Elections to City of York Council took place on 4 May 2023, as part of the United Kingdom local elections. They were held on the same day as other local elections in England. The incumbent leader of the council and leader of the Liberal Democrats, Keith Aspden did not stand for re-election, with it being announced ahead of the elections that Nigel Ayre would be the Liberal Democrats' new leader.

At the election Labour took a majority of the seats on the council. While the Liberal Democrats had a net loss of only two seats, they were rendered unable to continue in power after their coalition partners, the Green Party, lost all their seats on the council. The Conservative Party, who had led the council in a coalition with the Liberal Democrats between 2015 and 2019, made only a minor recovery with a net gain of one seat. The Labour Party took seven seats, and was able to form an administration with a majority of one. At the subsequent annual council meeting on 25 May 2023 the Labour leader, Claire Douglas, was appointed the new leader of the council.

Results summary

Ward results

Sitting councillors are marked with an asterisk (*).

Acomb ward

* Represented the Acomb ward of City of York Council, 2019-2023 † Represented the Pickering West ward of Ryedale District Council, 2011-2015

Bishopthorpe ward

The parishes of Acaster Malbis and Bishopthorpe

Clifton ward

* Represented the Clifton ward of City of York Council, 2015-2023

† Represented the Rawcliffe and Skelton ward of City of York Council, 1999-2003, and the Skelton, Rawcliffe, and Clifton Without ward of City of York Council, 2003-2007

Copmanthorpe ward

The parish of Copmanthorpe

* Represented the Rural West York ward of City of York Council, 2011-2019

† Represented the Copmanthorpe ward of City of York Council, 2015-2023

‡ Represented the Micklegate ward of City of York Council, 2015-2019

Dringhouses and Woodthorpe ward

* Represented the Dringhouses and Woodthorpe ward of City of York Council, 2015-2023

† Represented the Dringhouses and Woodthorpe ward of City of York Council, 2019-2023

‡ Represented the Holgate ward of York City Council, 1992-1996, and the Holgate ward of City of York Council, 1995-2003

Fishergate ward

* Represented the Fishergate ward of City of York Council, 2003-2023

Fulford and Heslington ward

The parish of Fulford and part of the parish of Heslington

Guildhall ward

* Represented the Holgate ward of City of York Council, 2019-2023

† Represented the Bishophill ward of York City Council, 1982-1996, the Bishophill ward of City of York Council, 1995-2003, and the Micklegate ward of City of York Council, 2003-2015

‡ Represented the Guildhall ward of City of York Council, 2015-2023

Haxby and Wigginton ward

The parishes of Haxby and Wigginton

* Represented the Haxby and Wigginton ward of City of York Council, 2019-2023

† Represented the Strensall ward of City of York Council, 2003-2007, and the Haxby and Wigginton ward of City of York Council, 2011-2023

Heworth ward

* Represented the Heworth ward of City of York Council, 2019-2023

† Represented the Osbaldwick / Heworth division of North Yorkshire County Council, 1985-1996, and the Osbaldwick ward of City of York Council, 1999-2011

Heworth Without ward

The parish of Heworth Without

* Represented the Heworth Without ward of City of York Council, 2007-2023

Holgate ward

* Represented the Holgate ward of City of York Council, 2018-2023

Hull Road ward

Part of the parish of Heslington

* Represented the Hull Road ward of City of York Council, 2017-2023 † Represented the Ripon East division of North Yorkshire County Council, 1989-1993

Huntington and New Earswick ward

The parishes of Huntington and New Earswick

* Represented the Huntington and New Earswick ward of City of York Council, 2003-2023

† Represented the Huntington and New Earswick ward of City of York Council, 1999-2023

‡ Represented the Huntington and New Earswick ward of City of York Council, 2015-2023

§ Represented the Rawcliffe and Clifton Without ward of City of York Council, 2015-2019

Micklegate ward

* Represented the Micklegate ward of City of York Council, 2017-2023

† Represented the Micklegate ward of City of York Council, 2019-2023

‡ Represented the Holgate ward of City of York Council, 2003-2007

Osbaldwick and Derwent ward

The parishes of Dunnington, Holtby, Kexby, Murton, and Osbaldwick

* Represented the Osbaldwick ward of City of York Council, 2011-2015, and the Osbaldwick and Derwent ward of City of York Council, 2015-2023

† Represented the Osbaldwick ward of City of York Council, 2019-2023

‡ Previously a Liberal Democrat councillor for the Lewes Priory ward of Lewes District Council

Rawcliffe and Clifton Without ward

The parishes of Clifton Without and Rawcliffe

* Represented the Rawcliffe and Clifton Without ward of City of York Council, 2019-2023

† Represented the Rawcliffe and Clifton Without ward of City of York Council, 2015-2019

Rural West York ward

The parishes of Askham Bryan, Askham Richard, Hessay, Nether Poppleton, Rufforth with Knapton, Skelton, and Upper Poppleton

* Represented the Rural West York ward of City of York Council, 2019-2023

† Represented the Acomb ward of City of York Council, 2015-2019

‡ Represented the Dringhouses and Woodthorpe ward of City of York Council, 2011-2015

Strensall ward

The parishes of Earswick, Stockton-on-the-Forest, and Strensall with Towthorpe

* Represented the Haxby West ward of Ryedale District Council, 1987-1996, and the Strensall ward of City of York Council, 2019-2023

† Represented the Rural West York ward of City of York Council, 2007-2015

‡ Represented the Strensall ward of City of York Council, 2011-2023

Westfield ward

* Represented the Westfield ward of York City Council, 1994-1996, and the Westfield ward of City of York Council, 1999-2011 and 2014-2023

† Represented the Hayling ward of Three Rivers District Council, 2002-2009

‡ Represented the Westfield ward of City of York Council, 2019-2023

Wheldrake ward

The parishes of Deighton, Elvington, Naburn, and Wheldrake

* Represented the Wheldrake ward of City of York Council, 2003-2011 and 2019-2023

Changes 2023-2027

In March 2026, Mark Warters, elected as an independent councillor in Osbaldwick and Derwent, joined Restore Britain.

By-elections Three by-elections were held to City of York Council during the 2023–2027 term.

Hull Road

The by-election was triggered by the resignation of Labour councillor Sophie Kelly, who said the demands of the role had taken too much of a toll on her personal life.

Haxby and Wigginton

The by-election was triggered by the resignation of Liberal Democrat councillor Ed Pearson, who cited work commitments and a wish to spend more time with his family and focus on his health and wellbeing.

Heworth

The by-election was triggered by the resignation of Labour councillor Ben Burton and was decisive in determining control of the council.

Labour retained the seat on a reduced vote share, allowing it to retain its overall majority on the council.

References