The 2023 Liverpool City Council election took place on 4 May 2023 to elect members of

Liverpool City Council Liverpool City Council is the Local government in England, local authority for the City status in the United Kingdom, city of Liverpool in Merseyside, England. Liverpool has had a local authority since 1207, which has been reformed on numerous ...

. Following a Boundary Review by The Local Government Boundary Commission for England, the size of the council was reduced from 90 to 85 seats with a change from three-member seats, elected in thirds, three years out of every four, following the British Government instigated Best Value Inspection Report which led to the appointment by the government of Commissioners and the subsequent boundary review for Council Wards in Liverpool which the government initiated with the proviso that the number of councillors be reduced and the predominant number of wards be reduced to single members with all-up elections every four years. The election also marked the end of Liverpool's directly-elected mayoralty. After the election the council reverted to having a

leader of the council Leadership, is defined as the ability of an individual, group, or organization to "", influence, or guide other individuals, teams, or organizations. "Leadership" is a contested term. Specialist literature debates various viewpoints on the co ...

chosen from amongst the councillors instead. Labour retained control of the council and their group leader Liam Robinson became leader of the council after the election.

Candidates

304 candidates were validly nominated to stand in the election. Only the Labour Party contested all 85 seats. The Liberal Democrats fielded 62 candidates; the Green Party 56 and the Conservative Party 39. There were 37 independent candidates although many of these were actually candidates standing for the Liberate Liverpool party. The smaller parties fielded far fewer candidates, with the Liberal Party standing 10 candidates; Liverpool Community Independents standing 9 and Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition standing just 3 candidates.

Council composition

Before the election the composition of the council was: here was one vacancy following the resignation of Alison Clarke (Knotty Ash) on 22 November 2022. After the election the composition of the council was:

Retiring councillors (old wards)

Results summary

Voter photo ID

For the first time in local elections in England, voters had to produce photo ID in order to receive a ballot paper as a result of the

Elections Act 2022 The Elections Act 2022 (c. 37) is an act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that was introduced to the House of Commons in July 2021, and received royal assent on 28 April 2022. The act made photo identification compulsory for in-person vo ...

which was passed into law by the Conservative government. In Liverpool, at this election, a total of 516 electors were initially refused a ballot paper, of these 278 subsequently returned to the polling station with accepted photo ID and were issued with a ballot paper. 278 electors did not return to cast their vote. There were a total of 62,681 issued ballot papers, so the 278 electors who were refused ballot papers due to not producing acceptable photo ID amounted to 0.4% of the voters.

Results by ward

* member of the preceding council § standing as an independent but affiliated with the Liberate Liverpool party.

Aigburth

Allerton

Andrew Makinson (Lib Dems) was an outgoing councillor for the pre-2023 Church ward, and in the past, a councillor for Picton. Clare McIntyre (Labour) was an outgoing councillor for Wavertree. Labour initially selected Tris Brown, and his signature still appeared on their manifesto on their website then replaced him with student Joshua Falconer before subsequently replacing him with outgoing Wavertree councillor Clare McIntyre.

Anfield

Billy Marrat and Lena Simic were outgoing councillors for the pre-2023 Anfield ward.

Arundel

Laura Robertson-Collins was an outgoing councillor for Greenbank.

Belle Vale

Ruth Bennett was a councillor for the pre-2023 Belle Vale ward. Lynnie Hinnigan was a councillor for the pre-2023 Cressington ward.

Broadgreen

Nick Crofts was an outgoing councillor for Knotty Ash.

Brownlow Hill

Calderstones

Liz Makinson (Lib Dems) is an outgoing councillor for the pre-2023 Church ward.

Canning

Nathalie Nicholas was an outgoing councillor for Picton. + standing as an independent but previously affiliated with the Liberate Liverpool party, endorsement subsequently withdrawn after numerous offensive statements came to light.

Childwall

John Coyne (Green) was a councillor for the pre-2023 St. Michael's ward between 2004 and 2015, he was elected in 2004 for the Lib Dems but joined the Green Party in 2006. Pat Moloney (Lib Dems) was an outgoing councillor for the pre-2023 Childwall ward. Matthew Smyth (Labour) was a councillor between 2021 and 2023 for Clubmoor ward (as it existed between 2004 and 2023). Mike Storey (Lib Dems) was a councillor for Wavertree between 2004 and 2011, a councillor for the pre-2004 Church ward between 1984 and 2004, coincidentally a councillor for the pre-2004 Clubmoor ward between 1980 and 1984, and a councillor for the pre-1980 Clubmoor ward between 1973 and 1980.

Church

Carl Cashman (Lib Dems) was an outgoing councillor for the Knowsley ward of Prescot North.

City Centre North

Christine Banks and Nick Small were outgoing councillors for Central. Maria Toolan was an outgoing councillor for Central, elected as Labour.

City Centre South

Angela Coleman was an outgoing councillor for Wavertree. Elizabeth Hayden was an outgoing councillor for the pre-2023 Mossley Hill ward. Hetty Wood was an outgoing councillor for Riverside.

Clubmoor East

Clubmoor West

County

Gerard Woodhouse (Independent) was a Councillor for the pre-2023 County ward, elected as Labour.

Croxteth

Anthony Lavelle was a Councillor for the pre-2023 Croxteth ward.

Croxteth Country Park

Lila Bennett was an outgoing councillor for West Derby.

Dingle

Sarah Doyle and Steve Munby were both outgoing councillors for Riverside.

Edge Hill

Everton East

Ellie Byrne was an outgoing councillor for Everton.

Everton North

Everton West

Jane Corbett was an outgoing councillor for Everton.

Fazakerley East

Alfie Hincks was an outgoing councillor for Everton, elected as Labour. Frazer Lake was an outgoing councillor for Fazakerley.

Fazakerley North

Helen Stephens (Labour Coop) was an outgoing councillor for Fazakerley.

Fazakerley West

Paul Brant was an outgoing councillor for Fazakerley.

Festival Gardens

Garston

Sharon Connor was an outgoing councillor for Allerton and Hunts Cross. Sam Gorst was an outgoing councillor for Cressington, elected as Labour.

Gateacre

Kris Brown (Lib Dems) is an outgoing councilor for Woolton.

Grassendale & Cressington

Richard Clein was an outgoing councillor for Cressington.

Greenbank Park

Kensington & Fairfield

Liz Parsons was an outgoing councillor for the pre-2023 Norris Green ward between 2021 and 2023, and prior to that was a councillor for the pre-2023 Childwall ward between 2016 and 2021. Liam Robinson was an outgoing councillor for the pre-2023 Kensington and Fairfield ward. He is also the leader of the Liverpool Labour Party. Wendy Simon was an outgoing councillor for the pre-2023 Kensington and Fairfield ward.

Kirkdale East

Tricia O'Brien was an outgoing councillor for the pre-2023 Anfield ward between 2021 and 2023, and prior to that was a councillor for Cressington between 2016 and 2021.

Kirkdale West

Joe Hanson was an outgoing councillor for Kirkdale.

Knotty Ash & Dovecot Park

Harry Doyle was an outgoing councillor for Knotty Ash.

Mossley Hill

Rob McAllister-Bell (Lib Dems) was an outgoing councillor for the pre-2023 Mossley Hill ward.

Much Woolton & Hunts Cross

Mirna Juarez was an outgoing councillor for the pre-2023 Allerton and Hunts Cross ward. Carol Sung (Labour) was an outgoing councillor for the pre-2023 Croxteth ward, serving between 2021 and 2023, and prior to that a councillor for Tuebrook and Stoneycroft between 2015 and 2019.

Norris Green

Old Swan East

Old Swan West

William Shortall (Labour) was an outgoing councillor for Old Swan.

Orrell Park

Alan Gibbons was an outgoing councillor for Warbreck, elected as Labour. Alan Gibbons from the Liverpool Community Independents Party had succeeded Labour after holding Orrell Park for 17 years. He was 1 of 3 Independents to win a council election in Liverpool for over 50 years. One of the last was Eleanor Rathbone.

Penny Lane

Richard Kemp was an outgoing councillor for the pre-2023 Church ward, and was also leader of Liverpool Liberal Democrats at the time of the election.

Princes Park

Lucille Harvey was an outgoing councillor for the pre-2023 Princes Park ward.

Sandfield Park

Sefton Park

Smithdown

Dave Cummings (Liberate Liverpool standing as an Independent) was an outgoing councillor for Wavertree, elected as Labour.

Speke

Doreen Knight and Mary Rasmussen were both outgoing councillors for Speke-Garston.

Springwood

Kimberley Berry was an outgoing councillor for Allerton and Hunts Cross. Steve Fitzsimmons (Lib Dems) was a councillor, until 1998, for the pre-2004 Woolton ward as a Conservative, including serving as leader of the Liverpool Conservatives for a time. Subsequently, for a time, he was a Labour member and candidate. In 2019, he joined the Lib Dems and has stood as a Lib Dem candidate a few times.

St. Michael's

Tom Crone (Green) was an outgoing councillor for the pre-2023 St. Michael's ward and is leader of the Liverpool Green Party.

Stoneycroft

Steve Radford (Liberal) was an outgoing councillor for Tuebrook and Stoneycroft, and leader of the Liberal Party nationally and locally.

Toxteth

Tuebrook Breckside Park

Joe Dunne (Liberal) was an outgoing councillor for Tuebrook and Stoneycroft.

Tuebrook Larkhill

Billy Lake (Liberal) was an outgoing councillor for Tuebrook and Stoneycroft.

Vauxhall

Walton

Sam East was an outgoing councillor for Warbreck.

Waterfront North

Dave Hanratty was an outgoing councillor for Kirkdale and was previously a councillor for Fazakerley.

Waterfront South

Patrick Hurley was an outgoing councillor for the pre-2023 Mossley Hill ward.

Wavertree Garden Suburb

Alan Tormey (Liberal) was an outgoing councillor for the pre-2023 Childwall ward, elected as Lib Dem.

Wavertree Village

Josh Falconer was initially selected to contest Allerton but subsequently switched to Wavertree Village.

West Derby Deysbrook

John Prince (Labour) was an outgoing councillor for the pre-2023 Yew Tree ward.

West Derby Leyfield

West Derby Muirhead

Woolton Village

Malcolm Kelly (Lib Dems) was an outgoing councillor for Woolton.

Yew Tree

Dan Barrington was an outgoing councillor for West Derby. Barbara Murray was an outgoing councillor for the pre-2023 Yew Tree ward.

Comparison of ward electorates

The boundary review with the government mandated introduction of predominately single member wards the target ward electorate was 4,300 plus or minus 10% per councillor, based on estimated ward populations in 2027. The table below shows the variance from 4,300 per councillor for each ward based on 2023 electorates.

By-Elections

Fazakerley East By-Election 14th September 2023

Caused by the resignation of Frazer Lake on 3rd August 2023, following an OFSTED Report into Liverpool City Council's children's services.

Broadgreen By-Election 4th July 2024

Caused by the resignation of Cllr. Nick Crofts

Clubmoor East By-Election 4th July 2024

Caused by the resignation of Cllr. Louise Ashton

Fazakerley North By-Election 4th July 2024

Caused by the resignation of Cllr. Helen Avis (nee Stephens)

Much Woolton & Hunts Cross By-Election 23rd January 2025

Caused by the resignation of Cllr. Dave Aizlewood

Notes

References

{{2023 United Kingdom local elections Liverpool City Council election Elections in Merseyside 2020s in Liverpool