# 2023 Coventry City Council election

The 2023 Coventry City Council election took place on 4 May 2023. One third of councillors — 18 out of 54 — on Coventry City Council was elected. The election took place alongside other local elections across the United Kingdom.
The Labour Party retained its majority on the council, although it did lose one seat to the Green Party.

## Background
### History

The Local Government Act 1972 created a two-tier system of metropolitan counties and districts covering Greater Manchester, Merseyside, South Yorkshire, Tyne and Wear, the West Midlands, and West Yorkshire starting in 1974. Coventry was a district of the West Midlands metropolitan county. The Local Government Act 1985 abolished the metropolitan counties, with metropolitan districts taking on most of their powers as metropolitan boroughs. The West Midlands Combined Authority was created in 2016 and began electing the mayor of the West Midlands from 2017, which was given strategic powers covering a region coterminous with the former West Midlands metropolitan county.
Coventry Council has variously been under Labour control, Conservative control and no overall control since it was established. Labour most recently gained control of the council in the 2010 election, when they gained six seats at the expense of the Conservatives and Socialist Alternative. Labour continued to make gains to consolidate its majority on the council in the 2011 and 2012 elections, since when the party's position has remained stable. In the 2022 Coventry City Council election, Labour won 13 of the seats up for election with 48.1% of the vote, the Conservatives won five seats with 29.3% of the vote, and the Greens won one seat with 10.4% of the vote. Labour maintained its majority on the council.
Positions up for election in 2023 were last elected in 2019. In that election, Labour won fourteen seats and the Conservatives won four seats.
Labour retained its majority on the council.

### Electoral process

The council elects its councillors in thirds, with a third being up for election every year for three years, with no election in the fourth year. The election will take place by first-past-the-post voting, with wards being represented by three councillors, with one councillor elected in each ward each election year to serve a four-year term.
All registered electors (British, Irish, Commonwealth and European Union citizens) living in Coventry aged 18 or over will be entitled to vote in the election. People who live at two addresses in different councils, such as university students with different term-time and holiday addresses, are entitled to be registered for and vote in elections in both local authorities. Voting in-person at polling stations will take place from 07:00 to 22:00 on election day, and voters will be able to apply for postal votes or proxy votes in advance of the election. People voting in this election in Coventry only vote for a councillor in the ward they reside.

## Previous council composition

| After 2022 election | After 2022 election | After 2022 election | Before 2023 election | Before 2023 election | Before 2023 election |
| Party | Party | Seats | Party | Party | Seats |
| | Labour | 39 | | Labour | 38 |
| | Conservative | 14 | | Conservative | 15 |
| | Green | 1 | | Green | 1 |

## Summary
### Election result

2023 Coventry 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 % | +/− |
| | Labour | 13 | 1 | 72.2 | 24 | 37 | 68.5 | 31,304 | 50.4 | +2.3 |
| | Conservative | 4 | | 22.2 | 11 | 15 | 27.8 | 18,301 | 29.5 | +0.2 |
| | Green | 1 | 1 | 5.6 | 1 | 2 | 3.7 | 5,802 | 9.3 | –1.1 |
| | Coventry Citizens | 0 | | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 3,007 | 4.8 | +0.4 |
| | Liberal Democrats | 0 | | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 2,110 | 3.4 | +0.3 |
| | TUSC | 0 | | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 1,349 | 2.2 | +0.7 |
| | ADF | 0 | | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 110 | 0.2 | ±0.0 |
| | Reform UK | 0 | | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 93 | 0.1 | N/A |

## Ward results

Asterisks denote incumbent councillors seeking re-election.

### Bablake

Bablake (1) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Tarlochan Jandu* | 1,770 | 46.2 | –3.8 |
| | Labour Co-op | Beatriec Christopher | 1,393 | 36.4 | +2.9 |
| | Green | Niall Webb | 283 | 7.4 | +0.4 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Russell Field | 186 | 4.9 | +0.1 |
| | Coventry Citizens | Tony Middleton | 180 | 4.7 | ±0.0 |
| | TUSC | Ted Woodley | 20 | 0.5 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 377 | 9.8 | |
| Rejected ballots | Rejected ballots | Rejected ballots | 8 | | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,832 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | 3.4 | |

### Binley and Willenhall

Binley and Willenhall (1) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Ram Lakha* | 1,380 | 45.3 | +4.0 |
| | Coventry Citizens | Paul Cowley | 970 | 31.8 | +12.5 |
| | Conservative | Akpevwe Odje | 540 | 17.7 | –11.2 |
| | ADF | Marianne-Angela Fitzgerald | 110 | 3.6 | +0.2 |
| | TUSC | Michael Morgan | 47 | 1.5 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 410 | 13.5 | |
| Rejected ballots | Rejected ballots | Rejected ballots | 17 | | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,047 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | 4.3 | |

### Cheylesmore

Cheylesmore (1) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Richard Brown* | 1,671 | 44.3 | +5.5 |
| | Conservative | Amarjit Khangura | 1,487 | 39.4 | –7.6 |
| | Green | Bruce Tetlow | 263 | 7.0 | +1.4 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Anna Richmond | 174 | 4.6 | –0.3 |
| | Coventry Citizens | Ian Stringfellow | 124 | 3.3 | +1.2 |
| | TUSC | Judy Griffiths | 53 | 1.4 | –0.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 184 | 4.9 | |
| Rejected ballots | Rejected ballots | Rejected ballots | 16 | | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,772 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | 6.6 | |

### Earlsdon

Earlsdon (1) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour Co-op | Becky Gittins* | 2,627 | 52.3 | –0.7 |
| | Conservative | Zaid Rehman | 1,467 | 29.2 | +0.2 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Stephen Richmond | 367 | 7.3 | –1.6 |
| | Green | John Finlayson | 350 | 7.0 | +2.3 |
| | Coventry Citizens | Cameron Baxter | 148 | 2.9 | –0.5 |
| | TUSC | Adam Harmsworth | 66 | 1.3 | +0.4 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,160 | 23.1 | |
| Rejected ballots | Rejected ballots | Rejected ballots | 17 | | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 5,025 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | 0.5 | |

### Foleshill

Foleshill (1) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Abdul Khan* | 2,409 | 78.5 | +32.5 |
| | Conservative | Ken Taylor | 446 | 14.5 | +5.0 |
| | TUSC | Mila Matharu | 213 | 6.9 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,963 | 64.0 | |
| Rejected ballots | Rejected ballots | Rejected ballots | 26 | | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,068 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | 13.8 | |

### Henley

Henley (1) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Patricia Seaman* | 2,017 | 62.6 | +7.8 |
| | Conservative | Farzad Misaghi | 659 | 20.5 | –7.7 |
| | Green | Cathy Wattebot | 279 | 8.7 | ±0.0 |
| | Coventry Citizens | Thomas Watts | 215 | 6.7 | +0.3 |
| | TUSC | Aidan O'Toole | 51 | 1.6 | –0.3 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,358 | 42.1 | |
| Rejected ballots | Rejected ballots | Rejected ballots | 21 | | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,242 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | 7.8 | |

### Holbrook

Holbrook (1) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Green | Esther Reeves | 1,566 | 44.6 | –6.7 |
| | Labour Co-op | Lynette Kelly | 1,487 | 42.4 | +3.1 |
| | Conservative | Mike Ballinger | 396 | 11.3 | +4.2 |
| | TUSC | Jim Hensman | 60 | 1.7 | +0.9 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 79 | 2.2 | |
| Rejected ballots | Rejected ballots | Rejected ballots | 18 | | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,509 | | |
| | Green gain from Labour Co-op | Green gain from Labour Co-op | Swing | 4.9 | |

### Longford

Longford (1) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Linda Bigham* | 1,991 | 67.6 | +6.7 |
| | Conservative | William Sidhu | 521 | 17.7 | –2.1 |
| | Green | Danny Foulstone | 228 | 7.7 | –1.4 |
| | Coventry Citizens | Sian Williamson | 150 | 5.1 | +0.5 |
| | TUSC | Alan Checklin | 56 | 1.9 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,470 | 49.9 | |
| Rejected ballots | Rejected ballots | Rejected ballots | 14 | | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,960 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | 4.4 | |

### Lower Stoke

Lower Stoke (1) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour Co-op | John McNicholas | 2,142 | 55.6 | –3.9 |
| | Conservative | Pratibha Reddy | 890 | 23.1 | +2.0 |
| | Green | Thomas Jewell | 335 | 8.7 | –1.8 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Andre Escorio Rodrigues Soares | 201 | 5.2 | N/A |
| | Coventry Citizens | Dani Stringfellow | 190 | 4.9 | –0.6 |
| | TUSC | John O'Sullivan | 93 | 2.4 | –1.0 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,252 | 32.5 | |
| Rejected ballots | Rejected ballots | Rejected ballots | 14 | | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,865 | | |
| | Labour Co-op hold | Labour Co-op hold | Swing | 3.0 | |

### Radford

Radford (1) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Maya Ali* | 1,686 | 60.1 | –1.0 |
| | Conservative | Muhammad Tariq | 535 | 19.1 | –1.2 |
| | Green | Julie Spriddle | 266 | 9.5 | +0.7 |
| | Coventry Citizens | Marcus Fogden | 199 | 7.1 | +1.2 |
| | TUSC | Dave Anderson | 118 | 4.2 | +0.3 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,151 | 41.0 | |
| Rejected ballots | Rejected ballots | Rejected ballots | 20 | | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,804 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | 0.1 | |

### Sherbourne

Sherbourne (1) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Gavin Lloyd* | 1,444 | 41.4 | +1.5 |
| | Conservative | Stephen Smith | 1,423 | 40.8 | +1.9 |
| | Green | David Priestley | 253 | 7.3 | –1.9 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Caroline Spence | 150 | 4.3 | –0.5 |
| | TUSC | Jane Nellist | 115 | 3.3 | –1.1 |
| | Coventry Citizens | Teri Fogden | 100 | 2.9 | +0.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 21 | 0.6 | |
| Rejected ballots | Rejected ballots | Rejected ballots | 10 | | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,495 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | 0.2 | |

### St Michael's

St Michael's (1) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Jim O'Boyle* | 1,869 | 66.2 | –3.6 |
| | Conservative | Ioannis Kalianidis | 313 | 11.1 | +1.2 |
| | TUSC | Dave Nellist | 221 | 7.8 | –1.6 |
| | Green | Chrissie Brown | 176 | 6.2 | –0.5 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Benoit Jones | 135 | 4.8 | N/A |
| | Coventry Citizens | Karen Wilson | 109 | 3.9 | –0.3 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,556 | 55.1 | |
| Rejected ballots | Rejected ballots | Rejected ballots | 12 | | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,823 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | 2.4 | |

### Upper Stoke

Upper Stoke (1) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Amirjit Kaur | 1,671 | 59.0 | +1.5 |
| | Conservative | Gurdeep Sohal | 492 | 17.4 | –2.3 |
| | Green | Laura Vesty | 356 | 12.6 | +0.5 |
| | Coventry Citizens | Gary Cooper | 247 | 8.7 | +1.0 |
| | TUSC | Terri Rosser | 67 | 2.4 | –0.6 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,179 | 41.6 | |
| Rejected ballots | Rejected ballots | Rejected ballots | 14 | | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,847 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | 1.9 | |

### Wainbody

Wainbody (1) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Tim Sawdon | 1,874 | 49.1 | –4.6 |
| | Labour | Mohammed Miah | 1,375 | 36.0 | +2.5 |
| | Green | Becky Finlayson | 271 | 7.1 | +2.1 |
| | Liberal Democrats | James Morshead | 213 | 5.6 | +0.1 |
| | Coventry Citizens | Adam Hancock | 86 | 2.3 | ±0.0 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 499 | 13.1 | |
| Rejected ballots | Rejected ballots | Rejected ballots | 5 | | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,824 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | 3.6 | |

### Westwood

Westwood (1) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Marcus Lapsa* | 1,689 | 47.1 | +7.6 |
| | Labour | Randhir Auluck | 1,397 | 38.9 | –3.4 |
| | Green | Jessica Marshall | 243 | 6.8 | –2.9 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Jamie Simpson | 196 | 5.5 | –1.0 |
| | TUSC | Jim Donnelly | 64 | 1.8 | –0.3 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 292 | 8.2 | |
| Rejected ballots | Rejected ballots | Rejected ballots | 17 | | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,605 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | 5.5 | |

### Whoberley

Whoberley (1) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Pervez Akhtar* | 1,871 | 54.5 | –7.0 |
| | Conservative | Del Chahal | 782 | 22.8 | –0.7 |
| | Green | Anne Patterson | 378 | 11.0 | +3.2 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Anna Grainger | 219 | 6.4 | +2.0 |
| | Coventry Citizens | Nate Lewis | 113 | 3.3 | +0.5 |
| | TUSC | Zoe Parker | 73 | 2.1 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,089 | 31.7 | |
| Rejected ballots | Rejected ballots | Rejected ballots | 8 | | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,436 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | 3.2 | |

### Woodlands

Woodlands (1) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Peter Male* | 2,093 | 52.4 | +1.4 |
| | Labour Co-op | Neil Rider | 1,325 | 33.1 | –1.4 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Mark Perryman | 269 | 6.7 | –0.2 |
| | Green | Lesley Sim | 228 | 5.7 | +1.2 |
| | TUSC | Sarah Davis | 83 | 2.1 | +0.7 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 768 | 19.3 | |
| Rejected ballots | Rejected ballots | Rejected ballots | 17 | | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,998 | | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | 1.4 | |

### Wyken

Wyken (1) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Robert Thay* | 1,549 | 50.0 | +1.6 |
| | Conservative | William Single | 924 | 29.8 | –4.5 |
| | Green | Russell Berry | 327 | 10.5 | –0.3 |
| | Coventry Citizens | Lorna Williams | 176 | 5.7 | –0.8 |
| | Reform UK | Iddrisu Sufyan | 93 | 3.0 | N/A |
| | TUSC | Samiul Islam | 32 | 1.0 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 625 | 20.2 | |
| Rejected ballots | Rejected ballots | Rejected ballots | 10 | | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,111 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | 3.1 | |

## By-elections
### Earlsdon

Earlsdon: 26 October 2023 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Lynette Kelly | 1,388 | 43.0 | –9.3 |
| | Conservative | Zaid Rehman | 1,017 | 31.5 | +2.3 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Stephen Richmond | 489 | 15.1 | +7.8 |
| | Green | John Finlayson | 193 | 6.0 | –1.0 |
| | Coventry Citizens | Cameron Baxter | 107 | 3.3 | +0.4 |
| | TUSC | Adam Harmsworth | 37 | 1.1 | –0.2 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 371 | 11.5 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,241 | | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | 5.8 | |