# 2019 Portsmouth City Council election

Elections to Portsmouth City Council took place on Thursday 2 May 2019, alongside other local elections across the country. The seats contested in this election were last contested in 2015. The Conservative Party had 8 seats they were defending, the Liberal Democrats 5 and Labour 1 seat. A by-election occurred within the vacant Cosham seat from last years election, due to the sitting Conservative standing down. No party gained a majority from this election, and therefore the council remains under no overall control.
Following the election, the Liberal Democrat minority administration that was formed in 2018 continued in office. Labour abstained on the vote for the council leader, with the Liberal Democrats winning the vote by virtue of being the single largest party.

## Background

Elections to Portsmouth council since 2012 have proven to have volatile and changing results, with eleven of the city's fourteen wards voting for different parties each year. Following the 2018 election in Portsmouth, in which one third of the council was elected, the UK Independence Party lost all of their seats. Gerald Vernon-Jackson became leader of the council.
A Conservative councillor for Cosham who was elected, James Fleming, was forced to resign as he was not attending meetings due to long term sickness. This means that the Cosham ward will have two seats up for election. The Conservatives also faced an internal inquiry during this campaign due to one of their former candidates claiming he was racially abused.

## Election results

Immediately ahead of this election, the composition of the council was:
| 17 | 5 | 17 | 2 | 1 |
| Liberal Democrats | Labour | Conservative | I | V |
After the election result, the composition of the council became:
| 18 | 6 | 16 | 2 |
| Liberal Democrats | Labour | Conservative | I |
As the council is elected in thirds, one councillor for each of the 14 wards are elected each year. All comparisons in seats and swing are to the corresponding 2015 election.
2019 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 | 6 | 2 | 40.0 | 12 | 18 | 42.9 | 13,969 | 29.2 | |
| | Conservative | 7 | 3 | 46.7 | 9 | 16 | 38.1 | 11,966 | 24.9 | |
| | Labour | 2 | 1 | 13.3 | 4 | 6 | 14.3 | 11,966 | 25.1 | |
| | Independent | 0 | | 0.0 | 2 | 2 | 4.8 | 0 | 0.0 | |
| | UKIP | 0 | | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 6,664 | 14.0 | |
| | Green | 0 | | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 2,752 | 5.8 | |
| | NHA | 0 | | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 344 | 0.7 | |
| | VPP | 0 | | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 117 | 0.2 | |
| | JAC | 0 | | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 75 | 0.2 | |

## Results by ward

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 2015. An asterisk indicates the incumbent councillor.

### Baffins

Baffins :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Democrats | Lynne Stagg* | 1,649 | 45 | +15 |
| | Conservative | Ryan Brent | 776 | 21 | −7 |
| | UKIP | Todd Sweeney | 547 | 15 | −7 |
| | Labour | Kasey Clark | 470 | 13 | −2 |
| | Green | Bob Simmonds | 240 | 7 | +2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 873 | 24 | +22 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,682 | 33.1 | −30.8 |
| | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Swing | | |

### Central Southsea

Central Southsea :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Democrats | Suzy Horton* | 1,760 | 46 | +15 |
| | Labour | Charlotte Gerada | 1,235 | 32 | +16 |
| | Conservative | Ruben Bell | 328 | 9 | −13 |
| | Green | Eloise Shavelar | 268 | 7 | −14 |
| | UKIP | Michael Nawrot | 263 | 7 | −2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 525 | 14 | +5 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,854 | 35.0 | |
| | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Swing | | |

### Charles Dickens

Charles Dickens :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Cal Corkery | 1,023 | 40 | +14 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Mark Graham | 619 | 24 | −1 |
| | UKIP | Matthew Harvey | 504 | 20 | −2 |
| | Conservative | Ronnie Taffurelli-Hutchings | 254 | 10 | −8 |
| | Green | Sarah Gilbert | 168 | 7 | ±0 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 404 | 16 | +7 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,568 | 21.5 | −24.3 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | 14 | |

### Copnor

Copnor :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Robert New* | 1,064 | 37 | −5 |
| | Labour | Rumal Khan | 658 | 23 | +1 |
| | UKIP | Bill Haley | 541 | 19 | −4 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Ross Campbell | 365 | 13 | +6 |
| | Green | Ken Hawkins | 286 | 10 | +5 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 406 | 14 | +5 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,914 | 29.8 | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |

### Cosham

Cosham :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Conservative | Lee Mason* | 1,082 | 34 |
| | Conservative | Matthew Atkins | 1,071 | 34 |
| | UKIP | George Madgwick | 899 | 29 |
| | Labour | David Boxall | 756 | 24 |
| | Labour | Yahiya Chowdhury | 627 | 20 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Simon Sansbury | 427 | 14 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Helena Cole | 383 | 12 |
| | NHA | Veronika Wagner | 344 | 11 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,153 | 31.0 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | |

### Drayton & Farlington

Drayton & Farlington :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Terry Norton | 1,927 | 55 | −11 |
| | Labour | Rebecca Light | 729 | 21 | +3 |
| | UKIP | Derek Jennings | 471 | 13 | N/A |
| | Liberal Democrats | Delwar Baig | 402 | 11 | +6 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,198 | 34 | −14 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,529 | 30.1 | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |

### Eastney and Craneswater

Eastney and Craneswater :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Linda Symes | 1,406 | 34.9 | −5.1 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Jennie Brent* | 1,003 | 24.9 | +1.9 |
| | Labour | Luke Evans | 910 | 22.6 | +10.6 |
| | UKIP | Andrew Walters | 365 | 9.1 | −4.9 |
| | Green | Menno Groen | 282 | 7.0 | +3.0 |
| | JAC | Steve Oldfield | 53 | 1.3 | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 403 | 10.0 | −4.3 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 4,019 | 41.9 | −22.3 |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |

### Fratton

Fratton :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Democrats | Dave Ashmore* | 1,141 | 39 | +13 |
| | Labour | Trevor Morgan | 844 | 29 | +9 |
| | UKIP | Kevan Chippindall-Higgin | 395 | 13 | −8 |
| | Green | Tim Sheerman-Chase | 289 | 10 | +3 |
| | Conservative | Elliot Russell | 288 | 10 | −12 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 297 | 10 | +5 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,957 | 28 | |
| | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Swing | | |

### Hilsea

Hilsea :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Scott Harris* | 1,058 | 39 | −6 |
| | Labour | Sue Castillon | 627 | 22 | −2 |
| | UKIP | Mark Roberts | 518 | 18 | −2 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Peter Williams | 380 | 13 | +6 |
| | Green | Emma Murphy | 274 | 10 | +5 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 431 | 17 | −2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,857 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |

### Milton

Milton :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Democrats | Gerald Vernon-Jackson* | 1,611 | 41 | +7 |
| | Labour | Paula Savage | 1,036 | 26 | +12 |
| | UKIP | Jenny Dobson | 543 | 14 | −1 |
| | Conservative | Stephen Gorys | 457 | 12 | −13 |
| | Green | Tamara Groen | 276 | 7 | −4 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 575 | 15 | +6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,923 | | |
| | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Swing | | |

### Nelson

Nelson :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Democrats | Lee Hunt | 1,125 | 43 | +21 |
| | Labour | Mo Quinn | 472 | 18 | −5 |
| | UKIP | Mike Jerome | 456 | 18 | −6 |
| | Conservative | Lewis Gosling | 374 | 14 | −11 |
| | Green | Duncan Robinson | 176 | 7 | +3 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 653 | 25 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,603 | | |
| | Liberal Democrats gain from Conservative | Liberal Democrats gain from Conservative | Swing | | |

### Paulsgrove

Paulsgrove :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Gemma New* | 966 | 37 | +4 |
| | Labour | Isabelle Sene | 669 | 26 | −6 |
| | UKIP | Stuart Potter | 647 | 25 | −1 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Iain Sutherland | 209 | 8 | +3 |
| | Green | Robert Wilson | 117 | 4 | ±0 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 297 | 11 | +10 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,608 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |

### St Jude

St Jude :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Graham Heaney | 1,061 | 33 | +18 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Tracy McClure | 851 | 26 | −1 |
| | Conservative | Timothy Forer | 766 | 24 | −10 |
| | Green | Darren Fry | 310 | 10 | −2 |
| | UKIP | Ian Ducane | 245 | 8 | −2 |
| | The Justice & Anti-Corruption Party | Claudiu-Bogdan Babii | 22 | 1 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 210 | 7 | −1 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,255 | | |
| | Labour gain from Conservative | Labour gain from Conservative | Swing | 14 | |

### St Thomas

St Thomas :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Democrats | Chris Attwell | 1,366 | 40 | +13 |
| | Labour | Sumel Chowdhury | 849 | 25 | +9 |
| | Conservative | Terry Henderson | 747 | 22 | −10 |
| | UKIP | Colin Galloway | 270 | 8 | −4 |
| | Green | Rebecca Kingsley-Smith | 183 | 5 | −7 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 517 | 15 | +10 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,415 | | |
| | Liberal Democrats gain from Conservative | Liberal Democrats gain from Conservative | Swing | | |