Patrick Luke Hogan (Tom Hogan)	318	13.4	−4.1
Majority			746	31.4
Turnout			2,384	39.89
Registered electors			5,976
	Conservative hold		Swing	+4.1

Letchworth Grange

Letchworth Grange
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour Co-op	Daniel Steven Marsh	839	44.2	−14.5
	Conservative	Harrison Michael Edwards	608	32.0	−9.3
	Green	David Paul Morris	205	10.8	n/a
	Liberal Democrats	Sally Margaret Jarvis (Sal Jarvis)	148	7.8	n/a
	Reform UK	Steven Adelantado (Steve Adelantado)	100	5.3	n/a
Majority			231	12.2
Turnout			1,904	34.69
Registered electors			5,489
	Labour gain from Conservative		Swing	-2.6

Letchworth South East

Letchworth South East
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour Co-op	Michael John Debenham (Mick Debenham)	741	38.4	−2.1
	Conservative	Andrew Malcolm Clare	711	36.9	−3.2
	Liberal Democrats	Paul Anthony James Marment	237	12.3	−0.5
	Green	Maryla Josephine Hart	135	7.0	+0.5
	Reform UK	Garry Warren	104	5.4	n/a
Majority			30	1.5
Turnout			1,933	36.85
Registered electors			5,246
	Labour hold		Swing	+0.6

Letchworth South West

Letchworth South West
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal Democrats	Sean Prendergast*	1,223	46.3	+4.5
	Conservative	Morgan William Derbyshire‡	897	33.9	−3.9
	Labour	Sadie Rebecca Laura Billing	344	13.0	−0.8
	Green	Dugald James Muir	180	6.8	+0.2
Majority			326	12.4
Turnout			2,657	44.95
Registered electors			5,911
	Liberal Democrats hold		Swing	+4.2

The Conservative candidate, Morgan Derbyshire, was the councillor for Letchworth Grange ward prior to this election.

Royston Heath

Royston Heath
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal Democrats	Bryony Clare May	954	51.7	−2.3
	Conservative	Hammad Baig	394	21.4	−7.9
	Independent	Mary Antony	301	16.3	n/a
	Labour Co-op	Kenneth Garland (Ken Garland)	195	10.6	−0.1
Majority			560	30.3
Turnout			1,851	41.35
Registered electors			4,476
	Liberal Democrats hold		Swing	+2.8

Royston Meridian

Royston Meridian
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal Democrats	Matthew Barnes (Matt Barnes)	847	51.7	+11.5
	Conservative	Stephen Robert Boakes	435	26.6	−16.7
	Independent	Luke John Haugh	173	10.6	n/a
	Labour	Stephen Lockett	130	7.9	−3.4
	Green	Desmond Peter Stephens (Des Stephens)	53	3.2	−2.0
Majority			412	25.1
Turnout			1,647	38.77
Registered electors			4,248
	Liberal Democrats gain from Conservative		Swing	+14.1

Royston Palace

Royston Palace
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour Co-op	Catherine Jayne Brownjohn (Cathy Brownjohn)	549	37.8	−2.9
	Conservative	Jean Margaret Green*	364	25.0	−13.8
	Independent	Robert Edward Inwood (Rob Inwood)	304	20.9	n/a
	Liberal Democrats	Elizabeth Kathleen Mary Freeman	237	16.3	−4.2
Majority			185	12.8
Turnout			1,456	34.19
Registered electors			4,259
	Labour gain from Conservative		Swing	+5.4

Weston & Sandon

Weston & Sandon
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal Democrats	Stephen Kenneth Jarvis* (Steve Jarvis)	583	78.6	−0.5
	Conservative	Helen Denise Derbyshire	104	14.0	−0.3
	Labour	Rhona Ann Cameron	55	7.4	+4.9
Majority			479	64.6
Turnout			743	45.84
Registered electors			1,621
	Liberal Democrats hold		Swing	-0.1

References

^ "Local elections 2023: Tories lose Dacorum, Hertsmere, East Herts and Welwyn Hatfield". BBC News. 6 May 2023. Retrieved 8 May 2023.
^ Barrow, Georgia (5 May 2023). "North Herts election result 2023: Gains for Labour and Lib Dems". The Comet. Retrieved 8 May 2023.
^ "North Hertfordshire election result". BBC News. 5 May 2023. Retrieved 8 May 2023.
^ "Current elections and councillor vacancies". North Hertfordshire District Council. Retrieved 9 April 2023.
^ "Election results 2023". North Herts Council. Retrieved 8 May 2023.
^ Barrow, Georgia (24 November 2022). "Tributes to North Herts Council's Judi Billing". The Comet. Retrieved 8 May 2023.
^ Boothroyd, David (24 March 2023). "Tory hold in a rush in Northants". Local Councils. Thorncliffe. Retrieved 8 May 2023.

[1] "Local elections 2023: Tories lose Dacorum, Hertsmere, East Herts and Welwyn Hatfield". BBC News. 6 May 2023. Retrieved 8 May 2023.

[2] Barrow, Georgia (5 May 2023). "North Herts election result 2023: Gains for Labour and Lib Dems". The Comet. Retrieved 8 May 2023.

[3] "North Hertfordshire election result". BBC News. 5 May 2023. Retrieved 8 May 2023.

[4] "Current elections and councillor vacancies". North Hertfordshire District Council. Retrieved 9 April 2023.

[5] "Election results 2023". North Herts Council. Retrieved 8 May 2023.

[6] Barrow, Georgia (24 November 2022). "Tributes to North Herts Council's Judi Billing". The Comet. Retrieved 8 May 2023.

[7] Boothroyd, David (24 March 2023). "Tory hold in a rush in Northants". Local Councils. Thorncliffe. Retrieved 8 May 2023.

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