2023 Wokingham Borough Council election

The 2023 Wokingham Borough Council election took place on Thursday 4 May 2023, to elect members of Wokingham Borough Council in Berkshire, England. This was on the same day as other local elections across England. One third of the council, 18 seats, was up for election.

2023 Wokingham Borough Council election

← 2022 4 May 2023 2024 →

18 out of 54 seats to Wokingham Borough Council
28 seats needed for a majority
  First party Second party
  Blank Blank
Leader Clive Jones Pauline Jorgensen
Party Liberal Democrats Conservative
Leader since 2021 2022
Leader's seat Hawkedon Hillside
Seats before 23 26
Seats won 11 4
Seats after 26 22
Seat change Increase 3 Decrease 4

  Third party Fourth party
  Blank Blank
Leader Rachel Burgess N/A
Party Labour Independent
Leader since N/A
Leader's seat Norreys N/A
Seats before 3 2
Seats won 3 0
Seats after 5 1
Seat change Increase 2 Decrease 1

Ward results map for Wokingham Borough Council

Leader before election

Clive Jones
Liberal Democrat
No overall control

Leader after election

Stephen Conway
Liberal Democrat
No overall control

Prior to the election the council was under no overall control. The Conservatives were the largest party but had lost control following the 2022 election to the "Wokingham Partnership" – a group comprising the Liberal Democrats, Labour and two independent councillors, led by Liberal Democrat leader, Clive Jones. At the 2023 election, the council remained under no overall control, but the Liberal Democrats overtook the Conservatives to become the largest party.[1] At the subsequent annual council meeting on 18 May 2023, Clive Jones stood down as leader of the council, being replaced by new Liberal Democrat leader Stephen Conway.[2][3]

The composition of the council before the election was as follows:

23 3 2 26
LD LAB IND CON

After the election, the composition of the council became:

26 5 1 22
LD LAB IND CON

[4] [5]

Election Summary

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2023 Wokingham Borough Council election
Party Candidates Seats Gains Losses Net gain/loss Seats % Votes % Votes +/−
  Liberal Democrats 17 26 3 0   3 48.1 41.3 18,104   1.3
  Conservative 18 22 0 4   4 40.7 36.6 16,058   -0.3
  Labour 18 5 2 0   2 9.2 16.3 7,166   -1.6
  Green 8 0 0 0   0 0 2.9 1,268   -0.2
  Independent 3 1 0 1   1 0 1.7 727   0.5
  Women's Equality 1 0 0 0   0 0 0.4 179   0.4
  Heritage 1 0 0 0   0 0 0.2 84   0.2

There were a total of 43,802 votes cast with a total of 216 spoiled ballots.

Ward results

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Sitting councillors are marked with an asterisk (*).

Barkham

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Barkham
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Ian Pittock 705 46.7 +4.3
Conservative George Evans 581 38.5 −11.1
Labour Annette Medhurst 107 7.1 −0.9
Independent Roderick Stephens 76 5.0 +5.0
Green Asad Feroz 40 2.7 +2.7
Majority 124 8.2 +1.0
Total valid votes 1509 99.5
Rejected ballots 7 0.5
Turnout 1516 40.6 +7.6
Liberal Democrats gain from Conservative Swing +7.7

Bulmershe & Whitegates

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Bulmershe & Whitegates
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Tony Skuse 1,058 40.3 −10.8
Conservative Sagar Patel 958 36.5 +1.0
Liberal Democrats Sheila Jordan 375 14.3 +6.4
Green Samuel Langlois 235 8.9 +3.4
Majority 100 3.8 −11.9
Total valid votes 2626 99.4
Rejected ballots 15 0.6
Turnout 2641 38.2 −4.6
Labour hold Swing -5.9

Coronation

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Coronation
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Alison Swaddle* 1,120 61.5 −1.4
Liberal Democrats Paddy Power 359 19.7 +2.4
Labour Ian Hills 190 10.4 −2.1
Green Emma Hamilton 152 8.3 +0.1
Majority 761 41.8 −2.8
Total valid votes 1821 99.6
Rejected ballots 7 0.4
Turnout 1828 43.65 −1.83
Conservative hold Swing -1.9

Emmbrook

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Emmbrook
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Rachel Bishop-Firth* 1,865 57.1 −3.3
Conservative James Pett 888 27.2 −2.2
Labour Alwyn Jones 255 7.8 +1.8
Green Lauren Seymour 156 4.8 +0.6
Heritage Stephen Priest 84 2.6 +2.6
Majority 977 29.93 −0.7
Total valid votes 3248 99.5
Rejected ballots 16 0.5
Turnout 3264 42.69% +0.13
Liberal Democrats hold Swing -0.5

Evendons

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Evendons
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Adrian Mather* 1,579 53.2 −11.2
Conservative Martin Jeater 910 30.6 +3.6
Labour Timothy Lloyd 279 9.3 +3.8
Women's Equality Louise Timlin 179 6.0 +6.0
Majority 669 22.5 −14.8
Total valid votes 2947 99.2
Rejected ballots 23 0.8
Turnout 2970 42.23% +0.13
Liberal Democrats hold Swing -7.4

Hawkedon

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Hawkedon
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Andrew Mickleburgh* 1,269 49.8 −12.8
Conservative Vishal Srinivasan 962 37.8 +13.6
Labour Mark Craske 307 12.0 −1.9
Majority 307 12.0 −5.1
Total valid votes 2538 99.7
Rejected ballots 8 0.3
Turnout 2546 37.81% +2.68
Liberal Democrats hold Swing -13.2

Hillside

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Hillside
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Caroline Smith* 1,346 44.6 −9.5
Conservative Moses Iyengunmwena 1,319 43.7 +7.3
Labour Evan Ainsworth 347 11.5 +0.9
Majority 27 0.9 −13.2
Total valid votes 3012 99.7
Rejected ballots 8 0.3
Turnout 3020 37.81% −9.0
Liberal Democrats hold Swing -8.4

Loddon

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Loddon
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Abdul Loyes* 1,136 41.5 +1.8
Labour Majid Nagra 1,091 39.8 +5.1
Liberal Democrats Alexander Heap 480 17.5 −10.1
Majority 45 1.64 −3.36
Total valid votes 2707 99.0
Rejected ballots 28 1.0
Turnout 2735 36.27% +3.46
Conservative hold Swing -1.6

Maiden Erlegh

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Maiden Erlegh
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Stephen Newton 1,318 45.0 −5.8
Conservative Tim Holton 1,191 40.7 +9.6
Labour Nagi Nagella 396 13.5 −4.6
Majority 127 4.3 −15.5
Total valid votes 2905 99.2
Rejected ballots 22 0.8
Turnout 2927 43.78% −0.3
Liberal Democrats hold Swing -7.7

Norreys

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Norreys
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Marie-Louise Weighill 1,349 42.4 −11.3
Conservative Mike Townend 1,169 36.8 +2.6
Liberal Democrats Matteo Fumagalli 639 20.0 +11.1
Majority 180 5.7 −13.8
Total valid votes 3157 99.3
Rejected ballots 23 0.7
Turnout 3180 37.74% −4.48%
Labour gain from Conservative Swing -6.9

Shinfield North

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Shinfield North
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Andrew Gray 366 46.4 +7.4
Conservative Parry Batth* 308 39.0 −2.8
Independent Tony Johnson 69 8.8 +8.8
Liberal Democrats Dominic Rider 45 5.7 −13.5
Majority 58 7.4 +4.6
Total valid votes 788 100%
Rejected ballots 0 0%
Turnout 788 32.56% +2.6
Labour gain from Conservative Swing +5.1

Shinfield South

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Shinfield South
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Catherine Glover 1,047 32.9 −12.3
Conservative Dave Edmonds 1,012 31.8 −9.0
Independent Jim Frewin* 582 18.3 +18.3
Labour Sarah Bell 399 12.5 −1.5
Green Thomas Blomley 132 4.1 +4.1
Majority 35 1.1 −3.4
Total valid votes 3172 99.7
Rejected ballots 11 0.3
Turnout 3183 34.09% −0.9
Liberal Democrats gain from Independent Swing -15.3

Sonning

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Sonning
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Michael Firmager* 656 59.7 +0.9
Green Merv Boniface 257 23.4 +4.4
Labour Philipa Hills 181 16.5 +6.1
Majority 399 36.3 −3.5
Total valid votes 1094 99.6
Rejected ballots 4 0.4
Turnout 1098 43.03% −3.03
Conservative hold Swing -1.7

South Lake

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South Lake
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Laura Blumenthal* 999 51.4 +10.6
Liberal Democrats Carol Jewel 715 36.8 −11.5
Labour Ann Dally 217 11.2 0.2
Majority 284 14.6 +7.1
Total valid votes 1931 99.4
Rejected ballots 12 0.6
Turnout 1943 45.73% 0.27
Conservative hold Swing +11.0

Twyford

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Twyford
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Stephen Conway* 1,979 84.1 +13.5
Conservative Grant Woolner 273 11.6 −12.0
Labour Caroline Hill 93 4.0 −0.9
Majority 1706 72.6 +25.7
Total valid votes 2345 99.7
Rejected ballots 6 0.3
Turnout 2351 51.77% −2.23
Liberal Democrats hold Swing +12.7

Wescott

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Wescott
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Jane Ainslie 1,172 53.6 +9.4
Conservative David Lee 700 32.0 −10.4
Labour Alex Freeney 160 7.3 −4.8
Green Dave Chapman 150 6.9 +6.9
Majority 472 21.6 +19.9
Total valid votes 2182 99.7
Rejected ballots 6 0.3
Turnout 2188 39.65% −3.35
Liberal Democrats hold Swing +9.9

Winnersh

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Winnersh
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Paul Fishwick* 1,643 60.6 −3.2
Conservative Anthony Pollock 682 25.1 +0.2
Labour Alan Murungi 231 8.5 +1.4
Green Stephen Lloyd 146 5.4 +1.2
Majority 961 35.4 −3.5
Total valid votes 2702 99.6
Rejected ballots 10 0.4
Turnout 2712 34.74% +0.39
Liberal Democrats hold Swing -1.7

Wokingham Without

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Wokingham Without
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Jordan Montgomery 1,568 53.8 +12.9
Conservative Christopher Bowring* 1,194 41.0 −7.0
Labour Rona Noble 140 4.8 −2.5
Majority 374 12.8 +6.6
Total valid votes 2902 99.7
Rejected ballots 10 0.3
Turnout 2912 46.11% +11.76
Liberal Democrats gain from Conservative Swing +9.9

Council Membership by party after each election 2010–2023

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Election results 2010–2023
Party 2010 2011 2012 2014 2015 2016 2018 2019 2021 2022 2023
Conservative 43 45 43 44 47 47 42 31 31 26 22
Liberal Democrats 11 9 10 7 5 5 8 16 18 23 26
Labour 0 0 0 1 1 1 3 4 3 3 5
Other parties 0 0 1 2 1 1 1 3 2 2 1
Total Seats 54 54 54 54 54 54 54 54 54 54 54

References

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  1. ^ Fox, Thomas (5 May 2023). "Wokingham local election results 2023: Lib Dems now biggest party but fall short of majority". Berkshire Live. Retrieved 31 May 2023.
  2. ^ "Council minutes, 18 May 2023". Wokingham Borough Council. Retrieved 31 May 2023.
  3. ^ Creighton, Phil (22 May 2023). "New leader announces his decision-making executive team for Wokingham Borough Council". Wokingham TodayWokingham Today. Retrieved 31 May 2023.
  4. ^ "Borough Council Election Statement of Person's Nominated 2023". Wokingham Borough Council. 12 April 2023. Retrieved 12 April 2023.
  5. ^ "Borough Council Election Results 2023". Wokingham Borough Council. 5 May 2023. Retrieved 5 May 2023.