# 2023 Stafford Borough Council election

The 2023 Stafford Borough Council election took place on 4 May 2023 to elect members of Stafford Borough Council in Staffordshire, England. This was on the same day as other local elections across England.
The council remained under no overall control, but went from being run by a Conservative minority administration to being run by a coalition of Labour, local party the Stafford Borough Independents, and the Greens.

## Overview

The council had been under no overall control prior to the election, being run by a Conservative minority administration. The Conservatives had won a majority of the seats at the previous election in 2019, but lost their majority in March 2022 when two councillors left the party to sit as independents. Shortly before the election, eight of the nine independent councillors registered as a new localist party called the Stafford Borough Independents.
The council remained under no overall control after the election. The Conservative leader of the council, Patrick Farrington, lost his seat. The Labour group leader, Aidan Godfrey, was appointed the new leader of the council at the subsequent annual council meeting on 13 May 2023 with support from the Greens and Stafford Borough Independents, with those three parties each taking positions on the council's cabinet.

## Overall results

The overall results were:
2023 Stafford Borough Council election :
| Party | Candidates | Seats | Gains | Losses | Net gain/loss | Seats % | Votes % | Votes | +/− |
| Conservative | 39 | 14 | 0 | 8 | 8 | 35.0 | 36.1 | 20,843 | –12.4 |
| Labour | 32 | 13 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 32.5 | 29.1 | 16,764 | +1.9 |
| Stafford Ind. | 14 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 7 | 17.5 | 17.5 | 10,094 | N/A |
| Green | 24 | 5 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 12.5 | 13.4 | 7,704 | +10.4 |
| Liberal Democrats | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2.5 | 2.5 | 1,417 | +1.6 |
| Reform UK | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | | 0.0 | 1.3 | 777 | N/A |
| Independent | 3 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 7 | 0.0 | 0.2 | 107 | –14.5 |

## Ward results

The Statement of Persons Nominated, which details the candidates standing in each ward, was released by Stafford Borough Council following the close of nominations on 5 April 2023. The results for each ward were as follows, with an asterisk (*) indicating an incumbent councillor standing for re-election.

### Barlaston

Barlaston :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Evan Jones* | 368 | 54.0 | −22.4 |
| | Labour | Richard Sidley | 209 | 30.7 | N/A |
| | Green | Karen Davies | 104 | 15.3 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 159 | 23.3 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 681 | 30.3 | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |

### Baswich

Baswich (2 seats) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Ann Edgeller* | 915 | 49.9 | −13.9 |
| | Conservative | Marnie Phillips* | 688 | 37.5 | −10.2 |
| | Labour | Alison Carr | 633 | 34.5 | +4.4 |
| | Labour | Kulwant Kang | 524 | 28.6 | −0.6 |
| | Stafford Ind. | Maria Davies | 357 | 19.5 | N/A |
| | Stafford Ind. | Paul Woodhead | 346 | 18.9 | N/A |
| | Green | Timothy Boardman | 205 | 11.2 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 39.6 | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold |

### Common

Common :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour Co-op | Aidan Godfrey* | 439 | 63.0 | +13.6 |
| | Conservative | Peter Martin | 178 | 25.5 | +9.0 |
| | Green | Daniel Laidler | 80 | 11.5 | −5.9 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 261 | 37.5 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 23.3 | |
| | Labour Co-op hold | Labour Co-op hold | Swing | | |

### Coton

Coton (2 seats) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour Co-op | Louise Nixon* | 645 | 68.3 | +8.3 |
| | Labour Co-op | Ant Reid | 564 | 59.7 | −4.6 |
| | Conservative | Neil Glover | 214 | 22.7 | −10.5 |
| | Conservative | Paul Startin | 160 | 16.9 | −15.4 |
| | Green | Michael Spight | 131 | 13.9 | N/A |
| | Reform UK | Michael Riley | 100 | 10.6 | N/A |
| | Reform UK | Steven Spennewyn | 74 | 7.8 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 19.7 | |
| | Labour Co-op hold | Labour Co-op hold | Labour Co-op hold | Labour Co-op hold | Labour Co-op hold |
| | Labour Co-op hold | Labour Co-op hold | Labour Co-op hold | Labour Co-op hold | Labour Co-op hold |

### Doxey and Castletown

Doxey and Castletown :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Green | Tony Pearce* | 447 | 56.1 | −2.7 |
| | Labour | Richard Duffy | 146 | 18.3 | +0.5 |
| | Conservative | James Brampton | 97 | 12.2 | −11.1 |
| | Independent | Eleanor Tristram | 60 | 7.5 | −10.3 |
| | Independent | Isabella Davies | 47 | 5.9 | −17.4 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 301 | 37.8 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 28.8 | |
| | Green hold | Green hold | Swing | | |

### Eccleshall

Eccleshall (2 seats) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Jeremy Pert* | 1,028 | 61.4 | −3.0 |
| | Conservative | Peter Jones* | 949 | 56.7 | −5.0 |
| | Labour | Kate Hanley | 591 | 35.3 | +16.8 |
| | Labour | Sally Osborne-Town | 444 | 26.5 | N/A |
| | Green | Gillian Douce | 338 | 20.2 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 33.6 | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold |

### Forebridge

Forebridge :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour Co-op | Julian Thorley | 418 | 56.1 | +15.6 |
| | Conservative | James Cantrill | 188 | 25.2 | N/A |
| | Green | Robert Norman | 139 | 18.7 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 230 | 30.9 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 28.0 | |
| | Labour Co-op gain from Independent | Labour Co-op gain from Independent | Swing | | |

### Fulford

Fulford (2 seats) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Democrats | Alec Sandiford | 693 | 54.5 | +17.9 |
| | Conservative | Michael Dodson* | 576 | 45.3 | −10.9 |
| | Conservative | Lynne Bakker-Collier | 515 | 40.5 | −17.8 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Maria Moore | 429 | 33.7 | N/A |
| | Labour | Charlie Nutt | 331 | 26.0 | +2.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 30.2 | |
| | Liberal Democrats gain from Conservative | Liberal Democrats gain from Conservative | Liberal Democrats gain from Conservative | Liberal Democrats gain from Conservative | Liberal Democrats gain from Conservative |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold |

### Gnosall and Woodseaves

Gnosall and Woodseaves (2 seats) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Mark Winnington* | 962 | 48.6 | −6.8 |
| | Green | Scott Spencer | 926 | 46.8 | N/A |
| | Conservative | Patrick Farrington* | 914 | 46.1 | −10.4 |
| | Green | Dave Whittaker | 828 | 41.8 | N/A |
| | Reform UK | Richard Harris | 171 | 8.6 | N/A |
| | Reform UK | Susan Harris | 160 | 8.1 | −14.5 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 38.0 | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold |
| | Green gain from Conservative | Green gain from Conservative | Green gain from Conservative | Green gain from Conservative | Green gain from Conservative |

### Haywood and Hixon

Haywood and Hixon (2 seats) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Stafford Ind. | Brandan McKeown* | 1,088 | 72.4 | +33.8 |
| | Conservative | Andy Cooper | 861 | 57.3 | +22.8 |
| | Labour | Julian Porter | 684 | 45.5 | +29.2 |
| | Green | Victoria Door | 373 | 24.8 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 36.4 | |
| | Stafford Ind. gain from Independent | Stafford Ind. gain from Independent | Stafford Ind. gain from Independent | Stafford Ind. gain from Independent | Stafford Ind. gain from Independent |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold |

### Highfields and Western Downs

Highfields and Western Downs (2 seats) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour Co-op | Andy McNaughton | 597 | 55.4 | +1.8 |
| | Labour Co-op | Dee McNaughton* | 548 | 50.9 | −2.5 |
| | Conservative | Roy Clarke | 358 | 33.2 | −9.4 |
| | Conservative | Barbara Riddle | 334 | 31.0 | −11.4 |
| | Green | Jake Mahal | 162 | 15.0 | N/A |
| | Green | Rosemary Musson | 156 | 14.5 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 23.3 | |
| | Labour Co-op hold | Labour Co-op hold | Labour Co-op hold | Labour Co-op hold | Labour Co-op hold |
| | Labour Co-op hold | Labour Co-op hold | Labour Co-op hold | Labour Co-op hold | Labour Co-op hold |

### Holmcroft

Holmcroft (2 seats) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Frank James | 797 | 49.9 | +23.5 |
| | Conservative | Bryan Cross* | 790 | 49.5 | +0.4 |
| | Conservative | Jonathan Price* | 783 | 49.0 | −1.1 |
| | Labour | Mick Lupton | 583 | 36.5 | +14.0 |
| | Green | Jonathan Moore | 242 | 15.1 | +0.8 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 31.2 | |
| | Labour gain from Conservative | Labour gain from Conservative | Labour gain from Conservative | Labour gain from Conservative | Labour gain from Conservative |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold |

### Littleworth

Littleworth (2 seats) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour Co-op | Gillian Pardesi* | 775 | 58.6 | +20.4 |
| | Labour Co-op | Tony Nixon* | 704 | 53.2 | +17.9 |
| | Conservative | Maria Redfern | 370 | 28.0 | −2.0 |
| | Conservative | William Taylor | 370 | 28.0 | +0.4 |
| | Green | Andrew Murray | 202 | 15.3 | −2.1 |
| | Reform UK | Michael Bailey | 120 | 9.1 | N/A |
| | Reform UK | Martyn Garbett | 106 | 8.0 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 32.0 | |
| | Labour Co-op hold | Labour Co-op hold | Labour Co-op hold | Labour Co-op hold | Labour Co-op hold |
| | Labour Co-op hold | Labour Co-op hold | Labour Co-op hold | Labour Co-op hold | Labour Co-op hold |

### Manor

Manor (2 seats) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Angela Loughran* | 853 | 62.1 | +8.5 |
| | Labour | Anne Hobbs* | 785 | 57.2 | +5.6 |
| | Conservative | Alex Oldridge | 450 | 32.8 | −10.2 |
| | Conservative | Robert Gwynn | 432 | 31.5 | −10.1 |
| | Green | Hayley Percival | 227 | 16.5 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 28.5 | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Labour hold | Labour hold | Labour hold |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Labour hold | Labour hold | Labour hold |

### Milford

Milford :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Peter Edgeller | 444 | 48.6 | −7.4 |
| | Labour | Nicholas Shaw | 344 | 37.6 | +14.9 |
| | Green | Katherine Dewey | 126 | 13.8 | −7.4 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 100 | 11.0 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 38.2 | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |

### Milwich

Milwich (2 seats) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Frances Beatty* | 836 | 49.2 | −2.8 |
| | Conservative | Karine Aspin | 752 | 44.2 | −5.6 |
| | Stafford Ind. | Jim Davies | 424 | 24.9 | N/A |
| | Labour | Kathryn Williams | 414 | 24.4 | +6.4 |
| | Stafford Ind. | Susan McKeown | 403 | 23.7 | N/A |
| | Labour | Paul McGee | 365 | 21.5 | N/A |
| | Green | Tom Harris | 205 | 12.1 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 34.5 | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold |

### Penkside

Penkside :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Ralph Cooke* | 324 | 54.5 | −8.1 |
| | Conservative | Anthony Boucker | 169 | 28.4 | −9.0 |
| | Green | Roisin Chambers | 56 | 9.4 | N/A |
| | Reform UK | Fran Clark | 46 | 7.7 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 155 | 26.1 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 23.7 | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |

### Rowley

Rowley :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Green | Doug Rouxel | 496 | 41.3 | +21.2 |
| | Conservative | Carolyn Trowbridge* | 406 | 33.8 | −18.3 |
| | Labour | Deborah Hawkes | 300 | 25.0 | −2.7 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 90 | 7.5 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,202 | 40.1 | |
| | Green gain from Conservative | Green gain from Conservative | Swing | | |

### Seighford and Church Eaton

Seighford and Church Eaton (2 seats) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Green | Emma Carter | 974 | 55.8 | N/A |
| | Green | Jack Rose | 777 | 44.5 | N/A |
| | Conservative | Cathy Collier | 710 | 40.7 | −29.5 |
| | Conservative | Geoff Collier | 681 | 39.0 | −31.1 |
| | Labour | Joe McCormick | 349 | 20.0 | −8.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,860 | 33.6 | |
| | Green gain from Conservative | Green gain from Conservative | Green gain from Conservative | Green gain from Conservative | Green gain from Conservative |
| | Green gain from Conservative | Green gain from Conservative | Green gain from Conservative | Green gain from Conservative | Green gain from Conservative |

### St Michaels and Stonefield

St Michaels and Stonefield (3 seats) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Stafford Ind. | Rob Kenney* | 1,323 | 59.8 | +10.9 |
| | Stafford Ind. | Philip Leason* | 1,306 | 59.0 | +10.3 |
| | Stafford Ind. | Ian Fordham* | 1,219 | 55.1 | +11.1 |
| | Labour | Mike Osborne-Town | 863 | 39.0 | +20.5 |
| | Conservative | Simon Bell | 795 | 35.9 | +10.8 |
| | Conservative | Adrian Harding | 679 | 30.7 | +6.5 |
| | Conservative | Duncan Sandbrook | 454 | 20.5 | −3.3 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 32.9 | |
| | Stafford Ind. gain from Independent | Stafford Ind. gain from Independent | Stafford Ind. gain from Independent | Stafford Ind. gain from Independent | Stafford Ind. gain from Independent |
| | Stafford Ind. gain from Independent | Stafford Ind. gain from Independent | Stafford Ind. gain from Independent | Stafford Ind. gain from Independent | Stafford Ind. gain from Independent |
| | Stafford Ind. gain from Independent | Stafford Ind. gain from Independent | Stafford Ind. gain from Independent | Stafford Ind. gain from Independent | Stafford Ind. gain from Independent |

### Swynnerton and Oulton

Swynnerton and Oulton (2 seats) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Roy James* | 676 | 43.8 | +43.8 |
| | Conservative | James Nixon* | 546 | 35.4 | +35.4 |
| | Labour | Adrian Holmes | 435 | 28.2 | N/A |
| | Stafford Ind. | Kerry Dawson | 356 | 23.0 | N/A |
| | Labour | Paul Warman | 347 | 22.5 | N/A |
| | Liberal Democrats | Philip Jones | 295 | 19.1 | N/A |
| | Stafford Ind. | Jason Metters | 239 | 15.5 | N/A |
| | Green | Simon Capewell | 195 | 12.6 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 32.2 | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Conservative hold |

### Walton

Walton (2 seats) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Stafford Ind. | Jill Hood* | 1,144 | 81.6 | +7.8 |
| | Stafford Ind. | Jon Powell | 658 | 46.9 | −6.8 |
| | Labour | Bill Lockwood | 536 | 38.2 | +18.1 |
| | Conservative | Ivor Parry | 252 | 18.0 | −3.8 |
| | Conservative | Stephen Walker | 213 | 15.2 | −3.1 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 27.7 | |
| | Stafford Ind. gain from Independent | Stafford Ind. gain from Independent | Stafford Ind. gain from Independent | Stafford Ind. gain from Independent | Stafford Ind. gain from Independent |
| | Stafford Ind. gain from Independent | Stafford Ind. gain from Independent | Stafford Ind. gain from Independent | Stafford Ind. gain from Independent | Stafford Ind. gain from Independent |

### Weeping Cross and Wildwood

Weeping Cross and Wildwood (2 seats) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Stafford Ind. | Jenny Barron* | 639 | 36.6 | −24.3 |
| | Labour | Julie Read | 630 | 36.1 | −1.7 |
| | Stafford Ind. | Ray Barron* | 592 | 33.9 | −25.8 |
| | Labour | James Withington | 587 | 33.6 | −4.7 |
| | Conservative | Steph Travis | 372 | 21.3 | −39.6 |
| | Conservative | Lianne al-Khaldi | 358 | 20.4 | −39.3 |
| | Green | Sarah Matthews | 189 | 10.8 | N/A |
| | Green | Martin Sandbrook | 126 | 7.2 | N/A |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 38.0 | |
| | Stafford Ind. gain from Conservative | Stafford Ind. gain from Conservative | Stafford Ind. gain from Conservative | Stafford Ind. gain from Conservative | Stafford Ind. gain from Conservative |
| | Labour gain from Conservative | Labour gain from Conservative | Labour gain from Conservative | Labour gain from Conservative | Labour gain from Conservative |
Jenny Barron and Ray Barron had both been elected as Conservatives in 2019 but left the party in March 2022 to sit as independents, subsequently joining the Stafford Borough Independents. Seats shown as gains from Conservative to allow comparison with 2019 results.