# 2023 Bracknell Forest Borough Council election

The 2023 Bracknell Forest Borough Council election took place on 4 May 2023, to elect all 41 members in 15 wards for Bracknell Forest Borough Council in England. The election took place on the same day as other local elections in England as part of the 2023 United Kingdom local elections. Due to a boundary review there had been a change in ward boundaries, along with a reduction in size from 42 members elected in 2019. This is the first election since 1971 (under the council's predecessor Easthampstead Rural District) where a majority of seats are outside Bracknell. The election was held alongside concurrent town and parish council elections in Binfield, Bracknell, Crowthorne, Sandhurst, Warfield, and Winkfield.
The Labour Party won an overall majority of 3, ending the 26-year Conservative Party administration, with both the Leader of the Council Paul Bettison and Deputy Leader Dale Birch losing re-election in the new ward of Sandhurst. By seat share, it is the worst result for the Conservatives in the history of Bracknell District and Bracknell Forest, eclipsing their defeat in 1973. Additionally, by measure of seats lost, it was the worst Conservative result in the country that electoral cycle. Conversely, it is the best performance for the Liberal Democrats and its antecedents, winning 7 seats. The Green Party gained victory for the first time in the council's history, winning 2 seats.

## Background

The council had been controlled by the Conservative Party since the unitary authority was created in 1998. The predecessor district council was controlled by the Conservatives, save for an initial period from 1973 to 1976 and later 1995 to 1997 when it was controlled by the Labour Party.
Paul Bettison was the Leader of the Council since 1997, having been elected leader of the Conservative group in 1996. Mary Temperton has been leader of the Labour group since 2011. Thomas Parker, the lone Liberal Democrat, announced he would not stand for re-election, having been first elected in 2019.

### Pre-Election Composition

3741 :
| Party | Seats |
| Conservatives | 37 |
| Labour | 4 |
| Liberal Democrats | 1 |

## Campaign

The Conservatives nominated a full slate of 41 candidates, whilst Labour only put forward 24, the Liberal Democrats 12, and the Greens 7. However, in none of these contests were Labour and the Liberal Democrats standing against each other, and likewise between the Liberal Democrats and the Greens - in only 2 of the 15 wards were Labour and the Greens opposing each other. This was a significant reversal from 2019, when Labour put up a full slate, and led to accusations that an arrangement had been reached between the three parties as a form of progressive alliance - a fact denied by the local Labour and Liberal Democrats. Reform UK and the Heritage Party also stood 1 candidate each in Harmans Water & Crown Wood - their first entry at a Bracknell Forest election. Finally, two independents stood - one in Town Centre & The Parks and another in Whitegrove.
Soon after nominations closed, controversy emerged over the selection of one of the Conservative candidates for Bracknell Town Council on Priestwood ward, Andrew McBride. McBride was a former regional organiser of the far-right British National Party, having also stood as a BNP candidate for Priestwood & Garth at the 2007 election, as well as a former deputy leader of the far-right Britain First. The Bracknell Conservative Association subsequently suspended his membership and disavowed his candidacy - however, it was legally too late to withdraw McBride from the election, so he appeared on the ballot as a Conservative candidate. The association indicated it would deny him the Conservative whip should he be elected. Outgoing Conservative cabinet member, Marc Brunel-Walker, announced on 12 April that he had submitted a motion of no-confidence in the association's officers over its selection of McBride in the first place.
11 incumbent councillors (10 of them Conservative) announced they would be standing down.

## Summary

2023 Bracknell Forest Borough Council election :
| Party | Seats | Gains | Losses | Net gain/loss | Seats % | Votes % | Votes | +/− |
| Labour | 22 | 19 | 0 | 19 | 53.7 | 30.4 | 8,173 | +383 |
| Conservative | 10 | 0 | 28 | 28 | 24.4 | 42.4 | 11,388 | -2,795 |
| Liberal Democrats | 7 | 6 | 0 | 6 | 17.1 | 17.0 | 4,563 | -1,393 |
| Green | 2 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 4.9 | 8.4 | 2,258 | +1,708 |
| Independent | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.8 | 221 | +221 |
| Heritage | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.6 | 155 | +155 |
| Reform UK | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.5 | 122 | +122 |

## Ward results
### Binfield North & Warfield West

Binfield North & Warfield West (3) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Green | Sheila Collings | 1,004 | 58.0 | |
| | Green | Adrian Michael Haffegee | 901 | 52.1 | |
| | Conservative | John Bruce Harrison | 807 | 46.6 | |
| | Conservative | Ian William Leake | 790 | 45.7 | |
| | Conservative | Ankur Shiv Bhandari | 643 | 37.2 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,730 | 28 | |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 6,254 | | |
| | Green win (new seat) | Green win (new seat) | Green win (new seat) | Green win (new seat) | Green win (new seat) |
| | Green win (new seat) | Green win (new seat) | Green win (new seat) | Green win (new seat) | Green win (new seat) |
| | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) |

### Binfield South & Jennett’s Park

Binfield South & Jennett’s Park (3) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Kathryn Claire Neil | 1,111 | 55.4 | |
| | Labour | Georgia Rose Pickering | 1,025 | 51.1 | |
| | Labour | Steve O'Regan | 1,007 | 50.2 | |
| | Conservative | Paul Vincent Byron | 910 | 45.3 | |
| | Conservative | Kiran Kumar Meka | 804 | 40.1 | |
| | Conservative | Rishi Bhandari | 768 | 38.3 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,007 | 27 | |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 7,597 | | |
| | Labour win (new seat) | Labour win (new seat) | Labour win (new seat) | Labour win (new seat) | Labour win (new seat) |
| | Labour win (new seat) | Labour win (new seat) | Labour win (new seat) | Labour win (new seat) | Labour win (new seat) |
| | Labour win (new seat) | Labour win (new seat) | Labour win (new seat) | Labour win (new seat) | Labour win (new seat) |

### Bullbrook

Bullbrook (2) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Caroline May Egglestone | 574 | 55.1 | |
| | Labour | Kandy Jefferies | 510 | 48.9 | |
| | Conservative | Henry Michael Norman Campbell-Ricketts | 474 | 45.5 | |
| | Conservative | Sanjeev Prasad | 461 | 44.2 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,042 | 25 | |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 4,221 | | |
| | Labour win (new seat) | Labour win (new seat) | Labour win (new seat) | Labour win (new seat) | Labour win (new seat) |
| | Labour win (new seat) | Labour win (new seat) | Labour win (new seat) | Labour win (new seat) | Labour win (new seat) |

### Crowthorne

Crowthorne (3) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Tina McKenzie-Boyle | 907 | 52.2 | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Tina Eberle | 829 | 47.8 | |
| | Conservative | Nicholas Ian Robertson | 828 | 47.7 | |
| | Conservative | Bob Wade | 799 | 46.0 | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Richard Montague Beaumont | 792 | 45.6 | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Terry Enga | 728 | 41.9 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,736 | 30 | |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 5,755 | | |
| | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) |
| | Liberal Democrats win (new seat) | Liberal Democrats win (new seat) | Liberal Democrats win (new seat) | Liberal Democrats win (new seat) | Liberal Democrats win (new seat) |
| | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) |

### Easthampstead & Wildridings

Easthampstead & Wildridings (3) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Paul Steven Bidwell | 908 | 57.5 | |
| | Labour | Guy Alexander Gillbe | 906 | 57.3 | |
| | Labour | Helen Amelia Purnell | 844 | 53.4 | |
| | Conservative | Dee Hamilton | 535 | 33.9 | |
| | Conservative | Iain Alexander McCracken | 512 | 32.4 | |
| | Conservative | Sabyasachi Chattaraj | 481 | 30.4 | |
| | Green | Victor John Rones | 261 | 16.5 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,580 | 25 | |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 6,432 | | |
| | Labour win (new seat) | Labour win (new seat) | Labour win (new seat) | Labour win (new seat) | Labour win (new seat) |
| | Labour win (new seat) | Labour win (new seat) | Labour win (new seat) | Labour win (new seat) | Labour win (new seat) |
| | Labour win (new seat) | Labour win (new seat) | Labour win (new seat) | Labour win (new seat) | Labour win (new seat) |

### Great Hollands

Great Hollands (3) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Mary Louise Temperton | 1,666 | 76.5 | |
| | Labour | Gerry Webb | 1,323 | 60.7 | |
| | Labour | Naheed Ejaz | 1,301 | 59.7 | |
| | Conservative | Michael Adeniyi Abayomi Gbadebo | 588 | 27.0 | |
| | Conservative | Kevin Roy Buchler | 545 | 25.0 | |
| | Conservative | Kenneth Paul Widdowson | 470 | 21.6 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,178 | 33 | |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 6,641 | | |
| | Labour win (new seat) | Labour win (new seat) | Labour win (new seat) | Labour win (new seat) | Labour win (new seat) |
| | Labour win (new seat) | Labour win (new seat) | Labour win (new seat) | Labour win (new seat) | Labour win (new seat) |
| | Labour win (new seat) | Labour win (new seat) | Labour win (new seat) | Labour win (new seat) | Labour win (new seat) |

### Hanworth

Hanworth (3) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Jenny Penfold | 1,037 | 55.6 | |
| | Labour | Janet Gwendoline Cochrane | 967 | 51.9 | |
| | Labour | Cath Thompson | 936 | 50.2 | |
| | Conservative | Gill Birch | 821 | 44.0 | |
| | Conservative | Mike Gibson | 803 | 43.1 | |
| | Conservative | Michael John Skinner | 736 | 39.5 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,864 | 30 | |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 6,320 | | |
| | Labour win (new seat) | Labour win (new seat) | Labour win (new seat) | Labour win (new seat) | Labour win (new seat) |
| | Labour win (new seat) | Labour win (new seat) | Labour win (new seat) | Labour win (new seat) | Labour win (new seat) |
| | Labour win (new seat) | Labour win (new seat) | Labour win (new seat) | Labour win (new seat) | Labour win (new seat) |

### Harmans Water & Crown Wood

Harmans Water & Crown Wood (3) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Cherise April Welch | 887 | 51.7 | |
| | Labour | Pete Frewer | 885 | 51.5 | |
| | Labour | Jodie Christas Watts | 882 | 51.4 | |
| | Conservative | Chris Franklin | 671 | 39.1 | |
| | Conservative | Lizzy Gibson | 637 | 37.1 | |
| | Conservative | Christopher Richard Martin Turrell | 634 | 36.9 | |
| | Heritage | Jason Peter Reardon | 155 | 9.0 | |
| | Reform UK | John Gallacher | 122 | 7.1 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,717 | 27 | |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 6,298 | | |
| | Labour win (new seat) | Labour win (new seat) | Labour win (new seat) | Labour win (new seat) | Labour win (new seat) |
| | Labour win (new seat) | Labour win (new seat) | Labour win (new seat) | Labour win (new seat) | Labour win (new seat) |
| | Labour win (new seat) | Labour win (new seat) | Labour win (new seat) | Labour win (new seat) | Labour win (new seat) |

### Owlsmoor & College Town

Owlsmoor & College Town (3) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Nick Allen | 1,093 | 54.8 | |
| | Conservative | Raymond Mossom | 1,023 | 51.3 | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Philip Geoffrey Thompson | 937 | 47.0 | |
| | Conservative | John Edwards | 899 | 45.1 | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Ben Ian Jeffrey Hutchinson | 811 | 40.7 | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Leigh Sharon Quigg | 803 | 40.3 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,994 | 27 | |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 7,451 | | |
| | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) |
| | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) |
| | Liberal Democrats win (new seat) | Liberal Democrats win (new seat) | Liberal Democrats win (new seat) | Liberal Democrats win (new seat) | Liberal Democrats win (new seat) |

### Priestwood & Garth

Priestwood & Garth (3) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Tricia Brown | 980 | 60.7 | |
| | Labour | Ryan George Frost | 914 | 56.6 | |
| | Labour | Michael Karim | 829 | 51.4 | |
| | Conservative | Jennie Karen Green | 656 | 40.6 | |
| | Conservative | Alvin Edwin Finch | 621 | 38.5 | |
| | Conservative | Hazel Hill | 574 | 45.6 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,614 | 24 | |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 6,687 | | |
| | Labour win (new seat) | Labour win (new seat) | Labour win (new seat) | Labour win (new seat) | Labour win (new seat) |
| | Labour win (new seat) | Labour win (new seat) | Labour win (new seat) | Labour win (new seat) | Labour win (new seat) |
| | Labour win (new seat) | Labour win (new seat) | Labour win (new seat) | Labour win (new seat) | Labour win (new seat) |

### Sandhurst

Sandhurst (3) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Democrats | Mike Forster | 1,325 | 56.2 | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Christoph Eberle | 1,109 | 47.1 | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Mohammad Nazar Zahuruddin | 1,030 | 43.7 | |
| | Conservative | Parm Panesar | 1,024 | 43.5 | |
| | Conservative | Dale Philip Birch | 1,008 | 42.8 | |
| | Conservative | Paul David Bettison | 969 | 41.1 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,356 | 33 | |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 7,291 | | |
| | Liberal Democrats win (new seat) | Liberal Democrats win (new seat) | Liberal Democrats win (new seat) | Liberal Democrats win (new seat) | Liberal Democrats win (new seat) |
| | Liberal Democrats win (new seat) | Liberal Democrats win (new seat) | Liberal Democrats win (new seat) | Liberal Democrats win (new seat) | Liberal Democrats win (new seat) |
| | Liberal Democrats win (new seat) | Liberal Democrats win (new seat) | Liberal Democrats win (new seat) | Liberal Democrats win (new seat) | Liberal Democrats win (new seat) |

### Swinley Forest

Swinley Forest (2) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Democrats | Sophie Louise Forster | 748 | 57.0 | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Patrick Smith | 698 | 53.2 | |
| | Conservative | Colin Reginald Dudley | 544 | 41.4 | |
| | Conservative | Ash Merry | 540 | 41.1 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,313 | 28 | |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 4,780 | | |
| | Liberal Democrats win (new seat) | Liberal Democrats win (new seat) | Liberal Democrats win (new seat) | Liberal Democrats win (new seat) | Liberal Democrats win (new seat) |
| | Liberal Democrats win (new seat) | Liberal Democrats win (new seat) | Liberal Democrats win (new seat) | Liberal Democrats win (new seat) | Liberal Democrats win (new seat) |

### Town Centre & The Parks

Town Centre & The Parks (2) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Megan Ruth Wright | 551 | 53.8 | |
| | Labour | Roy John Bailey | 538 | 52.5 | |
| | Conservative | Suki Alanna Hayes | 397 | 38.7 | |
| | Conservative | Peter Heydon | 377 | 36.8 | |
| | Independent | Olivio Baretto | 93 | 9.1 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,025 | 25 | |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 4,207 | | |
| | Labour win (new seat) | Labour win (new seat) | Labour win (new seat) | Labour win (new seat) | Labour win (new seat) |
| | Labour win (new seat) | Labour win (new seat) | Labour win (new seat) | Labour win (new seat) | Labour win (new seat) |

### Whitegrove

Whitegrove (2) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Gareth Michael Barnard | 913 | 55.6 | |
| | Conservative | Robert Lauchlan McLean | 789 | 48.1 | |
| | Labour | Grant David Strudley | 459 | 28.0 | |
| | Labour | Graham William Firth | 389 | 23.7 | |
| | Green | Rosaleen Melinda Donnan | 274 | 16.7 | |
| | Green | Philip Vincent Marshall Pitt | 211 | 12.9 | |
| | Independent | Colleen Dulieu | 128 | 7.8 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,642 | 32 | |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 5,152 | | |
| | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) |
| | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) |

### Winkfield & Warfield East

Winkfield & Warfield East (3) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Moira Kathleen Gaw | 1,048 | 55.0 | |
| | Conservative | Dorothy Andrea Susan Hayes | 1,026 | 53.8 | |
| | Conservative | Tony Virgo | 894 | 46.9 | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Simon Christopher Banks | 724 | 38.0 | |
| | Green | Samantha Mary Gibbins | 719 | 37.7 | |
| | Green | Mark Julien Harvey | 621 | 32.6 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,907 | 27 | |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 7,114 | | |
| | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) |
| | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) |
| | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) |

## Aftermath

The Labour takeover was considered one of the shocks of the 2023 United Kingdom local elections, with many pundits ascribing the defeat in part to the theorised deal between Labour and the Liberal Democrats - outgoing leader Paul Bettison himself identified this and the woes of the Conservative government nationally as the reasons for his party's defeat. Mary Temperton, the Labour Party group leader, continued to deny such a pact existed, but nevertheless the result fuelled calls for a progressive alliance. Over a year later at the 2024 general election, both of Bracknell Forest's parliamentary constituencies would flip from the Conservatives - Bracknell to Labour and Maidenhead to the Liberal Democrats.

## Councillors standing down

| Councillor | Ward | First elected | Party | Date announced |
| Thomas Parker | Wildridings & Central | 2019 | Liberal Democrats | 3 October 2022 |
| Marc Brunel-Walker | Crown Wood | 2003 | Conservative Party | 21 December 2022 |
| Robert Angell | Bullbrook | 1983 | Conservative Party | 4 May 2023 |
| Nigel Atkinson | Ascot | 2019 | Conservative Party | 4 May 2023 |
| Michael Brossard | Central Sandhurst | 2007 | Conservative Party | 4 May 2023 |
| Sandra Ingham | Warfield Harvest Ride | 2015 | Conservative Party | 4 May 2023 |
| Gaby Kennedy | Central Sandhurst | 2016 | Conservative Party | 4 May 2023 |
| Ian Kirke | Bullbrook | 2019 | Conservative Party | 4 May 2023 |
| Isabel Mattick | Harmans Water | 1987 | Conservative Party | 4 May 2023 |
| Pauline McKenzie | College Town | 2015 | Conservative Party | 4 May 2023 |
| John Porter | Owlsmoor | 2011 | Conservative Party | 4 May 2023 |

## By-elections
### Great Hollands

Caused by the resignation of Labour councillor Naheed Ejaz
Great Hollands By-Election 7 November 2024 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Donna Louise Pressland | 681 | 44.6 | −29.3 |
| | Conservative | Sue Housego | 411 | 26.9 | +0.8 |
| | Reform UK | Colin Wright | 258 | 16.9 | New |
| | Independent | Michael Gbadebo | 158 | 10.3 | New |
| | Heritage | Jason Peter Reardon | 20 | 1.3 | New |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1528 | 22.3 | |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | -15.1 | |