# 2023 Worthing Borough Council election

The 2023 Worthing Borough Council election took place on 4 May 2023 to elect members of Worthing Borough Council in West Sussex, England. This was on the same day as other local elections in England. There were twelve seats up for election, being the usual nominal third of the council plus a by-election in Central ward.

## Summary

Prior to the election the council was under Labour majority control. At the election Labour made a net increase of one seat, increasing their majority. The Green Party won their first seat on the council.

## Overall result

The overall result was as follows:
2023 Worthing Borough 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 % | +/− |
| | Labour | 9 | +3 | 75% | 15 | 24 | 65% | 12,398 | 46 | +15% |
| | Conservative | 2 | -3 | 16.6% | 9 | 11 | 30% | 8,539 | 31.5% | -5% |
| | Liberal Democrats | 0 | -1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2.7% | 2422 | 8.9% | -5.9% |
| | Green | 1 | +1 | 8.4% | 0 | 1 | 2.7% | 3595 | 13.25% | + |
| | Heritage | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 86 | | |
| | Reform UK | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 92 | | |

## Results by ward

The Statement of Persons Nominated, which details the candidates standing in each ward, was released by Worthing 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:

### Broadwater

Broadwater :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Dawn Smith* | 1,302 | 57.1 | −1.9 |
| | Conservative | Diane Guest | 627 | 27.5 | +0.4 |
| | Green | Kate Orton | 181 | 7.9 | +0.9 |
| | Liberal Democrats | John Apsey | 170 | 7.4 | +0.6 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 675 | 29.4 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,280 | 33.61 | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |

### Castle

Castle :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Sophie Cox | 1,069 | 50.3 | −4.2 |
| | Conservative | Syed Ahmed | 677 | 31.9 | +2.6 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Nick Wiltshire | 224 | 10.5 | −1.6 |
| | Green | Christopher Smith | 154 | 7.3 | −0.6 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 392 | 18.4 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,124 | 30.85 | |
| | Labour gain from Conservative | Labour gain from Conservative | Swing | | |

### Central

Central (2 seats due to by-election) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Caroline Baxter | 1,438 | 59.8 | −0.7 |
| | Labour | Odul Bozkurt | 1,313 | 54.6 | −5.9 |
| | Conservative | Josh Harris | 573 | 23.8 | +0.5 |
| | Conservative | Paisley Thomson | 518 | 21.5 | −1.8 |
| | Green | Ian Davey | 295 | 12.3 | +4.2 |
| | Green | Jo Paul | 259 | 10.8 | +2.7 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Christine Brown | 230 | 9.6 | +3.2 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Merlin Jones | 140 | 5.8 | −0.6 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 740 | 30.8 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,404 | 31.63 | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |

### Gaisford

Gaisford :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Ferdousi Chowdhury | 1,503 | 56.4 | −1.0 |
| | Conservative | Bryan Turner | 717 | 26.9 | −2.2 |
| | Green | Stephen Carleysmith | 200 | 7.5 | +0.1 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Mark Etchells | 154 | 5.8 | −0.3 |
| | Reform UK | Edmund Rooke | 92 | 3.5 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 786 | 29.5 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,666 | 38.52 | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |

### Goring

Goring :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Green | Claire Hunt | 1,597 | 50.5 | +18.0 |
| | Conservative | Roy Barraclough* | 1,104 | 34.9 | −8.9 |
| | Labour | Bruce Taylor | 369 | 11.7 | −11.9 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Robin Rogers | 95 | 3.0 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 493 | 15.6 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,165 | 46.27 | |
| | Green gain from Conservative | Green gain from Conservative | Swing | | |

### Heene

Heene :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Helen Abrahams | 1,273 | 56.5 | +3.0 |
| | Conservative | Christina Shane-Chan | 620 | 27.5 | −7.9 |
| | Green | Henry Morin | 189 | 8.4 | −2.7 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Trudi Starling | 172 | 7.6 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 653 | 29.0 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,254 | 34.49 | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |

### Marine

Marine :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Vicki Wells | 1,444 | 52.8 | −0.8 |
| | Conservative | Peter Hensley | 897 | 32.8 | −5.7 |
| | Green | Karen Chilvers | 253 | 9.2 | +1.3 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Michael Donin | 143 | 5.2 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 547 | 20.0 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,737 | 41.66 | |
| | Labour gain from Conservative | Labour gain from Conservative | Swing | | |

### Offington

Offington :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Daniel Humphreys* | 1,288 | 53.9 | +0.1 |
| | Labour | Florence Sanders White | 677 | 28.3 | −5.0 |
| | Green | Steve Rhodes | 231 | 9.7 | −3.2 |
| | Liberal Democrats | David Kingston | 195 | 8.2 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 611 | 15.6 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,391 | 37.28 | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |

### Salvington

Salvington :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Noel Atkins* | 1,152 | 46.9 | −5.9 |
| | Labour | Lysanne Skinner | 861 | 35.1 | +0.6 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Emma Norton | 261 | 10.6 | N/A |
| | Green | Sonya Mallin | 180 | 7.3 | −5.4 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 291 | 11.8 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,454 | 34.73 | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |

### Selden

Selden :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Carl Walker* | 1,368 | 62.5 | +2.2 |
| | Conservative | Sarah Blake | 503 | 23.0 | −5.4 |
| | Green | Clare Marshall | 171 | 7.8 | +1.8 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Yvonne Leonard | 146 | 6.7 | +1.3 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 865 | 39.5 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,188 | 35.95 | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |

### Tarring

Tarring :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Hilary Schan | 1,158 | 48.2 | −1.0 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Iona Harte | 632 | 26.3 | +1.0 |
| | Conservative | Tom Taylor | 381 | 15.9 | −4.1 |
| | Green | Karen Brooks | 144 | 6.0 | +0.5 |
| | Heritage | Arthur Kennard | 86 | 3.6 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 526 | 21.9 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,401 | 38.09 | |
| | Labour gain from Liberal Democrats | Labour gain from Liberal Democrats | Swing | | |