2023 Portsmouth City Council election
# 2023 Portsmouth City Council election

The 2023 Portsmouth City Council election took place on 4 May 2023 to elect members of Portsmouth City Council in Hampshire, England. This was on the same day as other local elections across England.

The council remained under no overall control, being led by a Liberal Democrat minority administration.

Immediately after the election the Liberal Democrat leader of the council, Gerald Vernon-Jackson, announced he was stepping down from the role. He was replaced at the subsequent annual council meeting on 16 May 2023 by Steve Pitt.

## Summary

### Election result

The overall results were:

2023 Portsmouth City Council election :

| Party | Party | This election | This election | This election | Full council | Full council | Full council | This election | This election | This election |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Party | Party | Seats | Net | Seats % | Other | Total | Total % | Votes | Votes % | +/− |
| | Liberal Democrats | 7 | 1 | 50.0% | 11 | 18 | 42.9% | 12,682 | 29.3% | 0.1 |
| | Labour | 2 | | 14.3% | 5 | 7 | 16.7 | 11,904 | 27.5% | 2.2 |
| | Conservative | 1 | 5 | 7.1% | 7 | 8 | 19.0% | 8,464 | 19.6% | 5.5 |
| | Portsmouth Ind. | 3 | 3 | 21.4% | 3 | 6 | 14.3% | 6,995 | 16.2% | New |
| | Independent | 1 | 1 | 7.1% | 2 | 3 | 7.1% | 910 | 2.1% | New |
| | Green | 0 | | | 0 | 0 | | 1,902 | 4.4% | 1.4 |
| | Reform UK | 0 | | | 0 | 0 | | 244 | 0.6% | New |
| | NHA | 0 | | | 0 | 0 | | 86 | 0.2% | 0.5 |
| | TUSC | 0 | | | 0 | 0 | | 43 | 0.1% | |

## Ward results

Comparisons for the purpose of determining a gain, hold or loss of a seat, and for all percentage changes, is to the last time these specific seats were up for election in 2019. An asterisk indicates the incumbent councillor. The results for each ward were:

### Baffins

Baffins :

| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| - | - | - | - | - | - |
| | Liberal Democrats | Leonie Oliver | 1,475 | 42.2 | 2.6 |
| | Portsmouth Ind. | Paul Oakley-Cleife | 740 | 21.2 | New |
| | Conservative | Joe Standen | 632 | 18.1 | 3.0 |
| | Labour | Mark Farwell | 488 | 14.0 | 1.2 |
| | Green | Bob Simmonds | 152 | 4.3 | 2.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 735 | 21.0 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,497 | 31.6 | |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 11,047 | | |
| | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Swing | | |

### Central Southsea

Central Southsea :

| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| - | - | - | - | - | - |
| | Liberal Democrats | Suzy Horton* | 1,816 | 47.2 | 1.5 |
| | Labour | Joshua Allen | 1,551 | 40.3 | 8.3 |
| | Conservative | Alicia Denny | 214 | 5.6 | 2.9 |
| | Green | Menno Groen | 178 | 4.6 | 2.4 |
| | Portsmouth Ind. | Lee Tindal | 86 | 2.2 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 265 | 6.9 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3845 | 32.7 | |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 11763 | | |
| | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Swing | | |

### Charles Dickens

Charles Dickens :

| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| - | - | - | - | - | - |
| | Independent | Cal Corkery* | 910 | 37.4 | New |
| | Labour | Raj Ghosh | 780 | 32.1 | 7.7 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Yahiya Chowdhury | 337 | 13.9 | 10.1 |
| | Conservative | Terry Henderson | 301 | 12.4 | 2.5 |
| | Green | Ian McCulloch | 104 | 4.3 | 2.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 130 | 5.4 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,432 | | |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | | | |
| | Independent gain from Labour | Independent gain from Labour | Swing | | |

### Copnor

Copnor :

| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| - | - | - | - | - | - |
| | Portsmouth Ind. | Raymond Dent | 1,391 | 46.0 | New |
| | Conservative | Spencer Gardner | 725 | 24.0 | 12.5 |
| | Labour | Arif Choudhury | 597 | 19.7 | 2.9 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Nicky Dodd | 202 | 6.7 | 5.8 |
| | Green | Ben Warner | 112 | 3.7 | 2.8 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 666 | 22.0 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,027 | | |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | | | |
| | Portsmouth Ind. gain from Conservative | Portsmouth Ind. gain from Conservative | Swing | | |

### Cosham

Cosham :

| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| - | - | - | - | - | - |
| | Labour | Mary Vallely | 1,362 | 46.4 | 24.8 |
| | Conservative | Lee Mason* | 1,078 | 36.7 | 5.9 |
| | Portsmouth Ind. | Tom $Oulds^1$ | 208 | 7.1 | New |
| | Liberal Democrats | David Fuller | 200 | 6.8 | }5.4 |
| | NHA | Veronika Wagner | 86 | 2.9 | 6.9 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 284 | 9.7% | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,934 | | |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 10218 | | |
| | Labour gain from Conservative | Labour gain from Conservative | Swing | | |

1: After nominations were closed, Oulds was suspended by the Portsmouth Independents following "unacceptable" message on social media.

### Drayton and Farlington

Drayton & Farlington :

| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| - | - | - | - | - | - |
| | Conservative | Hannah Brent | 1,654 | 47.7 | 6.9 |
| | Labour | Pooja Jha | 693 | 20.0 | 0.7 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Richard Adair | 620 | 17.9 | 6.5 |
| | Portsmouth Ind. | Jaime Custerson | 280 | 8.1 | New |
| | Green | Mervyn Harvey | 224 | 6.5 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 961 | 27.7 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,471 | | |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 10518 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |

### Eastney and Craneswater

Eastney and Craneswater :

| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| - | - | - | - | - | - |
| | Liberal Democrats | Peter Candlish | 1,385 | 36.4 | 11.4 |
| | Labour | Jane Shepherd | 1,088 | 28.6 | 6.0 |
| | Conservative | Stephen Gorys | 881 | 23.2 | 11.8 |
| | Green | Tamara Groen | 209 | 5.5 | 1.5 |
| | Reform UK | Mark Zimmer | 148 | 3.9 | New |
| | Portsmouth Ind. | Jenny Dobson | 93 | 2.4 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 297 | 7.8 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,804 | | |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 9698 | | |
| | Liberal Democrats gain from Conservative | Liberal Democrats gain from Conservative | Swing | | |

### Fratton

Fratton :

| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| - | - | - | - | - | - |
| | Liberal Democrats | Dave Ashmore* | 1,051 | 38.1 | 0.5 |
| | Labour | Aimee-Louise Gwyther | 840 | 30.4 | 1.9 |
| | Portsmouth Ind. | Jacob Short | 457 | 16.6 | New |
| | Conservative | Peter Ross | 248 | 9.0 | 0.7 |
| | Green | Samet Alves | 139 | 5.0 | 4.8 |
| | TUSC | Chris Pickett | 24 | 0.9 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 211 | 7.6 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | | |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | | | |
| | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Swing | | |

### Hilsea

Hilsea :

| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| - | - | - | - | - | - |
| | Portsmouth Ind. | Emily Strudwick | 1,867 | 57.3 | New |
| | Conservative | Scott Payter-Harris* | 734 | 22.5 | 14.5 |
| | Labour | Mariam Daniel | 413 | 12.7 | 9.2 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Peter Williams | 146 | 4.5 | 8.8 |
| | Green | Emma Murphy | 99 | 3.0 | 6.6 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,133 | 34.8 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,259 | 32.6 | |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | | | |
| | Portsmouth Ind. gain from Conservative | Portsmouth Ind. gain from Conservative | Swing | | |

### Milton

Milton :

| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| - | - | - | - | - | - |
| | Liberal Democrats | Gerald Vernon-Jackson* | 1,872 | 46.6 | 1.1 |
| | Labour | Paula Savage | 1,552 | 38.7 | 12.3 |
| | Conservative | Jack Smith | 252 | 6.3 | 5.3 |
| | Green | Sarah Gilbert | 176 | 4.4 | 2.6 |
| | Reform UK | Rachel Zimmer | 96 | 2.4 | New |
| | Portsmouth Ind. | Gemma Hammond | 67 | 1.7 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 320 | 8 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 4015 | | |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 10,539 | | |
| | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Swing | | |

### Nelson

Nelson :

| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| - | - | - | - | - | - |
| | Liberal Democrats | Lee Hunt* | 1,033 | 47.8 | 4.6 |
| | Labour | Robin Head | 498 | 23.0 | 4.9 |
| | Conservative | Kerryanne Swann | 323 | 14.9 | 0.5 |
| | Portsmouth Ind. | Henry Thorpe | 169 | 7.8 | New |
| | Green | Duncan Robinson | 121 | 5.6 | 1.2 |
| | TUSC | Nicholas Doyle | 19 | 0.9 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | | | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,163 | 21.78 | |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | | | |
| | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Swing | | |

### Paulsgrove

Paulsgrove :

| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| - | - | - | - | - | - |
| | Portsmouth Ind. | Chris Dike | 1,279 | 55.9 | New |
| | Conservative | Charlie Douglas | 446 | 19.5 | 17.5 |
| | Labour | Eloise Hadenham | 425 | 18.6 | 7.1 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Catherine Cole | 136 | 5.9 | 2.1 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 833 | 36.4 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | | |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | | | |
| | Portsmouth Ind. gain from Conservative | Portsmouth Ind. gain from Conservative | Swing | | |

### St Jude

St Jude :

| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| - | - | - | - | - | - |
| | Labour | Graham Heaney* | 1,288 | 39.9 | 7.3 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Martin Northern | 1,058 | 32.8 | 6.7 |
| | Conservative | David Chandler | 400 | 12.4 | 11.1 |
| | Portsmouth Ind. | Richard Peckham | 283 | 8.8 | New |
| | Green | Harry Mallinder | 201 | 6.2 | 3.3 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 230 | 7.1 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,230 | | |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 9206 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |

### St Thomas

St Thomas :

| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| - | - | - | - | - | - |
| | Liberal Democrats | Chris Attwell* | 1,351 | 46.9 | 6.9 |
| | Labour | Edward Batterbury | 689 | 23.9 | 1.0 |
| | Conservative | Paul Sweeney | 576 | 20.0 | 1.9 |
| | Green | Elliott Lee | 187 | 6.5 | 0.9 |
| | Portsmouth Ind. | George Miles | 75 | 2.6 | New |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 662 | 23.0 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,878 | | |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 10,927 | | |
| | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Swing | | |
