2023 Ashford Borough Council election

← 2019 4 May 2023 (2023-05-04) 2027 →
All 47 seats toAshford Borough Council 24 seats needed for a majority
First party Second party   Leader Gerry Clarkson Brendan Chilton Party Conservative Labour Last election 26 seats, 39.2% 7 seats, 14.9% Seats before 23 6 Seats won 19 11 Seat change 7 4 Popular vote 14,133 9,951 Percentage 35.7% 25.1% Swing 3.5% 9.1%   Third party Fourth party   Leader Noel Ovenden Steve Campkin & Liz Wright[a] Party Ashford Ind. Green Last election 11 seats, 19.1% 2 seats, 13.2% Seats before 10 4 Seats won 9 8 Seat change 2 6 Popular vote 5,919 7,183 Percentage 14.9% 18.1% Swing 4.2% 4.9%
Winner of each seat at the 2023 Ashford Borough Council election
Leader before election Gerry Clarkson Conservative No overall control Leader after election Noel Ovenden Ashford Independents No overall control

The2023 Ashford Borough Council election took place on 4 May 2023 to elect members ofAshford Borough Council inKent,England.^[1] This was on the same day as otherlocal elections in England.

At theprevious election in 2019, theConservatives had held onto a majority winning 26 seats out of the 47 up for election. In the intervening years a number of by-elections and defections caused the council to go intono overall control, with the Conservatives continuing to govern as a minority administration, led by Gerry Clarkson. He chose not to stand for re-election in 2023.^[2]

The council remained underno overall control following the election.^[3] The Conservatives remained the largest party, but a coalition of theAshford Independents and theGreens formed a minority administration, with Ashford Independent councillor Noel Ovenden being appointedleader of the council at the subsequent annual council meeting on 30 May 2023.^[4]

2023 Ashford Borough Council election
Party		Candidates	Seats	Gains	Losses	Net gain/loss	Seats %	Votes %	Votes	+/−
	Conservative	47	19	1	8	7	40.4	35.7	14,133	–3.5
	Labour	47	11	4	0	4	23.4	25.1	9,951	+9.1
	Ashford Ind.	18	9	2	4	2	19.1	14.9	5,919	–4.2
	Green	27	8	6	0	6	17.0	18.1	7,183	+4.9
	Independent	4	0	0	1	1	0.0	1.5	626	–0.1
	Liberal Democrats	15	0	0	0		0.0	3.9	1,549	–2.5
	Reform UK	1	0	0	0		0.0	0.2	90	N/A
	TUSC	2	0	0	0		0.0	0.2	107	N/A

The gain and losses in the above summary results table depict the difference between the 2019 election and the 2023 election. It does not reflect changes since any by-elections in the intervening years.

The Statement of Persons Nominated, which details the candidates standing in each ward, was released by Ashford Borough Council following the close of nominations on 5 April 2023.^[5] The results in each ward were as follows:^[6]

There had been a by-election held for one of the Beaver ward seats on 6 May 2021 which had resulted in the Conservatives gaining the seat from Labour.

There had been a by-election held for the Downs North ward seat on 19 August 2021 which resulted in the Green gaining the seat from the Conservatives.

There had been a by-election held for the Highfield ward seat on 16 December 2021 which resulted in the Greens gaining the seat from the Conservatives.

There had been a by-election held for the Park Farm North ward seat on 12 March 2020 which resulted in the Ashford Independents party gaining the seat from the Conservatives.

• Ashford Borough Council elections
• 2023 English local elections
• 2020s in Kent

• Articles with short description
• Short description matches Wikidata