The 2023 Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council election took place on 4 May 2023 to elect members of Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council. It took place on the same day as other local elections. Seventeen members of the council were elected, one from each of the wards. This set of seats was last up for election in 2019.
Labour retained its majority on the council, making two gains in Darwen.
Background The 17 seats being contested were held prior to the election as follows: Labour: 12 defences (25 other seats) Conservative: 4 defences (9 other seats) Liberal Democrat: 1 defence (0 other seats)
Summary
Election result
Councillors standing down
CouncillorWardFirst electedPartyDate announcedPaul BrowneDarwen East2019Liberal Democrats28 March 2023Zainab RawatShear Brow and Corporation Park2019Labour28 March 2023
Ward results Comparisons for the purpose of determining a gain, hold or loss of a seat, is to the last time these specific seats were up for election in 2019. An asterisk indicates the incumbent councillor (*).
The Statement of Persons Nominated details the candidates standing in each ward. It was released on 5 April 2023.
Audley & Queen's Park
Bastwell & Daisyfield
Billinge & Beardwood
Blackburn Central
Blackburn South & Lower Darwen
Blackburn South East
Darwen East
Darwen South
Darwen West
Ewood
Little Harwood & Whitebirk
Livesey with Pleasington
Mill Hill & Moorgate
Roe Lee
Shear Brow & Corporation Park
Wensley Fold
West Pennine
Changes 2023–2024
Hussain Akhtar (Shear Brow & Corporation Park) left the Labour Party in July 2023 and sat as an independent councillor before rejoining Labour in February 2024. 14 October 2023: Mohammed Irfan (Billinge & Beardwood) was suspended by the Labour Party over an anti-Israel social media post, and sat thereafter as an independent councillor. 19 October 2023: Tiger Patel (Audley & Queen's Park) left the Conservative Party over the government's stance on the Israel–Gaza war and continued to sit as an independent councillor. 26 October 2023 – 6 November 2023: Saj Ali (Roe Lee), Abdul Patel (Little Harwood & Whitebirk), Salim Sidat (Audley & Queen's Park), Salma Patel (Shear Brow & Corporation Park), Mustafa Desai (Little Harwood & Whitebirk), Suleman Khonat (Shear Brow & Corporation Park) and Samim Desai (Blackburn Central) left the Labour Party over its position on the Israel–Gaza war, as part of the same wave of resignations, and continued to sit as independent councillors.
References