The 2023 Ashfield District Council election took place on 4 May 2023, to elect all 35 members of Ashfield District Council in Nottinghamshire, England. This was on the same day as other local elections in England.
The previous election occurred in 2019, and resulted in the Ashfield Independents winning in a landslide victory of 30 seats. The 2023 election saw the Ashfield Independents increase their majority, finishing with 32 seats.
Background Labour controlled Ashfield from its creation in 1973 until 2003, when it fell into no overall control. Labour regained control in 2011 and held the council until 2019, when the Ashfield Independents won a large victory. In that election, Ashfield Independents won 30 seats with 64.6% of the vote, Labour won 2 with 18.2%, and the Conservatives won 3 with 11.2%.
Previous council composition After 2019 election Before 2023 election Party Seats Party Seats 30 28 3 3 2 2 0 2 Changes Melanie Darrington leaves Ashfield Independents to sit as an independent Ciaran Brown (Ashfield Independents) resigns; by-election held May 2021 April 2020: Anthony Brewer (Ashfield Independents) dies; by-election held May 2021 May 2020: David Hennigan leaves Ashfield Independents to sit as an independent May 2021: Jamie Bell (Ashfield Independents) and Will Bostock (Ashfield Independents) win by-elections August 2022: Jim Blagden (Ashfield Independents) dies; by-election held November 2022 November 2022: Nick Parvin (Ashfield Independents) wins by-election
Results summary The overall results were as follows:
+PartySeatsAggregate Votes Candidates Total Gains LossesNet +/-Of all (%)Total Of all (%)Difference 35 32 4 2 2 91.4 25,412 51.6 - 32 2 1 2 1 5.7 9,844 20.0 - 31 1 1 2 1 2.9 13,070 26.6 - 3 0 0 0 0.0 615 1.2 - 3 0 0 0 0.0 82 0.2 New 1 0 0 0 0.0 27 0.1 - 1 0 0 0 0.0 153 0.3 New Total 106 35 49,203 100.0
Ward results The results for each ward were as follows, with an asterisk (*) indicating an incumbent councillor standing for re-election:
Abbey Hill
Annesley & Kirkby Woodhouse
Ashfields
Carsic
Greenwood & Summit
Hucknall Central
Hucknall North
Hucknall South
Hucknall West
Huthwaite & Brierley
Jacksdale & Westwood
Kingsway
Kirkby Cross & Portland
Larwood
Leamington
Selston
Skegby
Stanton Hill & Teversal
Sutton Central & New Cross
Sutton Junction & Harlow Wood
Sutton St Mary's
The Dales
Underwood
Changes 2023–2027
Council leader Jason Zadrozny, arrested in November 2022, was charged in June 2023 and is due to stand trial on 24 August 2026; see Changes 2019–2023 on the 2019 election article for the full account. November 2024: Dawn Justice (Underwood) defects from the Conservative Party to Reform UK, becoming the party's first councillor on Ashfield District Council. Her move left Phil Rostance (Hucknall West) as the council's only remaining Conservative; the two later formed a joint Conservative–Reform UK opposition group, with Rostance as Leader of the Opposition. January 2025: Andy Gascoyne (Selston) defects from Ashfield Independents to Reform UK, becoming its second councillor on the authority. 7 February 2025: Cathy Mason (Carsic) defects from the Labour Party to Reform UK, becoming the first Labour councillor in the country to do so and leaving the authority without any Labour representation. January 2026: Kier Barsby (Sutton St Mary's) leaves the Ashfield Independents group to sit as an unaligned independent, amid a dispute over deputy leader Tom Hollis; Barsby said he had resigned over concern that the authority was being brought into disrepute, while group leader Jason Zadrozny said Barsby had been removed from the group.
No by-elections have been held on the council since the 4 May 2023 election.
References