# 2023 Harlow District Council election

The 2023 Harlow District Council election took place on 4 May 2023 to elect members of Harlow District Council in Essex, England. This was on the same day as other local elections across England. One third of the council was up for election.
The Conservatives retained their majority on the council. Immediately after the election the Conservative leader of the council, Russell Perrin, announced his resignation as leader. At the subsequent annual council meeting on 25 May 2023 the new Conservative leader, 22-year-old Dan Swords, was appointed leader of the council.

## Summary
### Election result

2023 Harlow District 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 % | +/− |
| | Conservative | 5 | 1 | 45.5 | 16 | 21 | 63.6 | 6,675 | 41.5 | –6.6 |
| | Labour | 6 | 1 | 54.5 | 6 | 12 | 36.4 | 7,041 | 43.8 | +3.7 |
| | Green | 0 | | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 1,524 | 9.5 | +0.5 |
| | Harlow Alliance | 0 | | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 455 | 2.8 | +0.5 |
| | Liberal Democrats | 0 | | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 235 | 1.5 | +1.3 |
| | Reform UK | 0 | | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 111 | 0.7 | N/A |
| | TUSC | 0 | | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 42 | 0.3 | +0.1 |

## Ward results

The Statement of Persons Nominated, which details the candidates standing in each ward, was released by Harlow District Council following the close of nomination on 5 April 2023. The results were:

### Bush Fair

Bush Fair :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour Co-op | Jodi Dunne* | 687 | 50.9 | +6.7 |
| | Conservative | Emma Ghaffari | 450 | 33.3 | –11.3 |
| | Green | Jennifer Steadman | 142 | 10.5 | +2.9 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Christopher Millington | 63 | 4.7 | +1.6 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 237 | 17.6 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,350 | 24.7 | –2.9 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 5,469 | | |
| | Labour Co-op hold | Labour Co-op hold | Swing | 9.0 | |

### Church Langley

Church Langley :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Andrew Johnson* | 1,000 | 64.1 | –5.3 |
| | Labour | Michael Danvers | 402 | 25.8 | +4.9 |
| | Green | Bengeman White | 154 | 9.9 | +0.4 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 598 | 38.3 | –10.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,561 | 24.5 | –3.2 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 6,378 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | 5.1 | |

### Great Parndon

Great Parndon :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | David Carter* | 749 | 51.9 | –0.2 |
| | Labour | John Strachan | 441 | 30.6 | +0.8 |
| | Harlow Alliance | Nicholas Taylor | 173 | 12.0 | –5.9 |
| | Green | Paul King | 77 | 5.3 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 308 | 21.4 | –1.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,442 | 29.8 | –4.3 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 4,837 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | 0.5 | |

### Harlow Common

Harlow Common :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Mark Wilkinson* | 707 | 46.9 | +2.1 |
| | Conservative | Danielle Brown | 645 | 42.8 | –5.1 |
| | Green | Nathan Ederton | 149 | 9.9 | +2.9 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 62 | 4.1 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,507 | 27.8 | –3.0 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 5,429 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | 3.6 | |

### Little Parndon and Hare Street

Little Parndon and Hare Street :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Margaret Hulcoop | 988 | 65.2 | +14.3 |
| | Conservative | Jayne Saunders | 450 | 29.7 | –8.3 |
| | Green | Klara Bow | 66 | 4.4 | –5.9 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 538 | 35.5 | +22.3 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,516 | 23.6 | –4.2 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 6,415 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | 11.3 | |

### Mark Hall

Mark Hall :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Aiden O'Dell | 626 | 47.4 | +4.3 |
| | Conservative | Geoffrey Longster | 320 | 24.2 | –16.5 |
| | Green | Jamie Gilbert | 176 | 13.3 | –2.5 |
| | Reform UK | Mark Gough | 111 | 8.4 | N/A |
| | Liberal Democrats | Lesley Rideout | 82 | 6.2 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 306 | 23.2 | +20.7 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,320 | 24.8 | –4.6 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 5,332 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | 10.4 | |

### Netteswell

Netteswell :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Nancy Watson* | 705 | 52.0 | +2.3 |
| | Conservative | Elena Hardware | 452 | 33.3 | –6.0 |
| | Green | Kim O'Connor | 103 | 7.6 | –3.0 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Robert Thurston | 90 | 6.7 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 253 | 18.6 | +8.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,357 | 22.8 | –4.9 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 5,944 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | 4.2 | |

### Old Harlow

Old Harlow :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Sue Livings* | 1,073 | 48.7 | –3.8 |
| | Labour | Stefan Mullard | 747 | 33.9 | +5.1 |
| | Green | Yasmin Gregory | 325 | 14.7 | –1.1 |
| | TUSC | Paul Lenihan | 42 | 1.9 | ±0.0 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 326 | 14.8 | –8.7 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,204 | 25.5 | –3.8 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 8,652 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | 4.5 | |

### Staple Tye

Staple Tye :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | John Steer | 504 | 42.7 | –9.6 |
| | Labour Co-op | Jake Shepherd | 476 | 40.4 | +1.4 |
| | Harlow Alliance | Karen James | 105 | 8.9 | N/A |
| | Green | Gareth Williams | 90 | 7.6 | –0.7 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 28 | 2.4 | –11.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,179 | 23.1 | –3.6 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 5,096 | | |
| | Conservative gain from Labour | Conservative gain from Labour | Swing | 5.5 | |

### Sumners & Kingsmoor

Sumners & Kingsmoor :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Clive Souter* | 574 | 43.5 | –8.1 |
| | Labour | Anita Schultschik | 481 | 36.4 | +4.4 |
| | Harlow Alliance | Alan Leverett | 177 | 13.4 | +2.3 |
| | Green | David Margetts | 86 | 6.5 | +1.4 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 93 | 7.0 | –12.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,321 | 26.2 | –3.0 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 5,049 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | 6.3 | |

### Toddbrook

Toddbrook :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Daniella Pritchard | 781 | 56.0 | +7.9 |
| | Conservative | Brian Kasule | 458 | 32.8 | –6.9 |
| | Green | Julie Taylor | 156 | 11.2 | –1.0 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 323 | 23.0 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,402 | 25.2 | –3.9 |
| Registered electors | Registered electors | Registered electors | 5,557 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | 7.4 | |

## Reactions

The Conservative leader of the council, Russell Perrin, said the election was a "brilliant result" for the party. Robert Halfon, the Conservative MP for Harlow, thanked voters and noted that the gain from Labour in Staple Tye resulted in the ward having all Conservative councillors for the first time.
The leader of the Labour group on the council, Chris Vince, called the election a "good result for Harlow Labour", pointing to the party winning the popular vote and the majority of seats up for election.