2023 Luton Borough Council election explained

Election Name:2023 Luton Borough Council election
Country:Bedfordshire
Type:parliamentary
Previous Election:2019 Luton Borough Council election
Previous Year:2019
Next Election:2027 Luton Borough Council election
Next Year:2027
Seats For Election:All 48 seats to Luton Borough Council
Majority Seats:25
Party1:Labour Party (UK)
Leader1:Hazel Simmons
Last Election1:32 seats, 56.7%
Seats Before1:28
Seats1:30
Seat Change1: 2
Popular Vote1:19,199
Percentage1:48.7%
Swing1: 8.0%
Leader2:David Franks
Party2:Liberal Democrats (UK)
Last Election2:12 seats, 17.2%
Seats Before2:17
Seats2:15
Seat Change2: 3
Popular Vote2:14,036
Percentage2:35.6%
Swing2: 18.4pp
Leader3:John Young
Party3:Conservative Party (UK)
Last Election3:4 seats, 19.2%
Seats Before3:2
Seats3:3
Seat Change3: 1
Popular Vote3:3,998
Percentage3:10.1%
Swing3: 9.1pp
Leader
Posttitle:Leader after election
Before Election:Hazel Simmons
Before Party:Labour Party (UK)
After Election:Hazel Simmons
After Party:Labour Party (UK)

The 2023 Luton Borough Council election took place on 4 May 2023 to elect members of Luton Borough Council in Luton, Bedfordshire, England. This was on the same day as other local elections across England. Labour retained its majority on the council.

Overview

New ward boundaries were drawn up for this election, increasing the number of wards from 19 to 20, although the overall number of councillors stayed the same at 48.[1] [2]

The council had been controlled by Labour since 2007, with its leader since then being Hazel Simmons. Issues debated by the candidates included the ongoing financial impact on the council of money it lost due to the COVID-19 pandemic, when flights from council-owned Luton Airport were stopped. Suggestions for how to improve the town centre were also debated, with Historic England having added the town centre's main street, George Street, to its Heritage at Risk Register in November 2022.[3] [4]

Shortly before the election, three Labour councillors who were not re-selected to be Labour candidates at this election left the party; two (Ghulam Javed and Summara Khurshid) joined the Liberal Democrats and one (Anne Donelon) sat as an independent.[5] [6]

Labour retained a majority on the council, winning 30 of the 48 seats. Of the councillors elected at this election, 20 had not been councillors in the previous term.[7] The two former Labour councillors who joined the Liberal Democrats shortly before the election both stood as Liberal Democrat candidates; both were defeated by Labour.

Summary

Election result

The overall results were:[8]

|-

Ward results

The Statement of Persons Nominated, which details the candidates standing in each ward, was released by Luton Borough Council following the close of nominations on 5 April 2023.[9] The results were as follows, with sitting councillors standing for re-election marked with an asterisk(*):[10]

Dallow

Dallow ward was represented by three councillors prior to the boundary changes which took effect for this election. Immediately before the election it was represented by two Labour and one Liberal Democrat councillors, the latter being Abbas Hussain who defected from Labour shortly before the election.

Northwell

Prior to the election Northwell was represented by two councillors, one of whom (Anne Donelon) had been elected as Labour but subsequently left the party and sat as an independent.

Round Green

Prior to the election Round Green was represented by three councillors: two Liberal Democrats and one Labour.

Wigmore

Changes 2023–2027

Notes and References

  1. si. The Luton (Electoral Changes) Order 2022. 2022. 824. 29 April 2023.
  2. Web site: Notice of election . 6 April 2023 . Luton Borough Council.
  3. News: Holmes . Amy . Local elections 2023: Can Labour continue its winning run in Luton? . 29 April 2023 . BBC News . 25 April 2023.
  4. News: Luton's George Street added to Historic England's at risk register . 29 April 2023 . BBC News . 11 November 2022.
  5. News: Luton councillor removed from key roles after leaving Labour Party . 6 May 2023 . Bedfordshire Live . 9 March 2023.
  6. Web site: Councillors . Luton Borough Council . 6 May 2023.
  7. News: Local elections 2023: Conservatives lose control of Central Beds . 6 May 2023 . BBC News . 5 May 2023.
  8. News: Luton election result . 6 May 2023 . BBC News . 5 May 2023. Note that when ward boundaries have changed, as here, the BBC coverage compares results to a notional pre-election position which in this case appears to have differed from the actual immediate pre-election position due to the defections shortly beforehand.
  9. Web site: Statement of Persons Nominated . 6 April 2023 . Luton Borough Council.
  10. Web site: Local election results 2023 . Luton Borough Council . 6 May 2023.
  11. News: Duncan . Euan . Luton councillor who quit Labour party joins Conservatives . 30 May 2024 . Luton Today . 10 October 2023.
  12. News: Duncan . Euan . Former Labour deputy leader of Luton Borough Council becomes interim leader of Conservative group . 30 May 2024 . Luton Today . 14 March 2024.