2023 Colchester City Council election

The 2023 Colchester City Council election took place on 4 May 2023 to elect members of Colchester City Council in Essex, England. This was on the same day as other local elections across England. There were 17 of the 51 seats on the council up for election, being the usual third of the council, with one seat available for each ward. This set of seats were last contested at the 2019 election.

Prior to the election the council was under no overall control, being run by a Liberal Democrat, Labour and Green coalition. No seats changed party at the election, but after the election the coalition broke down and a minority Liberal Democrat administration formed instead.

Overview
Following the last election in 2022 a Liberal Democrat, Labour and Green coalition had formed to replace the previous Conservative and independent coalition. David King (Mile End), a Liberal Democrat, was subsequently elected leader of the council, replacing Paul Dundas (Stanway) of the Conservatives, who had lost his seat. A new Cabinet was formed consisting of four Liberal Democrats, three Labour, and one Green Party member.

No seats changed party at the 2023 election and so the council remained under no overall control. However, immediately after the election the coalition broke up when the National Executive Committee of the Labour Party directed that the Labour group could only stay in the coalition if a Labour leader of the council was appointed, which the other parties did not agree to. At the subsequent annual council meeting on 24 May 2023 a Liberal Democrat minority administration formed instead, still led by David King. The Labour and Green groups voted in support of the minority administration forming.

Although there were no changes in seats, the Conservatives and Labour both lost vote share compared to 2022, with the Liberal Democrats - who came only 100 votes behind the Conservatives in the overall popular vote - and Green Party both making modest advances.

In the marginal wards of Shrub End and Highwoods, the Liberal Democrats held off strong challenges from Labour, whilst the Conservatives held the formerly safe seat of Prettygate over the Liberal Democrat challenger by less than 1%.

Former Conservative leader Paul Dundas, who had lost his seat in 2022, was re-elected to the council and was reappointed as Conservative group leader in place of Darius Laws. The Labour group also changed its leader after the election, with Julie Young replacing Chris Pearson.

2022

 * May 30: Martin Leatherdale (Lexden & Braiswick) leaves the Conservative group to sit as an Independent before resigning several days later, triggering a by-election.
 * July 28: A by-election is held in Lexden & Braiswick. Sara Naylor is elected for the Conservatives.
 * September 28: Mark Goacher (Castle) leaves the Green group to sit as an Independent.
 * October 20: Independent councillors Gerard Oxford (Highwoods) and Beverly Oxford (Highwoods) resign, triggering a double by-election.
 * November 24: Colchester is granted City status, with Colchester Borough Council changing its name to Colchester City Council.
 * December 8: A double by-election is held in Highwoods. Catherine Bickersteth (Labour) and Alison Jay (Liberal Democrats) are elected.
 * December 15: Steph Nissen (Castle), the leader of the Green group on the council, leaves the Green Party and defects to Labour. The same day, former Green and sitting Independent, Mark Goacher (Castle), announced he would rejoin the Green group that he had left several months previously. He subsequently becomes leader of the Green group.

2023

 * March 2: Deputy Leader of the Council and Labour group leader, Adam Fox (Old Heath & The Hythe), announces his intention to resign as Labour group leader and stand down as a councillor when his term expires in May 2023.
 * March 8: Chris Pearson (Berechurch) is elected as Labour group leader.
 * March 27: Notice of election published.
 * April 4: Candidate nominations close at 4pm.
 * April 5: Statement of Persons Nominated released.
 * April 17: Deadline to register to vote.
 * April 18: Deadline to register for a postal vote.
 * April 24: Deadline to register for a proxy vote.
 * May 4: Date of election. Polling stations open between 7am and 10pm.

Ward results
The Statement of Persons Nominated details the candidates standing in each ward. It was released on 5 April 2023.

Incumbent councillors are marked with an asterisk *

Highwoods
A by-election was called following the resignation of Cllr Catherine Bickersteth (Labour).