# 2023 Luton Borough Council election

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.
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.
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.
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. 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:
2023 Luton Borough Council election :
| Party | Candidates | Seats | Gains | Losses | Net gain/loss | Seats % | Votes % | Votes | +/− |
| Labour | 48 | 30 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 62.5 | 48.7 | 19,199 | –8.0 |
| Liberal Democrats | 33 | 15 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 31.3 | 35.6 | 14,036 | +18.4 |
| Conservative | 15 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 6.3 | 10.1 | 3,998 | –9.1 |
| Independent | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | | 0.0 | 4.3 | 1,713 | +0.4 |
| Reform UK | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | | 0.0 | 1.2 | 455 | N/A |

## 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. The results were as follows, with sitting councillors standing for re-election marked with an asterisk(*):

### Barnfield

Barnfield (3 seats) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Democrats | David Franks* | 1,690 | 52.8 | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Jeff Petts* | 1,627 | 50.9 | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Amjid Ali* | 1,551 | 48.5 | |
| | Labour | Shahriar Ahmed | 1,174 | 36.7 | |
| | Labour | Sameera Saleem* | 956 | 29.9 | |
| | Labour | Anwar Haque | 932 | 29.1 | |
| | Conservative | Alex Dearden | 378 | 11.8 | |
| | Conservative | Sam Deekue | 371 | 11.6 | |
| | Conservative | Zahid Mohmand | 274 | 8.6 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,199 | 36.1 | |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 8,862 | | |
| | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold |
| | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold |
| | 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) |

### Beech Hill

Beech Hill (3 seats) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Rumi Chowdhury | 2,158 | 67.6 | |
| | Labour | Javed Hussain* | 2,127 | 66.7 | |
| | Labour | Rehana Malik | 1,928 | 60.4 | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Mahbubul Karim | 958 | 30.0 | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Adrees Latif | 947 | 29.7 | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Ghulam Javed* | 737 | 23.1 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,220 | 36.1 | |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 8,917 | | |
| | 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) |

### Biscot

Biscot (2 seats) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Zanib Raja | 937 | 42.7 | |
| | Labour | Tahmina Saleem* | 929 | 42.3 | |
| | Independent | Fazilat Ali-Khan | 713 | 32.5 | |
| | Independent | Tipu Moheeuddin | 643 | 29.3 | N/A |
| | Liberal Democrats | Shahin Uddin | 525 | 23.9 | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Junaid Malik | 431 | 19.6 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,222 | 34.4 | |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 6,463 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Labour hold | Labour hold | Labour hold |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Labour hold | Labour hold | Labour hold |

### Bramingham

Bramingham (3 seats) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Stuart Miller | 1,601 | 50.9 | |
| | Conservative | John Baker | 1,529 | 48.6 | |
| | Conservative | Aziz Ambia | 1,463 | 46.5 | |
| | Labour | Desmond Billington | 1,279 | 40.7 | |
| | Labour | Bodrul Amin | 1,268 | 40.3 | |
| | Labour | Mehmood Khan | 1,171 | 37.2 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,179 | 33.1 | |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 9,591 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold |
| | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) | Conservative win (new seat) |

### Central

Central (2 seats) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Fatima Begum* | 626 | 73.9 | |
| | Labour | Yaqub Hanif | 447 | 52.8 | |
| | Independent | Belal Ahmed | 195 | 23.0 | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Abid Aziz | 122 | 14.4 | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Amir Aziz | 110 | 13.0 | |
| | Independent | Anwar Hussain | 78 | 9.2 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 858 | 16.5 | |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 5,203 | | |
| | 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) |

### Challney

Challney (3 seats) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Basit Mahmood | 1,572 | 62.7 | |
| | Labour | Khtija Malik* | 1,562 | 62.3 | |
| | Labour | Tom Shaw* | 1,546 | 61.7 | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Mohammed Javid | 654 | 26.1 | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Shahid Zaman | 593 | 23.7 | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Farzana Ahktar | 587 | 23.4 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,540 | 27.4 | |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 9,270 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Labour hold | Labour hold | Labour hold |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Labour hold | Labour hold | Labour hold |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Labour hold | Labour hold | Labour hold |

### Dallow

Dallow (2 seats) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Mohammed Farooq | 1,101 | 62.2 | |
| | Labour | Alia Khan* | 1,059 | 59.8 | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Bashrat Hussain | 619 | 35.0 | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Abbas Hussain* | 492 | 27.8 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,793 | 32.3 | |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 5,556 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Labour hold | Labour hold | Labour hold |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Labour hold | Labour hold | Labour hold |
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.

### Farley

Farley (3 seats) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Javeria Hussain* | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Labour | Mahmood Hussain* | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| | Labour | Dave Taylor* | Unopposed | Unopposed | Unopposed |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Labour hold | Labour hold | Labour hold |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Labour hold | Labour hold | Labour hold |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Labour hold | Labour hold | Labour hold |

### High Town

High Town (2 seats) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | James Taylor | 798 | 56.1 | |
| | Labour | Umme Ali* | 783 | 55.0 | |
| | Independent | John French | 446 | 31.3 | N/A |
| | Independent | Mohammed Shahid | 294 | 20.7 | N/A |
| | Conservative | Lesley Hill | 231 | 16.2 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,436 | 23.1 | |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 6,224 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Labour hold | Labour hold | Labour hold |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Labour hold | Labour hold | Labour hold |

### Leagrave

Leagrave (2 seats) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Maria Lovell* | 1,020 | 55.1 | |
| | Labour | Francis Steer | 842 | 45.5 | |
| | Conservative | Ifthekher Alom | 692 | 37.4 | |
| | Conservative | Malik Nikyalvi | 465 | 25.1 | |
| | Reform UK | James Fletcher | 224 | 12.1 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,860 | 27.1 | |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 6,863 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Labour hold | Labour hold | Labour hold |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Labour hold | Labour hold | Labour hold |

### Lewsey

Lewsey (2 seats) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Hazel Simmons* | 1,008 | 74.3 | |
| | Labour | Yarun Begum | 912 | 67.3 | |
| | Conservative | Edward Carpenter | 272 | 20.1 | |
| | Independent | Afia Parveen | 142 | 10.5 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,366 | 22.0 | |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 6,215 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Labour hold | Labour hold | Labour hold |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Labour hold | Labour hold | Labour hold |

### Northwell

Northwell (3 seats) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Rob Roche* | 1,400 | 60.1 | |
| | Labour | Amy Nicholls* | 1,397 | 60.0 | |
| | Labour | Babatunde Ajisola | 1,306 | 56.1 | |
| | Conservative | Philip Turner | 664 | 28.5 | |
| | Conservative | Ash Ali | 520 | 22.3 | |
| | Conservative | Shashi Rudrangi | 482 | 20.7 | |
| | Reform UK | Jim Cohen | 231 | 9.9 | |
| | Independent | Anwar Hussain | 217 | 9.3 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,338 | 25.4 | |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 9,214 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Labour hold | Labour hold | Labour hold |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Labour hold | Labour hold | Labour hold |
| | Labour win (new seat) | Labour win (new seat) | Labour win (new seat) | Labour win (new seat) | Labour win (new seat) |
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.

### Poets

Poets (2 seats) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Jacqui Burnett* | 919 | 53.0 | |
| | Labour | Aslam Khan* | 866 | 49.9 | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Taimoor Ali | 749 | 43.2 | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Evaline Omondi | 692 | 39.9 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,752 | 30.2 | |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 5,803 | | |
| | 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) |

### Round Green

Round Green (2 seats) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Democrats | Gillian Fry | 910 | 48.6 | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Zahoor Ahmed | 799 | 42.7 | |
| | Labour | Raja Khan | 785 | 41.9 | |
| | Labour | Yasmin Waheed* | 682 | 36.4 | |
| | Conservative | Saiful Choudhury | 160 | 8.5 | |
| | Conservative | Mohammed Shaikh | 136 | 7.3 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,884 | 29.3 | |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 6,433 | | |
| | Liberal Democrats gain from Labour | Liberal Democrats gain from Labour | Liberal Democrats gain from Labour | Liberal Democrats gain from Labour | Liberal Democrats gain from Labour |
| | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold |
Prior to the election Round Green was represented by three councillors: two Liberal Democrats and one Labour.

### Saints

Saints (3 seats) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Saima Hussain* | 1,630 | 54.1 | |
| | Labour | Ghulam Abbas | 1,594 | 52.9 | |
| | Labour | Shahanara Naser | 1,525 | 50.6 | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Anwar Malik | 1,202 | 39.9 | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Summara Khurshid* | 1,187 | 39.4 | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Baber Hussain | 1,078 | 35.8 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,052 | 35.4 | |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 8,615 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Labour hold | Labour hold | Labour hold |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Labour hold | Labour hold | Labour hold |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Labour hold | Labour hold | Labour hold |

### South

South (2 seats) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Democrats | Steve Stephens | 710 | 51.9 | |
| | Labour | Charmaine Isles | 645 | 47.2 | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Deborah Abodunrin-Olokode | 602 | 44.0 | |
| | Labour | David Agbley* | 589 | 43.1 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,378 | 22.9 | |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 6,025 | | |
| | Liberal Democrats gain from Labour | Liberal Democrats gain from Labour | Liberal Democrats gain from Labour | Liberal Democrats gain from Labour | Liberal Democrats gain from Labour |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Labour hold | Labour hold | Labour hold |

### Stopsley

Stopsley (3 seats) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Democrats | Richard Underwood* | 2,185 | 76.1 | |
| | Liberal Democrats | David Wynn* | 2,142 | 74.6 | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Nigel Marshall | 2,137 | 74.4 | |
| | Labour | Shajarul Islam | 629 | 21.9 | |
| | Labour | Imtiaz Ahmed | 596 | 20.7 | |
| | Labour | Sadiqul Choudhury | 593 | 20.6 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,884 | 31.5 | |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 9,170 | | |
| | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold |
| | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold |
| | 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) |

### Sundon Park

Sundon Park (2 seats) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Democrats | Steve Moore* | 1,010 | 57.5 | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Clive Mead* | 962 | 54.8 | |
| | Labour | Deanne Johnson | 722 | 41.1 | |
| | Labour | Masood Akhtar | 630 | 35.9 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,767 | 31.6 | |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 5,592 | | |
| | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold |
| | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold |

### Vauxhall

Vauxhall (2 seats) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Democrats | Terry Keens* | 893 | 66.2 | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Lee Bridgen* | 868 | 64.4 | |
| | Labour | Shana Begum | 422 | 31.3 | |
| | Labour | Bobby Thomas | 389 | 28.9 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,354 | 26.3 | |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 5,142 | | |
| | 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) |

### Wigmore

Wigmore (2 seats) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Democrats | Claire Gallagher | 1,809 | 81.5 | |
| | Liberal Democrats | Alan Skepelhorn* | 1,760 | 79.3 | |
| | Labour | Raja Ahmed* | 374 | 16.8 | |
| | Labour | Barnes Mayunga | 338 | 15.2 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,249 | 32.4 | |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 6,931 | | |
| | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold |
| | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold |

## Changes 2023–2027
### Affiliation changes

* Aslam Khan, elected for Labour, left the party in September 2023. He subsequently joined the Conservatives in October 2023.
* Stuart Miller, elected as a Conservative, left the party to sit as an independent in March 2024.

### By-elections

Bardfield: 26 September 2024 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Democrats | Anwar Malik | 1,169 | 63.5 | +11.4 |
| | Labour | Karen Roy | 321 | 17.4 | –18.8 |
| | Conservative | Ash Ali | 209 | 11.4 | –0.3 |
| | Green | Edward Carpenter | 110 | 6.0 | N/A |
| | Independent | Marc Scheimann | 32 | 1.7 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 848 | 46.1 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,848 | 19.8 | –16.3 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 9,353 | | |
| | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Swing | 15.1 | |
Barnfield by-election triggered by the resignation of Liberal Democrat councillor Jeff Petts.
Wigmore: 26 September 2024 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Democrats | Adrees Latif | 749 | 54.6 | –28.3 |
| | Independent | Carolyn Cottier | 209 | 15.2 | N/A |
| | Conservative | Philip Turner | 151 | 11.0 | N/A |
| | Labour | Farid Ahmed | 137 | 10.0 | –7.1 |
| | Green | Elissa Gordon | 125 | 9.1 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 540 | 39.4 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,371 | 19.5 | –12.9 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 7,053 | | |
| | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold |
Wigmore by-election triggered by the resignation of Liberal Democrat councillor Claire Gallagher.