Local election in Portsmouth, England
The 2024 Portsmouth City Council election took place on Thursday 2 May 2024, alongside the other local elections in the United Kingdom on the same day. 14 of the 42 members of Portsmouth City Council in Hampshire were elected.
The council remained in No overall control, being led by a Liberal Democrats minority administration.[1]
Background
Portsmouth was created as a unitary authority in 1997. Labour controlled the council from its creation until 2000, when the council fell into no overall control.[2] The Liberal Democrats first won the council in 2010, and held a majority until 2014.[3] The Conservatives ran the council as a minority administration, with support from UKIP,[4] until 2018, when the Liberal Democrats formed a minority administration which has governed Portsmouth since.[5] In the previous election, the Liberal Democrats won 7 seats (up 1) with 29.3% of the vote, Labour won 2 with 27.5%, the Conservatives won 1 (down 5) with 19.6%, the Portsmouth Independent Party won 3 (up 3) with 16.2%, and independents won 1 (up 1) with 2.1%.
The seats up for election in 2024 were last contested in 2021; because of the delay of all local elections due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the seats are up for election after 3 years rather than the usual 4. In that election, the Conservatives gained 1 seat with 36.0% of the vote, the Liberal Democrats lost 2 with 26.6%, Labour held their 2 seats up for election with 28.0%, and independents gained 1 with 3.7%.
Previous council composition
After 2023 election | Before 2024 election[6] | After 2024 election |
Party | Seats | Party | Seats | Party | Seats |
| Liberal Democrats | 18 | | Liberal Democrats | 18 | | Liberal Democrats | 19 |
| Conservative | 8 | | Conservative | 8 | | Conservative | 4 |
| Labour | 7 | | Labour | 8 | | Labour | 8 |
| PIP | 6 | | PIP | 6 | | PIP | 9 |
| Independent | 3 | | Independent | 2 | | Independent | 2 |
Changes:
- Judith Smyth readmitted to Labour[7]
Results
2024 Portsmouth City Council election |
Party | This election | Full council | This election |
Seats | Net | Seats % | Other | Total | Total % | Votes | Votes % | +/− |
| Liberal Democrats | 7 | 1 | 50.0 | 12 | 19 | 45.2 | 12,492 | 30.0 | 0.7 |
| PIP | 4 | 3 | 28.6 | 5 | 9 | 21.4 | 9,578 | 23.0 | 6.8 |
| Labour | 2 | | 14.3 | 6 | 8 | 19.0 | 11,556 | 27.7 | 0.2 |
| Conservative | 1 | 4 | 7.1 | 3 | 4 | 9.5 | 6,745 | 16.2 | 3.4 |
| Independent | 0 | | 0 | 2 | 2 | 4.8 | 0 | 0.0 | 2.1 |
| Green | 0 | | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 2,050 | 4.5 | 0.1 |
| Reform UK | 0 | | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 423 | 1.0 | 0.4 |
| TUSC | 0 | | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 197 | 0.5 | 0.4 |
Ward results
Comparisons for the purpose of determining a gain, hold or loss of a seat, and for all percentage changes, is to the last time these specific seats were up for election in 2021. An asterisk indicates the incumbent councillor. The results for each ward were:[8]
Incumbents are marked with an asterisk:*
Baffins
Baffins Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| Liberal Democrats | Darren Sanders* | 1,595 | 50.4 | 3.3 |
| Conservative | Joseph Standen | 539 | 17.0 | 11.9 |
| Labour | Mark Andrew Farwell | 503 | 15.9 | 1.6 |
| PIP | Brannen Sime | 310 | 9.8 | N/A |
| Green | Bob Simmonds | 173 | 5.5 | 1.2 |
| TUSC | Rachel Rebecca Nolan | 42 | 1.3 | N/A |
Majority | 1056 | 33.4 | 15.2 |
Turnout | 3162 | 28.4 | 4.7 |
| Liberal Democrats hold | Swing | | |
Central Southsea
Central Southsea Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| Labour | Charlotte Rachel Gerada* | 1,780 | 48.7 | 6.4 |
| Liberal Democrats | Felix Totolici | 1298 | 35.5 | 3.7 |
| Conservative | Alison Hoare | 237 | 6.5 | 7.4 |
| Green | Dillon Alexander Jarman | 208 | 5.7 | 1.1 |
| PIP | Paris-Jade Wilson | 130 | 3.6 | N/A |
Majority | 482 | 13.2 | 10.1 |
Turnout | 3653 | 29.7 | 4.7 |
| Labour hold | Swing | | |
Charles Dickens
Charles Dickens Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| Labour | Raj Ghosh | 907 | 45.0 | 0.6 |
| Liberal Democrats | Renu Raj | 368 | 18.3 | 4.8 |
| Conservative | Thomas Gosling | 319 | 15.8 | 11.7 |
| PIP | Jaime Angela Custerson | 240 | 11.9 | N/A |
| Green | Miles Plested | 109 | 5.4 | N/A |
| TUSC | Chris Pickett | 72 | 3.6 | 0.1 |
Majority | 539 | 26.7 | 7.4 |
Turnout | 2015 | 14.8 | 4.5 |
| Labour hold | Swing | | |
Copnor
Copnor Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| PIP | Lee Matthew Tindal | 1,111 | 39.5 | N/A |
| Conservative | Lewis Mark David Gosling* | 740 | 26.3 | 26.9 |
| Labour | Andy Butterworth | 640 | 22.7 | 3.5 |
| Liberal Democrats | James Howitt | 190 | 6.7 | 3.3 |
| Green | Tim Sheerman-Chase | 135 | 4.8 | 5.8 |
Majority | 371 | 13.2 | |
Turnout | 2816 | 29.0 | 2.6 |
| PIP gain from Conservative | Swing | | |
Cosham
Cosham Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| PIP | Derek James North | 1,149 | 37.8 | N/A |
| Labour | Amanda Martin | 1009 | 33.2 | 2.0 |
| Conservative | Matthew Atkins* | 641 | 21.1 | 26.2 |
| Liberal Democrats | Julie Ann Spurgeon | 118 | 3.9 | 5.7 |
| Green | Josie McNally | 100 | 3.3 | N/A |
| TUSC | Nikki Doyle | 20 | 0.7 | N/A |
Majority | 140 | 4.6 | |
Turnout | 3037 | 30.1 | 3.7 |
| PIP gain from Conservative | Swing | | |
Drayton & Farlington
Drayton & Farlington Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| Conservative | Spencer Roy Gardner | 1,389 | 37.8 | 30.6 |
| PIP | Benjamin Simon Portet | 1267 | 34.5 | N/A |
| Labour | Ian Martin Ayres | 695 | 18.9 | 0.7 |
| Liberal Democrats | Claire Udy | 193 | 5.3 | 6.7 |
| Green | Paul Bleachy | 130 | 3.5 | N/A |
Majority | 122 | 3.3 | 45.5 |
Turnout | 3674 | 35.1 | 3.1 |
| Conservative hold | Swing | | |
Eastney & Craneswater
Eastney & Craneswater Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| Liberal Democrats | Nicholas Leigh Dorrington | 1,156 | 31.1 | 1.6 |
| Labour | Edward Batterbury | 1017 | 27.4 | 1.4 |
| PIP | Jack Smith | 725 | 19.5 | N/A |
| Conservative | Terry Henderson | 604 | 16.3 | 21.5 |
| Green | Tamara Liloutee Barbara Groen | 214 | 5.8 | 0.8 |
Majority | 139 | 3.7 | |
Turnout | 3716 | 37.8 | 7.2 |
| Liberal Democrats gain from Conservative | Swing | | |
Fratton
Fratton Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| Liberal Democrats | Stuart William Brown* | 824 | 31.7 | 3.5 |
| PIP | Jacob Lee Short | 729 | 27.9 | N/A |
| Labour | Steph Richards | 728 | 27.9 | 5.6 |
| Conservative | Tim Edwards | 208 | 8.0 | 16.4 |
| Green | Samet Menguc Chering-Alves | 111 | 4.3 | 1.0 |
Majority | 95 | 3.8 | 1.7 |
Turnout | 2600 | 24.6 | 3.0 |
| Liberal Democrats hold | Swing | | |
Hilsea
Hilsea Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| PIP | Matthew William Stringer Cordy | 1,493 | 54.7 | N/A |
| Conservative | Charles Douglas | 533 | 19.5 | 38.7 |
| Labour | Nicky Potts | 461 | 16.9 | 9.0 |
| Liberal Democrats | Peter John Williams | 148 | 5.4 | 3.4 |
| Green | Emma Louise Kimberley Murphy | 95 | 3.5 | 3.7 |
Majority | 960 | 35.2 | |
Turnout | 2730 | 27.0 | 2.7 |
| PIP gain from Conservative | Swing | | |
Milton
Milton Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| Liberal Democrats | Kimberly Emma Barrett* | 1,817 | 53.0 | 15.3 |
| Labour | Arif Hasan Choudhury | 949 | 27.7 | 4.3 |
| Green | Sarah Louise Shilling Gilbert | 231 | 6.7 | 0.6 |
| Conservative | Stephen Alexander Gorys | 220 | 6.4 | 16.7 |
| Reform UK | Rachel Faith Zimmer | 214 | 6.2 | N/A |
Majority | 868 | 25.3 | 19.7 |
Turnout | 3431 | 32.5 | 4.5 |
| Liberal Democrats hold | Swing | | |
Nelson
Nelson Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| Liberal Democrats | Richard James Adair | 903 | 37.1 | 6.5 |
| PIP | Gary Richard Fyles | 687 | 28.2 | N/A |
| Labour | Robin Stanley Head | 505 | 20.7 | 1.0 |
| Conservative | Erin May Hunt | 223 | 9.2 | 21.8 |
| Green | Duncan Stuart Robinson | 99 | 4.1 | 1.7 |
| TUSC | Nick Doyle | 19 | 0.8 | N/A |
Majority | 216 | 8.9 | 3.7 |
Turnout | 2436 | 23.8 | 0.5 |
| Liberal Democrats hold | Swing | | |
Paulsgrove
Paulsgrove Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| PIP | George David Madgwick* | 1,561 | 63.7 | N/A |
| Conservative | Thomas Christopher Hoare | 375 | 15.3 | 21.7 |
| Labour | Patrick Charles Keefe | 358 | 14.6 | 3.0 |
| Green | Ian David McCulloch | 84 | 3.4 | N/A |
| Liberal Democrats | James Campbell | 72 | 2.9 | 0.4 |
Majority | 1186 | 48.4 | |
Turnout | 2450 | 24.2 | 9.5 |
| PIP gain from Independent | Swing | | |
St Jude
St Jude Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| Liberal Democrats | Hugh Laurence Mason* | 1,266 | 40.5 | 4.9 |
| Labour | Joshua Anthony Allen | 1,221 | 39.0 | 5.9 |
| Conservative | Lee Kewell | 282 | 9.0 | 14.5 |
| Green | Harry Bernard Mallinder | 184 | 5.9 | 1.9 |
| PIP | John Malcolm Hill | 176 | 5.6 | N/A |
Majority | 45 | 1.4 | 1.2 |
Turnout | 3129 | 33.6 | 5.0 |
| Liberal Democrats hold | Swing | | |
St Thomas
St Thomas Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| Liberal Democrats | Ian Holder* | 1,199 | 42.1 | 0.3 |
| Labour | Julian Thomas Lewis | 783 | 27.5 | 4.9 |
| Conservative | David Michael Chandler | 435 | 15.3 | 12.7 |
| Reform UK | Mark Zimmer | 209 | 7.3 | N/A |
| Green | Elliot Lee | 177 | 6.2 | 0.8 |
| TUSC | John Burrows | 44 | 1.5 | N/A |
Majority | 416 | 14.6 | 0.2 |
Turnout | 2847 | 25.2 | 5.2 |
| Liberal Democrats hold | Swing | | |
References
- ^ "Portsmouth election result".
- ^ "Portsmouth City Council Election Results 1996-2012" (PDF). Elections Centre. Retrieved 6 April 2024.
- ^ "Ex-council leader runs for Mike Hancock's Portsmouth seat". BBC News. 29 August 2014. Retrieved 6 April 2024.
- ^ "Conservatives continue running Portsmouth City Council". BBC News. 20 May 2015. Retrieved 6 April 2024.
- ^ "Lib Dem Gerald Vernon-Jackson wins Portsmouth council leadership". BBC News. 15 May 2018. Retrieved 6 April 2024.
- ^ "Your Councillors by Party". Portsmouth City Council. Retrieved 6 April 2024.
- ^ Wright, Josh (1 December 2022). "Portsmouth Labour councillor is suspended from party following complaint". The News. Retrieved 6 April 2024.
- ^ "Local council elections 2024". Portsmouth City Council. Retrieved 2024-05-07.