Friday 5th May, 2023
And so there we have it: the dullest set of local election results in Colchester since, since, well, the last time that another LibLab coalition got to carve up the action.
Sometimes democracy is dull; sometimes dullness helps to guide you through what is a difficult path ahead.
The overall scores on the doors after the 2023 local election results for Colchester City Council are:
Conservative 19; Liberal Democrats 15; Labour 15; Green Party 2.
The turn out was a poor 31%.
No seats changed hands in each of the 13 wards. Expect another LibLab coalition to be formed in the coming days.
Party Leaders will probably want to watch the new King have a crown plonked on his head, before sitting down and working out the detail.
The detail could actually be the most interesting part. The LibDems and Labour both have a claim to wearing the Sunny Colch crown. Both parties have 15 Councillors, both parties will push hard for the position of leading the coalition and the Council.
Usually it all falls to the incumbent who is in poll position. It’s unlikely that LibDem Cllr Dave King will be removed as Leader. He is well respected across parties. His previous Civil Service career means that is he well skilled at coalition building.
As for the results?
There’s not a lot to update with tbh. Same as it ever was.
But here’s a brief walk through of some of the highs and lows from the election count overnight.
Disclaimer: there wasn’t really any highs, apart from a second recount for the Battle of Prettygate.
Labour Leader Chris Pearson was comfortably returned in Berechurch.
Castle ward saw another resounding victory for the Greens and Mark Goacher. Now don’t go and do anything stupid, like jumping ship and joining the Labour party.
Greenstead is Mayor fiefdom territory. Cllr Tim Young walked all over the patch once again.
Highwoods was interesting – to a point. Remember this was the scene of the very odd by-elections late last year. With the ‘independent’ Oxford family walking away, two seats back in December led to a Labour and LibDem Councillor being elected.
Five months later and it’s the LibDem lot that have come up smiling on Friday morning. It seems that residents in Highwoods vote for candidates, rather than parties. Which is good, right?
Well done to Conservative Lewis Barber who was once again elected in Lexden and Braiswick. He worked the patch well and didn’t take his vote for granted. Lewis would hate us for saying this, but he is more of a centre independent voice on the Council than a true blue Tory.
Marks Tey and Layer was never going to be anything but a Tory hold.
Indie John Akker is edging ever close over on Mersea and Pyfleet. He came within 250 votes of beating the Tories on the island. Having a genuine indie voice on the Council would be no bad thing.
Mile End remains solid LibDem territory. Nothing to see here.
New Town and Christ Church (aka as alternative Southwark Labour) saw Labour’s Sam McLean elected once again. The Comrades were nervous about this ward and put the foot work in over recent works. This paid off with a little help from their S Ldn friends.
Old Heath and Hythe is another Labour stronghold. We did raise a smile though to see John Drew, Local Independent Candidate For Commonsense Policies, managing to clock up 166 votes. Which begs the question: are the policies put forward by other parties not common sense?
Ask a stupid question…
And then we get to Prettygate. The LibDems put up a hell of a fight – for the past month, at least. It almost paid off. LibDem John Loxley came within 22 votes of unseating Tory Leigh Tate. It took two recounts to deliver the result.
A LibDem gain in Prettygate would have been the shock of the night. It would also have sealed the LibDems position as the senior partner in the coalition.
Oh well.
Meanwhile over in Rural North and a muppet wearing a blue rosette would win. Well done to Thomas Rowe.
Shrub End was close with Labour pushing hard in recent weeks. But once again this was a LibDem hold. It shows the value of a hard working and well respected local Councillor in Sam McCarthy.
St Anne’s and St John’s was another LibDem hold. Spot the theme here?
Likewise for Stanway. Lesley Scott-Boutell is well respected around her patch. Say what you like about the LibDems, but they understand the power of community politics in Colchester. It means that Cllr Scott-Boutell can always take up the position of Mayor in a few weeks.
Tiptree saw a return of ex-Tory Leader Paul Dundas. We don’t think he is back to simply make up the numbers.
And finally we reach Wivenhoe. It’s always finally with Wivenhoe…
Another ex-Leader in LibDem Mark Cory blew away Labour yet again. The town was until recently a two way split between the two parties. Somehow Labour have let this one slip through their fingers.
We could speculate that it’s the bloody Garden Village (also LibDem backed), the choice of recent candidates, or even Wivenhoe just being WEIRD. But in the end it’s more like the hard work and respect that Cllr Cory secures around the town.
Well done to all candidates for standing. Yeah, democracy is dull, but it seems to work around here.
After a long weekend of rest, we expect news of the new coalition and Cabinet to start to leak out next week.
The policy implications will also see no change. Colchester is a town / city embedded in consensus politics.
We’ve no idea what policies the Labour group will put forward however. Unlike the Tories and the LibDems, the candidates were elected without a manifesto – which kinda makes it hard to hold them to account.
How convenient.
The full list of results are available over here.
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