# 2021 Worthing Borough Council election

The 2021 Worthing Borough Council election took place on 6 May 2021 to elect members of Worthing Borough Council, on the same day as other UK local elections. This election was originally scheduled to take place on 7 May 2020, but was delayed a year due to the COVID-19 pandemic; 2021 was originally scheduled to be an off-year for Worthing Borough Council elections. A third of the council was up for election, a total of 13 councillors. Candidates elected in 2016 had their term expire at this election.
The Conservative Party was seeking to maintain its majority, which it had held in the town since 2004. In the 2018 election, the Labour Party emerged as the largest opposition party in Worthing; this election was the first since the incorporation of the borough council in 1974 in which it was technically possible for Labour to win a majority.
The Labour Party and The Conservative Party won 6 seats each in this election, with the Liberal Democrats winning 1. Labour gained 5 seats and held 1; a net gain of 5 seats. The Conservatives lost 5 seats to Labour, but gained one from UKIP in Northbrook Ward, and held 5; a net loss of 4 seats. The Liberal Democrats held on to their seat in Tarring Ward.
The Conservative majority was cut to 1. With a Conservative councillor then becoming an independent and a loss in a by-election, it would become a minority administration before the 2022 elections.

## Results summary

2021 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 % | +/− |
| | Conservative | 6 | 4 | 46.2 | 13 | 19 | 51.4 | 13,979 | 44.8 | +8.3 |
| | Labour | 6 | 5 | 46.2 | 9 | 15 | 40.5 | 10,797 | 34.6 | +3.6 |
| | Liberal Democrats | 1 | | 7.7 | 2 | 3 | 8.1 | 3,378 | 10.8 | -4.0 |
| | Green | 0 | | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 2,990 | 9.6 | -0.3 |
| | Libertarian | 0 | | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 46 | 0.1 | N/A |
| | UKIP | 0 | 1 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | N/A | N/A | N/A |

## Ward results
### Broadwater

Broadwater :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Cathy Glynn-Davies | 1,139 | 45.3 | +0.3 |
| | Conservative | Paisley Thomson | 1004 | 39.9 | +8.6 |
| | Green | Richard Battson | 192 | 7.6 | −4.8 |
| | Liberal Democrats | John Apsey | 165 | 6.6 | −4.7 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 135 | 5.4 | |
| Rejected ballots | Rejected ballots | Rejected ballots | 16 | 0.6 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 36.7 | |
| | Labour gain from Conservative | Labour gain from Conservative | Swing | | |

### Castle

Castle :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Steve Wills | 956 | 41.9 | +6.5 |
| | Labour | Ibsha Choudhury | 880 | 38.5 | +19.7 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Nick Wiltshire | 253 | 11.1 | −7.3 |
| | Green | Julie Dawe | 182 | 8.0 | −3.5 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 76 | 3.4 | |
| Rejected ballots | Rejected ballots | Rejected ballots | 13 | 0.6 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 32.5 | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |

### Central

Central :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Rosey Whorlow | 1,127 | 44.2 | −0.7 |
| | Conservative | Alex Harman | 763 | 29.9 | +5.0 |
| | Green | Jo Paul | 455 | 17.8 | −2.7 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Christine Brown | 176 | 6.9 | −2.8 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 364 | 14.3 | |
| Rejected ballots | Rejected ballots | Rejected ballots | 29 | 1.1 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 33.0 | |
| | Labour gain from Conservative | Labour gain from Conservative | Swing | | |

### Durrington

Durrington :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Dan Coxhill | 783 | 55.2 | −1.8 |
| | Labour | Graham McKnight | 310 | 21.9 | +0.6 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Emma Norton | 210 | 14.8 | −6.5 |
| | Green | James Darrall | 103 | 7.3 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 473 | 33.3 | |
| Rejected ballots | Rejected ballots | Rejected ballots | 12 | 0.8 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 31.2 | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |
This ward had no election in 2019, so changes are shown from 2018.

### Gaisford

Gaisford :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | John Turley | 1,235 | 42.3 | −4.7 |
| | Conservative | Val Turner | 1114 | 38.1 | +1.3 |
| | Green | Stephen Carleysmith | 284 | 9.7 | N/A |
| | Liberal Democrats | Caroline Gentry | 261 | 8.9 | −7.3 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 121 | 4.2 | |
| Rejected ballots | Rejected ballots | Rejected ballots | 28 | 1.0 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 41.0 | |
| | Labour gain from Conservative | Labour gain from Conservative | Swing | | |

### Goring

Goring :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Steve Waight | 1,785 | 60.9 | +11.8 |
| | Labour | Jane Cropper | 601 | 20.5 | +7.4 |
| | Green | Sharon Huls | 279 | 9.5 | −3.1 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Robin Rogers | 248 | 8.5 | −2.7 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1184 | 40.4 | |
| Rejected ballots | Rejected ballots | Rejected ballots | 20 | 0.7 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 42.4 | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |

### Heene

Heene :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Emma Taylor | 1,091 | 43.2 | +4.0 |
| | Conservative | Paul High | 924 | 36.6 | +2.3 |
| | Green | Ian Davey | 347 | 13.7 | +1.2 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Cyril Cannings | 130 | 5.1 | −2.3 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 167 | 6.6 | |
| Rejected ballots | Rejected ballots | Rejected ballots | 33 | 1.3 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 37.8 | |
| | Labour gain from Conservative | Labour gain from Conservative | Swing | | |

### Marine

Marine :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Beccy Cooper | 1,456 | 46.6 | +14.0 |
| | Conservative | Gavin Poole | 1,324 | 42.4 | +1.4 |
| | Green | Trevor Hopkins | 181 | 5.8 | −3.8 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Antony Brown | 140 | 4.5 | −3.9 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 132 | 4.2 | |
| Rejected ballots | Rejected ballots | Rejected ballots | 23 | 0.7 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 47.0 | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | | |

### Northbrook

Northbrook :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Russ Cochran | 647 | 50.5 | −0.6 |
| | Labour | Ingrid Allan | 378 | 29.5 | +2.0 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Keith Sunderland | 130 | 10.2 | −3.5 |
| | Green | Joe Pearce | 113 | 8.8 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 269 | 21.0 | |
| Rejected ballots | Rejected ballots | Rejected ballots | 12 | 0.9 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 25.2 | |
| | Conservative gain from UKIP | Conservative gain from UKIP | Swing | | |
This ward had no election in 2019, so changes are shown from 2018.

### Offington

Offington :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Elizabeth Sparkes | 1,693 | 64.7 | +11.5 |
| | Labour | Helen Abrahams | 421 | 16.1 | +1.7 |
| | Green | Sonya Mallin | 243 | 9.3 | N/A |
| | Liberal Democrats | Iona Harte | 235 | 9.0 | −11.0 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1272 | 48.6 | |
| Rejected ballots | Rejected ballots | Rejected ballots | 23 | 0.9 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 40.0 | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |

### Salvington

Salvington :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Richard Nowak | 1,508 | 59.0 | +14.4 |
| | Labour | Lysanne Skinner | 440 | 17.2 | +3.5 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Jackie Cranefield | 372 | 14.5 | +2.2 |
| | Green | Stephen Rhodes | 220 | 8.6 | −2.0 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1068 | 41.8 | |
| Rejected ballots | Rejected ballots | Rejected ballots | 18 | 0.7 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 35.6 | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |

### Selden

Selden :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Jon Roser | 1,115 | 46.4 | −1.6 |
| | Conservative | Sarah Blake | 848 | 35.3 | +4.9 |
| | Green | Melanie Ling | 226 | 9.4 | −3.2 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Yvonne Leonard | 138 | 5.7 | −3.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 267 | 11.1 | |
| Rejected ballots | Rejected ballots | Rejected ballots | 77 | 3.2 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 37.9 | |
| | Labour gain from Conservative | Labour gain from Conservative | Swing | | |

### Tarring

Tarring :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Democrats | Hazel Thorpe | 920 | 38.5 | −3.8 |
| | Conservative | John Salisbury | 630 | 26.4 | +9.1 |
| | Labour | Pauline Fraser | 604 | 25.3 | +3.0 |
| | Green | Constantine De Goguel | 165 | 6.9 | −0.5 |
| | Libertarian | Marco Di Paola | 46 | 1.9 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 290 | 12.1 | |
| Rejected ballots | Rejected ballots | Rejected ballots | 22 | 1.0 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | | 37.1 | |
| | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Swing | | |

## By-elections
### Marine

Marine: 2 December 2021 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Vicki Wells | 1,239 | 50.2 | +3.2 |
| | Conservative | Syed Ahmed | 972 | 39.4 | −3.3 |
| | Green | Sonya Mallin | 145 | 5.9 | ±0.0 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Emma Norton | 112 | 4.5 | ±0.0 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 267 | 10.8 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,468 | 37.4 | |
| | Labour gain from Conservative | Labour gain from Conservative | Swing | 3.2 | |