2023 Leicester City Council election explained

Election Name:2023 Leicester City Council election
Type:Parliamentary
Ongoing:no
Country:Leicestershire
Party Colour:yes
Previous Election:2019 Leicester City Council election
Previous Year:2019
Next Election:2027 Leicester City Council election
Next Year:2027
Seats For Election:All 54 seats to Leicester City Council
Majority Seats:27
Election Date:4 May 2023
Turnout:37.0%
Leader1:Peter Soulsby
Party1:Labour Party (UK)
Leaders Seat1:Mayoralty
Last Election1:56.9%, 53 seats
Seats Before1:36
Popular Vote1:89,425
Percentage1:40.4%
Swing1:16.5%
Seats1:31
Seat Change1:22
Leader2:Sanjay Modhwadia
Party2:Conservative Party (UK)
Leaders Seat2:North Evington
Last Election2:17.5%, 0 seats
Seats Before2:5
Popular Vote2:76,867
Percentage2:34.8%
Swing2:17.3%
Seats2:17
Seat Change2:17
Leader3:Nigel Porter
Party3:Liberal Democrats (UK)
Leaders Seat3:Aylestone
Last Election3:8.7%, 1 seat
Seats Before3:1
Popular Vote3:21,399
Percentage3:9.7%
Swing3:1.0%
Seats3:3
Seat Change3:2
Leader4:Patrick Kitterick
Party4:Green Party of England and Wales
Leaders Seat4:Castle
Last Election4:11.6%, 0 seats
Seats Before4:1
Popular Vote4:13,830
Percentage4:6.3%
Swing4:5.3%
Seats4:3
Seat Change4:3
Party5:Independent politician
Last Election5:0.6%, 0 seats
Seats Before5:11
Popular Vote5:17,757
Percentage5:8.0%
Swing5:7.4%
Seats5:0
Seat Change5:-
Map Size:300px
Mayor
Posttitle:Mayor after election
Before Election:Peter Soulsby
Before Party:Labour Party (UK)
After Election:Peter Soulsby
After Party:Labour Party (UK)

The 2023 Leicester City Council election took place on 4 May 2023 to elect all 54 members of Leicester City Council in England. This was on the same day as other local elections, and the election for the directly elected Mayor of Leicester.

Labour's Peter Soulsby was re-elected as mayor and the party retained its majority on the council, but with a significant loss of 22 seats compared to its position at the previous election in 2019. The Conservatives gained 17 extra seats against the national trend.[1] The Green Party and Liberal Democrats also made gains, with each being represented by three seats.[2]

Background

2019 elections

Labour retained control of Leicester City Council in the 2019 local elections, winning fifty-three councillors on an increased share of the vote.[3] The Liberal Democrats were runners-up, becoming the only opposition party on the council after the wipe-out of the Conservatives. A month later, Labour came top of the polls in the European Parliament election in the city – Leicester having the second-highest Labour vote share in the country, behind only the London Borough of Newham. The Brexit Party narrowly pipped the Liberal Democrats into second place.

In the 2019 general election, Labour consolidated its support in the city by winning all three constituencies with healthy majorities,[4] despite a disappointing general election campaign elsewhere. However, the candidate selection of Claudia Webbe in Leicester East, from a shortlist of one, caused controversy amongst local Labour Party members who were angry at being denied an option of a candidate from the South Asian community, at Webbe's views on the Kashmir conflict, and at the fact that she was a serving councillor in the London Borough of Islington.[5] Long-serving councillor John Thomas resigned from the party, citing the selection of Webbe and the leadership of Jeremy Corbyn,[6] and the Conservatives achieved a swing of 15% in the constituency.

Controversies and by-elections

City Mayor Peter Soulsby faced calls to resign by Liberal Democrat leader Nigel Porter during the COVID-19 pandemic after it emerged Soulsby had been breaking lockdown rules to visit his lover.[7] This was in the background of Leicester's COVID cases being amongst the highest in the United Kingdom, with the city being kept in stricter restrictions than the rest of the country for much of the pandemic.

Soulsby was further criticised after Assistant Mayor Mustafa Malik was suspended by the Labour Party after sharing anti-semitic posts on social media but was allowed to retain the Labour whip in the City Council.[8] Councillor Jacky Nangreave was also suspended, after claiming that Keir Starmer was an "agent of Israel", though was later reinstated.[9] [10] Additionally, Labour Councillor for Western Ward, Lindsay Broadwell, resigned the Labour whip and sat as an independent citing the toxic atmosphere of the Labour group and dissatisfaction with the party nationally.[11]

Amidst the controversies, the Labour grip on the city began to wane. In the 2021 North Evington By-election, they narrowly held onto a previously safe ward after a 26.5% swing to the Conservatives.[12] A few months later, the Conservatives gained their first representative on the council since the 2019 elections after winning the Humberstone and Hamilton by-election.[13] Winning Conservative candidate Daniel Crewe was soon, in September 2022, joined by Labour defector Deepak Bajaj.[14] However, Crewe later resigned his membership of the Conservative Party following the 2022 mini-budget.[15]

Despite this, Labour continued to do poorly in local by-elections. Labour narrowly held on in a three-way fight at the Evington by-election, clinging on with a twenty-one per cent reduction in the vote share after both the Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats gained heavily.[16] Another three-way election, the 2022 North Evington by-election, followed, with Labour being relegated to third in a ward that in 2019 it had won with 66.8% of the vote.[17] Sanjay Modhwadia won for the Conservatives, with the Greens some distance behind in second place. There was a further setback when former Council Leader Ross Willmott was suspended by the national Labour Party for membership of an organisation that the party had proscribed.[18]

Deselections and defections

In spite of these difficulties, Sir Peter Soulsby was re-confirmed as the Labour candidate for the 2023 elections – though the Leicester Mercury noted mixed feelings amongst its readers at this announcement.[19]

However, following the electoral defeats, the Labour Party at national level set up a 'Campaigns Improvement Board' to oversee the local party.[20] The Labour Party National Executive Committee's (NEC) claims that the local Labour Party was beset with "in-fighting, division and no clear vision" was quickly seized upon by political opponents.[21] As a result of the NEC supervision, nineteen local Labour councillors were deselected.[22] The Labour Party was criticised for a disproportionate number of Asian councillors being deselected, with 58% of BAME councillors not re-selected versus just 18% of white councillors[23] while Councillor Stephen Gee quit the party following the process, stating that "Labour no longer supports people with disabilities".[24] After being deselected, many Labour councillors vowed to fight as independents. Additionally, three councillors – Rashmikant Joshi,[25] Paul Westley and Hemant Rae Bhatia –[26] defected to the Conservatives, bringing the total number of Conservative members of the council to five.

To compound Labour's problems, a vote on whether to retain the Mayoral system saw open warfare breakout within the Labour group. The vote, in which City councillors voted to retain the Mayoral system, saw fourteen Labour councillors rebel against the whip amid accusations of bullying and intimidation to force them to vote to retain the mayor.[27] Ultimately, four Labour councillors had the whip suspended[28] [29] [30] while Councillor Patrick Kitterick defected to the Green Party, claiming that "the Labour Party has changed for the worse" and that "“It seems the party is going down a route where you either unquestioningly agree with the city mayor or you leave. So I'm leaving."[31] His defection gave the Green Party its first seat on the City Council since losing all its seats in the 2015 elections.

Council composition

Party 2019 Election Before 2023 Election
5336
05
11
01
011

Campaign

Labour launched its campaign, aiming to make Leicester a 'fairer, happier and safer city' by providing extra support for families struggling with the cost-of-living crisis and to invest in more CCTV and street lights. The party also says it seeks to do more to tackle climate change.[32] Labour Mayor Peter Soulsby claimed after the campaign that religion had been 'weaponised' during the election.[33]

The Conservative campaign was focussed on preventing new housing developments, pledging a nature reserve to prevent housing on the city's fringes. The party also pledges to provide free bus travel for schoolchildren and to not raise council tax above inflation.[34]

The Liberal Democrats are campaigning on building 3,000 new affordable homes and offering a referendum on the mayoral system – a position they also put forward at the 2019 elections.[35]

The Green Party announced it was targeting three wards in the election: Castle, where it held seats between 2011 and 2015; Saffron; and North Evington.[36] The party is campaigning to scrap the Mayoral system, pledging a referendum within a year of taking office.[37] [38]

Candidates

Councillors not standing for re-election

CouncillorWardPartyNotes
Deborah SangsterCastleDeselected
Shahid KhanEvingtonDeselected
Daniel CreweHumberstone and HamiltonElected as a Conservative councillor
Luis FonsecaNorth EvingtonDeselected
Bill SheltonSaffron
Stephan GeeThurncourtElected as a Labour councillor
Lindsay BroadwellWesternElected as a Labour councillor

Councillors standing under a different political affiliation

Councillor2019 party2019 ward2023 party2023 ward
Paul WestleyBeaumont LeysBeaumont Leys
Hemant Rae BhatiaBeaumont LeysBeaumont Leys
Deepak BajajEvingtonEvington
Ruma AliHumberstone and HamiltonEvington
Rashmikant JoshiNorth EvingtonEvington
Rita PatelRushey MeadRushey Mead
Ross WillmottRushey MeadRushey Mead
Kirk MastersStoneygateStoneygate
Sharmen RahmanStoneygateStoneygate
Aminur ThalukdarStoneygateStoneygate
Jacky NangreaveWestcotesWestcotes
Gary O’DonnellWesternWestern
Padmini ChamundBelgraveBelgrave
Nita SolankiBelgraveBelgrave
Mahendra ValandBelgraveBelgrave
Patrick KitterickCastleCastle

Councillors standing in a different ward

Councillor2019 party2019 ward2023 party2023 ward
Manjit Kaur SainiAbbeyHumberstone and Hamilton
Adam ClarkeAylestoneWestcotes
Vi DempsterBeaumont LeysWestern
Ted CassidyFosseSaffron
Ashiedu JoelTroonHumberstone and Hamilton
Ruma AliHumberstone and HamiltonEvington
Rashmikant JoshiNorth EvingtonEvington

Summary

Election result

|-

Ward results

Wycliffe

Changes 2023–2027

See also

References

Footnotes
Citations

Notes and References

  1. News: Torr . George . Local elections 2023: Religion was weaponised, says mayor . 22 May 2023 . BBC News . 6 May 2023.
  2. Web site: Steelyard . Linda . Kershaw . Tom . Richardson . Hannah . Moorhouse . Sam . 2023-05-06 . Local Elections 2023 in Leicestershire as it happened . 2023-05-10 . LeicestershireLive . en.
  3. News: Martin . Dan . Every result from Leicester City Council elections . LeicestershireLive . 30 April 2019 . 6 April 2023.
  4. News: Dimmer . Sam . Martin . Dan . What happened in the election here and in the rest of the UK . LeicestershireLive . 13 December 2019 . 6 April 2023.
  5. News: Martin . Dan . Labour picks General Election candidate to replace Keith Vaz . 6 April 2023 . LeicestershireLive . 13 November 2019.
  6. News: Leicester East Labour chairman quits 'laughing stock' party . BBC News . 18 November 2019 . 6 April 2023.
  7. News: Calls for Leicester mayor Sir Peter Soulsby to resign over alleged lockdown visits to partner's home. 14 June 2020. Leicester Mercury. 6 April 2023.
  8. News: Martin . Dan . Top Labour councillor suspended over anti-Semitic KKK video . 6 April 2023 . LeicestershireLive . 22 November 2019.
  9. News: Richardson . Hannah . Councillor suspended ahead of antisemitism investigation . 6 April 2023 . LeicestershireLive . 23 November 2021.
  10. News: Richardson . Hannah . Labour suspends councillor over attempt to scrap mayor’s job . 6 April 2023 . LeicestershireLive . 3 March 2023.
  11. News: Richardson . Hannah . Labour councillor quits Party to sit as independent . 6 April 2023 . LeicestershireLive . 22 July 2022.
  12. Web site: Leicester City Council . www.leicester.gov.uk . 6 April 2023.
  13. News: Richardson . Hannah . Tories win first seat on Leicester City Council in 2 years . 6 April 2023 . LeicestershireLive . 23 July 2021.
  14. News: Richardson . Hannah . Labour councillor joins Tories over ‘failure of democracy’ . 6 April 2023 . LeicestershireLive . 7 September 2022.
  15. News: Leicester Tory councillor quits over 'ridiculous' mini budget . BBC News . 29 September 2022 . 6 April 2023.
  16. News: Richardson . Hannah . Labour hold Evington in by election . 6 April 2023 . LeicestershireLive . 4 February 2022.
  17. News: Murray . Jessica . Leicester council byelection sees huge swing to Tories in area hit by unrest . 6 April 2023 . The Guardian . 14 October 2022.
  18. News: Richardson . Hannah . Party suspension for councillor accused of banned group link . 6 April 2023 . LeicestershireLive . 8 November 2022.
  19. News: Richardson . Hannah . Readers react as Soulsby is confirmed as mayoral candidate . 6 April 2023 . LeicestershireLive . 5 May 2022.
  20. News: Richardson . Hannah . Labour in Leicester angry as national party takes control . 6 April 2023 . LeicestershireLive . 3 February 2023.
  21. News: Richardson . Hannah . Labour's brutal assessment of its performance in Leicester . 6 April 2023 . LeicestershireLive . 19 February 2023.
  22. News: Richardson . Hannah . Fury as 19 sitting councillors dropped by own party . 6 April 2023 . LeicestershireLive . 20 March 2023.
  23. News: Shobowale . Sali . Moorhouse . Sam . Majority of deselected Labour city councillors are from a BAME background . 6 April 2023 . LeicestershireLive . 27 March 2023.
  24. News: Richardson . Hannah . Another city councillor quits Labour . 6 April 2023 . LeicestershireLive . 20 March 2023.
  25. News: Moorhouse . Sam . Former Leicester lord mayor defects from Labour to Tories . 6 April 2023 . LeicestershireLive . 28 March 2023.
  26. News: Moorhouse . Sam . Two Leicester councillors defect to the Tories after being deselected by Labour . 6 April 2023 . LeicestershireLive . 24 March 2023.
  27. News: Richardson . Hannah . Soulsby responds to claims councillors were bullied into backing him. . 6 April 2023 . LeicestershireLive . 11 March 2023.
  28. News: Richardson . Hannah . Labour suspends councillor over attempt to scrap mayor’s job . 6 April 2023 . LeicestershireLive . 3 March 2023.
  29. Web site: Richardson . Hannah . Councillor wants Leicester mayoral job so she can scrap it . LeicestershireLive . 6 April 2023 . 22 March 2023.
  30. News: Richardson . Hannah . City mayor vote suspensions 'aim to silence debate and democracy' . 6 April 2023 . LeicestershireLive . 17 March 2023.
  31. Web site: Richardson . Hannah . City councillor says Labour crushes debate as he defects to Greens . LeicestershireLive . 6 April 2023 . 18 March 2023.
  32. News: Richardson . Hannah . Labour pledges to make Leicester 'fairer, happier and safer' . 6 April 2023 . LeicestershireLive . 5 April 2023.
  33. Web site: Local elections 2023: Religion was weaponised, says mayor . BBC News . 24 June 2023 . 6 May 2023.
  34. News: Richardson . Hannah . Protected parks, tax lock and free bus travel, Tories pledge . LeicestershireLive . 9 March 2023 . 17 April 2023.
  35. News: Richardson . Hannah . Former MP to challenge Sir Peter Soulsby for Mayor role . 6 April 2023 . LeicestershireLive . 5 April 2023.
  36. News: Richardson . Hannah . Greens to target three key Leicester battlegrounds . LeicestershireLive . 21 March 2023 . 6 April 2023.
  37. News: Richardson . Hannah . Greens declare mayoral candidate but will not take salary . 6 April 2023 . LeicestershireLive . 5 April 2023.
  38. News: Richardson . Hannah . Second party takes aim at city mayor role ahead of elections . 6 April 2023 . LeicestershireLive . 6 February 2023.
  39. News: Patel . Asha . Moorhouse . Sam . Labour councillor quits party to stand as independent following Leicester East branch suspension . 6 November 2023 . Leicestershire Live . 31 August 2023.
  40. Web site: Richardson . Hannah . 2024-03-26 . Councillor suspended after accusations of threatening behaviour . 2024-04-22 . Leicestershire Live.
  41. News: Richardson . Hannah . Police to take no further action against Leicester councillor over threatening behaviour claim . 12 July 2024 . Leicestershire Live . 12 July 2024.
  42. Web site: Councillor Sanjay Modhwadia . Leicester City Council . 12 July 2024.
  43. Web site: 2024-04-08 . Conservative Group Leader quits party and rejoins Labour amid 'bullying' allegations – Leicester Times Weekly Newspaper Leicester News . 2024-04-22.
  44. Web site: Richardson . Hannah . 2024-04-08 . City's Conservative Party leader returns to Labour fold . 2024-04-22 . Leicestershire Live.
  45. Web site: Leader of Leicester's Conservative Party returns to Labour . 2024-04-22 . BBC News.
  46. News: Richardson . Hannah . Leicester Conservative councillor quits party to run as independent . 11 July 2024 . Leicestershire Live . 7 June 2024.