# 2023 Hart District Council election

The 2023 Hart District Council election took place on 4 May 2023 to elect members of Hart District Council in Hampshire, England. This was on the same day as other local elections across England.

## Summary

The council was under no overall control prior to the election, being run by a coalition of the Liberal Democrats and local party Community Campaign (Hart) (CCH), with Liberal Democrat David Neighbour serving as leader of the council. No seats changed party at this election and the same coalition continued to run the council after the election.

### Election result

2023 Hart District Council :
| 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 | 4 | | 36.4 | 7 | 11 | 33.3 | 6,301 | 24.0 | 7.2 |
| | Conservative | 2 | | 18.2 | 9 | 11 | 33.3 | 9,965 | 37.9 | 2.8 |
| | CCH | 4 | | 36.4 | 6 | 10 | 30.3 | 4,595 | 17.5 | 2.9 |
| | Independent | 1 | | 9.1 | 0 | 1 | 3.0 | 1,841 | 7.0 | New |
| | Labour | 0 | | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 2,484 | 9.4 | 4.3 |
| | Green | 0 | | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 914 | 3.5 | 1.5 |
| | Reform UK | 0 | | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 94 | 0.4 | New |
| | Heritage | 0 | | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 78 | 0.3 | 0.1 |

## Candidates

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

### Blackwater & Hawley

Blackwater & Hawley :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Democrats | Bob Harward* | 1,188 | 63.4 | −7.9 |
| | Conservative | John Burton | 487 | 26.0 | −2.7 |
| | Labour | Carly Bidwell | 200 | 10.7 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | | | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 30.40 | |
| | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Swing | | |

### Crookham East

Crookham East :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | CCH | Chris Axam* | 1,261 | 55.4 | −10.8 |
| | Conservative | Annette Whibley | 796 | 35.0 | +1.2 |
| | Labour | Chas Spradbery | 219 | 9.6 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | | | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 38.87 | |
| | CCH hold | CCH hold | Swing | | |

### Crookham West & Ewshot

Crookham West & Ewshot :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | CCH | Tony Clarke* | 1,147 | 44.8 | −17.0 |
| | Conservative | Bruce Bulgin | 906 | 35.4 | −2.8 |
| | Green | Joseph Hutton | 280 | 10.9 | N/A |
| | Labour | Lila Seling Mabo | 227 | 8.9 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | | | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 32.44 | |
| | CCH hold | CCH hold | Swing | | |

### Fleet Central

Fleet Central :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | CCH | Katie Davies* | 1,116 | 44.3 | −0.7 |
| | Conservative | Roy Fang | 950 | 37.7 | −1.3 |
| | Labour | Andrew Perkins | 377 | 14.9 | +2.7 |
| | Monster Raving Loony | Howling Laud Hope | 79 | 3.1 | −0.8 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | | | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 38.22 | |
| | CCH hold | CCH hold | Swing | | |

### Fleet East

Fleet East :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Democrats | Peter Wildsmith* | 1,402 | 53.7 | +6.6 |
| | Conservative | Mike Thorne | 863 | 33.0 | −5.5 |
| | Green | Samantha Davis | 195 | 7.5 | −0.7 |
| | Labour | Valmai Wainhouse | 152 | 5.8 | −0.4 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | | | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 42.98 | |
| | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Swing | | |

### Fleet West

Fleet West :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | CCH | Ben Thomas | 1,071 | 42.7 | −4.0 |
| | Conservative | Mohua Chakraborty | 979 | 39.1 | −1.3 |
| | Labour | Mike Mellor | 259 | 10.3 | N/A |
| | Green | Wayne Rozier | 197 | 7.9 | −4.9 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | | | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 36.77 | |
| | CCH hold | CCH hold | Swing | | |

### Hartley Wintney

Hartley Wintney :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Spencer Farmer* | 1,364 | 54.6 | −10.8 |
| | Independent | Roger Robertson | 569 | 22.8 | N/A |
| | Liberal Democrats | Daisy Khepar | 566 | 22.6 | +0.4 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | | | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 34.36 | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |

### Hook

Hook :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Independent | Dermot Smith* | 1,272 | 46.1 | N/A |
| | Conservative | Jen Copeland | 1,045 | 37.9 | −9.2 |
| | Labour | Amanda Affleck-Cruise | 443 | 16.1 | +3.7 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | | | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 37.22 | |
| | Independent hold | Independent hold | Swing | | |

### Odiham

Odiham :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Chris Dorn* | 1,412 | 61.8 | +2.5 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Tony Over | 446 | 19.5 | −21.2 |
| | Green | Lars Mosesson | 242 | 10.6 | N/A |
| | Labour | Ben Jones | 185 | 8.1 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | | | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 34.98 | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |

### Yateley East

Yateley East :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Democrats | David Neighbour* | 1,325 | 60.5 | −12.8 |
| | Conservative | Chris Barnes | 585 | 26.7 | ±0.0 |
| | Labour | Mark Schroeder | 185 | 8.5 | N/A |
| | Reform UK | Trevor Lloyd-Jones | 94 | 4.3 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | | | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 32.80 | |
| | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Swing | | |

### Yateley West

Yateley West :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Democrats | Mark Vernon | 1,374 | 60.6 | −1.2 |
| | Conservative | Richard Martin | 578 | 25.5 | −0.7 |
| | Labour | Joyce Still | 237 | 10.5 | +0.6 |
| | Heritage | Frances Crompton | 78 | 3.4 | +1.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | | | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 34.21 | |
| | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Swing | | |