The next local elections will be held on Thursday 4th May 2023. There will be elections in 179 District Councils, 33 Metropolitan Councils and 46 Unitary Authorities. Use our guide to the 2023 election areas to check whether there are elections in your area. We’ve included a list of the Facebook pages of registered independent parties and other groups.
Enter your postcode in https://whocanivotefor.co.uk/ to find out whether there is an election in your area and who’s standing.
If you are standing as an Independent candidate and would like help contact Support@TheDemocraticNetwork.org.
If you are interested in supporting candidates in the local elections, or spreading the word on social media, please take part in our Network Survey by clicking here. The survey asks what’s important to you and how you’ like to get involved. At the end you can opt in to receive information about candidates in your wider area. Our aim is to help people support candidates in their district, borough, county or city. We will also share survey reports with candidates, so your views will be known.
Click here to see a list of Independent and local parties as of 3rd April 2023.
How Councils Work
Local Councils are responsible for decisions about education, health, local infrastructure, housing, planning, refuse and the environment. In most places there are two tiers of local government. In the shires these are typically County Councils and District or Borough Councils. In cities or metropolitan areas there may be a City Council and local Borough Councils. There are also currently 58 Unitary Authority areas where there is a single layer of local government; four more areas will be forming Unitary Authorities in 2023.
Local Councils are overseen by elected Councillors. The election cycle varies by area. Once elected Councillors are supposed to represent the interests of all residents and businesses.
Independent Councillors
In addition to Councillors from the main Westminster Parties there are a large number of Independent and Green Councillors represented by the Local Government Associations Independent Group. At the time of writing (September 2022) the LGA Independent Group had listed 35 councils across England and Wales with a Leader from their Group and 34 councils where group members are are part of the administration (i.e. in a coalition with shared leadership arrangements). LGA Independent Group members have been elected to represent local people in 307 authorities across England and Wales (92% of councils in England and Wales).
A full list of these Councils is available here:
https://www.local.gov.uk/lga-independent/independents-local-government
Getting Involved
The easiest way to get involved if something concerns you is to contact your local Councillor. They may refer you to a relevant colleague or department.
If you want to support a Councillor in their election campaign you can join a local party or offer to help at election times. Getting to know your local Councillor, and your local MP, may be helpful further down the line. Parties will often have meetings or discussion forums where you can make your views known. It may be that there is one dominant or winning party in your area; you could be ‘pragmatic’ and join them. To join a Westminster Parties you should contact their local constituency or association office. Whilst these tend to be structured on the basis of parliamentary constituencies, they are responsible for local election campaigns. These offices are different to the MPs constituency office.
If you do not want to support a Westminster Party we can help you find a local or independent candidate to support. In many areas there are Independent Candidates, some of whom belong to local groups or parties, or to the national Independent Network. We published a guide to independent candidates in advance of the election in May 2022 and plan to do so once again in 2023.
We are currently conducting research about how people decide who to support and will publish this prior to the May elections.
May 2023 Election Guide
The tables below list where elections will be taking place on Thursday 4th May 2023.
District Council Elections
Metropolitan District Elections
Unitary Authority Elections
District Council Elections
Most District Councils elect all Councillors every four years. Exceptions to this are shown below. “By thirds” means a third of seats are contested every year apart from County council election years.
| County | District | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Buckinghamshire | Aylesbury Vale | |
| Chiltern | ||
| South Bucks | ||
| Wycombe | ||
| Cambridgeshire | Cambridge | By thirds |
| East Cambridgeshire | ||
| Fenland | ||
| Cumbria | Allerdale | |
| Barrow-in-Furness | ||
| Carlisle | By thirds | |
| Copeland | ||
| Eden | ||
| South Lakeland | By thirds | |
| Derbyshire | Amber Valley | By thirds |
| Bolsover | ||
| Chesterfield | ||
| Derbyshire Dales | ||
| Erewash | ||
| High Peak | ||
| North East Derbyshire | ||
| South Derbyshire | ||
| Devon | East Devon | |
| Exeter | By thirds | |
| Mid Devon | ||
| North Devon | ||
| South Hams | ||
| Teignbridge | ||
| Torridge | ||
| West Devon | ||
| East Sussex | Eastbourne | |
| Lewes | ||
| Rother | ||
| Wealden | ||
| Essex | Basildon | By thirds |
| Braintree | ||
| Brentwood | By thirds | |
| Castle Point | By thirds | |
| Chelmsford | ||
| Colchester | By thirds | |
| Epping Forest | By thirds | |
| Harlow | By thirds | |
| Maldon | ||
| Rochford | By thirds | |
| Tendring | ||
| Uttlesford | ||
| Gloucestershire | Cotswold | |
| Forest of Dean | ||
| Tewkesbury | ||
| Hampshire | Basingstoke and Deane | By thirds |
| East Hampshire | ||
| Eastleigh | By thirds | |
| Hart | By thirds | |
| Havant | By thirds | |
| New Forest | ||
| Rushmoor | By thirds | |
| Test Valley | ||
| Winchester | By thirds | |
| Hertfordshire | Broxbourne | By thirds |
| Dacorum | ||
| East Hertfordshire | ||
| Hertsmere | ||
| North Hertfordshire | By thirds | |
| St Albans | By thirds | |
| Stevenage | By thirds | |
| Three Rivers | By thirds | |
| Watford | By thirds | |
| Welwyn Hatfield | By thirds | |
| Kent | Ashford | |
| Canterbury City | ||
| Dartford | ||
| Dover | ||
| Folkestone and Hythe | ||
| Gravesham | ||
| Maidstone | By thirds | |
| Sevenoaks | ||
| Swale | ||
| Thanet | ||
| Tonbridge and Malling | ||
| Tunbridge Wells | By thirds | |
| Lancashire | Burnley | By thirds |
| Chorley | By thirds | |
| Fylde | ||
| Hyndburn | By thirds | |
| Lancaster City | ||
| Pendle | By thirds | |
| Preston | By thirds | |
| Ribble Valley | ||
| Rossendale | By thirds | |
| South Ribble | ||
| West Lancashire | By thirds | |
| Wyre | ||
| Leicestershire | Blaby | |
| Charnwood | ||
| Harborough | ||
| Hinckley and Bosworth | ||
| Melton | ||
| North West Leicestershire | ||
| Oadby and Wigston | ||
| Lincolnshire | Boston | |
| East Lindsey | ||
| Lincoln | By thirds | |
| North Kesteven | ||
| South Holland | ||
| South Kesteven | ||
| West Lindsey | ||
| Norfolk | Breckland | |
| Broadland | ||
| Great Yarmouth | ||
| King’s Lynn and West Norfolk | ||
| North Norfolk | ||
| Norwich | By thirds | |
| South Norfolk | ||
| North Yorkshire | Craven | By thirds |
| Hambleton | ||
| Richmondshire | ||
| Ryedale | ||
| Scarborough | ||
| Selby | ||
| Northamptonshire | Corby | |
| Daventry | By thirds | |
| East Northamptonshire | ||
| Kettering | ||
| Northampton | ||
| South Northamptonshire | ||
| Wellingborough | ||
| Ashfield | ||
| Bassetlaw | ||
| Broxtowe | ||
| Gedling | ||
| Mansfield | ||
| Newark and Sherwood | ||
| Rushcliffe | ||
| Oxfordshire | Cherwell | By thirds |
| South Oxfordshire | ||
| Vale Of White Horse | ||
| West Oxfordshire | By thirds | |
| Somerset | Mendip | |
| Sedgemoor | ||
| Somerset West and Taunton | ||
| South Somerset | ||
| Staffordshire | Cannock Chase | By thirds |
| East Staffordshire | ||
| Lichfield | ||
| South Staffordshire | ||
| Stafford | ||
| Staffordshire Moorlands | ||
| Tamworth | By thirds | |
| Suffolk | Babergh | |
| East Suffolk | ||
| Ipswich | By thirds | |
| Mid Suffolk | ||
| West Suffolk | ||
| Surrey | Elmbridge | By thirds |
| Epsom and Ewell | ||
| Guildford | ||
| Mole Valley | By thirds | |
| Reigate and Banstead | By thirds | |
| Runnymede | By thirds | |
| Spelthorne | ||
| Surrey Heath | ||
| Tandridge | By thirds | |
| Waverley | ||
| Woking | By thirds | |
| Warwickshire | North Warwickshire | |
| Rugby | By thirds | |
| Stratford upon Avon | ||
| Warwick | ||
| West Sussex | Arun | |
| Chichester | ||
| Crawley | By thirds | |
| Horsham | ||
| Mid Sussex | ||
| Worthing | By thirds | |
| Worcestershire | Bromsgrove | |
| Malvern Hills | ||
| Redditch | By thirds | |
| Worcester | By thirds | |
| Wychavon | ||
| Wyre Forest |
Metropolitan District Elections
All Metropolitan Districts elect Councillors by thirds.
| County | Metropolitan District |
|---|---|
| Greater Manchester | Bolton |
| Bury | |
| Manchester | |
| Oldham | |
| Rochdale | |
| Salford | |
| Stockport | |
| Tameside | |
| Trafford | |
| Wigan | |
| Merseyside | Knowsley |
| Liverpool | |
| Sefton | |
| St Helens | |
| Wirral | |
| South Yorkshire | Barnsley |
| Sheffield | |
| Tyne and Wear | Gateshead |
| Newcastle Upon Tyne | |
| North Tyneside | |
| South Tyneside | |
| Sunderland | |
| West Midlands | Coventry |
| Dudley | |
| Sandwell | |
| Solihull | |
| Walsall | |
| Wolverhampton | |
| West Yorkshire | Bradford |
| Calderdale | |
| Kirklees | |
| Leeds | |
| Wakefield |
Most Unitary Authorities elect all Councillors every four years. Exceptions to this are shown below. “By thirds” means a third of seats are contested every year apart from County council election years.
| County | Unitary Authority | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Bedfordshire | Bedford | |
| Central Bedfordshire | ||
| Luton | ||
| Berkshire | Bracknell Forest | |
| Reading | By thirds | |
| Slough | By thirds | |
| West Berkshire | ||
| Windsor and Maidenhead | ||
| Wokingham | By thirds | |
| Buckinghamshire | Milton Keynes | By thirds |
| Cambridgeshire | Peterborough | By thirds |
| Cheshire | Cheshire East | |
| Cheshire West and Chester | ||
| Halton | By thirds | |
| County Durham | Darlington | |
| Hartlepool | By thirds | |
| Stockton-on-Tees | ||
| Derbyshire | Derby | By thirds |
| Devon | Plymouth | By thirds |
| Torbay | ||
| Dorset | Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole | |
| East Riding of Yorkshire | East Riding of Yorkshire | |
| Hull | By thirds | |
| East Sussex | Brighton and Hove | |
| Essex | Southend | By thirds |
| Thurrock | By thirds | |
| Gloucestershire | South Gloucestershire | |
| Hampshire | Portsmouth | By thirds |
| Southampton | By thirds | |
| Herefordshire | Herefordshire | |
| Kent | Medway | |
| Lancashire | Blackburn with Darw | By thirds |
| Blackpool | ||
| Leicestershire | Leicester | |
| Lincolnshire | North East Lincolnshi | By thirds |
| North Lincolnshire | ||
| North Yorkshire | Middlesbrough | |
| Redcar and Cleveland | ||
| York | ||
| Nottinghamshire | Nottingham | |
| Rutland | Rutland | |
| Shropshire | Telford and The Wrekin | |
| Somerset | Bath and North East Somerset | |
| North Somerset | ||
| Staffordshire | Stoke | |
| Wiltshire | Swindon | By thirds |
Independent and Local parties in England
The tables below list all registered independent and local parties in England as of 3rd April 2023.
Independent parties
Resident group parties
Other local parties
Other parties
Independent parties
Those marked with a * are based in a district holding local elections in May 2023
| Ashfield Independents* |
| Ashford Independent* |
| Ashtead Independents* |
| Barnsley Independent Group* |
| Basingstoke & Deane Independents* |
| Belper Independents* |
| Boston Independent* |
| Brighton & Hove Independents* |
| Burnley and Padiham independent Party* |
| Canvey Island Independent Party* |
| Castle Baynard Independents Party |
| Chase Community Independents Group* |
| Chesterfield And North Derbyshire Independents (CANDI)* |
| Chichester and Harbour Independents* |
| Christchurch Independents* |
| City Independents* |
| Derwentside Independents |
| East Cleveland Independent* |
| East Lindsey Independent Group* |
| Failsworth Independent Party* |
| Fareham Independent Group |
| Garforth and Swillington Independents Party* |
| Hampshire Independents* |
| Handforth ‘Ratepayers’ Association (Independent)* |
| Havering Boro Independent Group |
| Hextable Independent* |
| Hornchurch and Upminster Independents |
| Horwich & Blackrod First Independents* |
| Independent Alliance (Kent)* |
| Independent Green Voice* |
| Independent Kidderminster Hospital and Health Concern* |
| Independent Loughton Residents Association* |
| Independent Network* |
| Independent Sovereign Democratic Britain* |
| Independent Union* |
| Independents for Frome |
| Ingleby Barwick Independent Society* |
| Kingston Independent Residents Group |
| Leigh & Atherton Independents* |
| Lincolnshire Independents Lincolnshire First* |
| Liverpool Community Independents* |
| Lydiate and Maghull Community Independents* |
| Lytham St Annes Independents* |
| Malvern Hills Independents* |
| Mansfield Independents* |
| Merton Park Ward Independent Residents |
| Middleton Independents Party* |
| Morecambe Bay Independents* |
| Morley Borough Independents* |
| Newcastle Independents* |
| Nottingham Independents* |
| Portishead Independents* |
| Portsmouth Independent Party* |
| Putting Crewe First, Independent Residents Group.* |
| Rainham Independent Residents Association |
| Rother Association of Independent Councillors* |
| Runnymede Independent Residents’ Group* |
| Rushcliffe Independents* |
| Sandown Independents |
| Save Our Beeston and Holbeck Independents* |
| Skelmersdale Independent Party* |
| South Holland Independents* |
| St. Neots Independent Group |
| Stafford Borough Independents* |
| Standish Independents* |
| Swale Independents* |
| Tewkesbury and Twyning Independents* |
| Thanet Independents* |
| The Borough First Independents* |
| The Independent Choice* |
| The Maldon District Independent Group* |
| The People’s Independent Party* |
| Thornaby Independent Association* |
| Thurrock Independents* |
| Tytherington Ward Independents* |
| Wakefield & District Independents* |
| West Suffolk Independents* |
| Westhoughton First Independents* |
| Weybridge & St. George’s Independents* |
| Whitby Area Independents |
| Wickford Independents* |
| Wigan Independents* |
| Winchester Independents* |
| Wycombe Independents |
Resident group parties
Those marked with a * are based in a district holding local elections in May 2023
| Basildon Community Residents Party* |
| Elm Park Residents’ Association |
| Esher Residents Association* |
| Ewell Court Residents’ Association* |
| Farnham Residents* |
| Formby Residents Action Group* |
| Halstead Residents’ Association* |
| Harold Wood Hill Park Residents Association |
| Havering Residents Association |
| Henley Residents Group* |
| Hinchley Wood Residents Association* |
| Hornchurch Residents Association |
| Nork Residents’ Association* |
| Old Windsor Residents Association* |
| Oxted & Limpsfield Residents Group* |
| Residents Associations of Epsom and Ewell* |
| Residents for Guildford and Villages* |
| Residents for Uttlesford* |
| Residents of Wilmslow* |
| Residents’ Association of Cuddington* |
| Rochford District Residents* |
| Royal Tunbridge Wells Residents Party* |
| Solihull and Meriden Residents Association* |
| Stoneleigh and Auriol Residents’ Association* |
| Swanscombe and Greenhithe Residents’ Association* |
| Tandridge Residents Group* |
| Tattenham & Preston Residents* |
| Thames Ditton / Weston Green Residents’ Association* |
| The Molesey Residents Association* |
| Upminster and Cranham Residents Association |
| West Windsor Residents Association* |
| Whitnash Residents Association* |
| Wythall Residents’ Association* |
Other local parties
| Active For Plymouth |
| Alderley Edge First |
| Alliance for London |
| Andover Alliance |
| Birmingham Worker |
| BollingtonFirst |
| Bolton For Change |
| Campaign Against Pedestrianisation of Oxford Street |
| Change for Plymouth |
| Chislehurst Matters |
| Coventry Citizens Party |
| CumbriaFirst |
| Democracy for Chorley |
| Devizes Guardians |
| East Devon Alliance |
| Edgeley Community Association |
| Edlington and Warmsworth First |
| Essex Independence |
| Farnworth and Kearsley First Party |
| Guildford Greenbelt Group |
| Harlow Alliance Party |
| Hatfield DN7 First |
| Hersham Village Society |
| Holland On Sea & Eastcliff Matters |
| It’s Our County (Herefordshire) |
| Let London Live |
| Little Lever & Darcy Lever First |
| Local First |
| London Real Party |
| Mebyon Kernow – The Party for Cornwall |
| Mexborough First |
| Northampton – Save Our Public Services |
| One Kearsley |
| Our West Lancashire |
| Peterborough First |
| Poole Engage Party |
| Proud of Oldham & Saddleworth |
| Radcliffe First |
| Redbridge Trade Union Party |
| Seaham Community Party |
| Skegness urban district society |
| South Devon Alliance |
| South Woodham Ferrers Council Taxpayers Association |
| Stockport Fights Austerity No to Cuts |
| Temple and Farringdon Together |
| Tendring First |
| The North East Party |
| The Party for Poole People Ltd. |
| The Walton Society |
| Tunbridge Wells Alliance |
| Vote Roehampton |
| Welwyn Garden City Party |
| Wessex Regionalists |
| Whitehill & Bordon Community Party |
| Yorkshire Party |
Other parties
| A Better Way to Govern |
| Abolish The Welsh Assembly Party |
| All 4 Freedoms |
| Alliance EPP (European People’s Party) UK |
| Alliance for Democracy and Freedom |
| Alliance For Green Socialism |
| Alliance For Local Living (ALL) |
| Animal Welfare Party |
| Apolitical Democrats |
| Aspire |
| Atomist |
| Blue Revolution |
| Breakthrough Party |
| Britain First |
| British Democratic Party |
| British National Party |
| British Resistance |
| British Unionist Party – B.U.P. |
| Centreground Party |
| Charter Party |
| Christian Democratic Party |
| Christian Party “Proclaiming Christ’s Lordship” |
| Christian Peoples Alliance |
| Church of the Militant Elvis |
| Citizen’s First |
| Citizens Action Party |
| Climate Party |
| Co-operative Party |
| Common Good |
| Common Sense Party |
| Communist Party of Britain |
| Communities United Party |
| Community Campaign (Hart) |
| Community First |
| Confelicity |
| Cornerstone |
| Count Binface Party |
| Democratic Liberation Party |
| Direct Democracy (Communist) Party |
| English Constitution Party |
| English Democrats |
| English National Party |
| English Parliamentary Party |
| FederalUK |
| Five Star Direct Democracy Party |
| For Future’s Sake – Freedom Alliance |
| Foundation Party |
| Freedom Party |
| Heritage Party |
| Interactive Democracy |
| iXDemocracy |
| Joint Communities |
| Justice for Men & Boys |
| Justice Party |
| Left Unity |
| Libertarian Party |
| Life |
| Link Party |
| Local Alliance |
| Londependence |
| Mainstream |
| Matriarchal Party United Kingdom Great Britain |
| Mercian Party |
| Motherworld Party |
| Movement for Active Democracy (M.A.D.) |
| National Flood Prevention Party |
| National Front |
| National Health Action Party |
| National Housing Party United Kingdom |
| National Identity Networking Gang |
| National Liberal Party – True Liberalism |
| Net Tax Payers Consent Party |
| New Parliament Party |
| Northern Heart |
| Northern Independence Party |
| Nova Forte |
| Old Swan Against the Cuts |
| Our Island |
| Our Precious World Party |
| Patria |
| People Against Bureaucracy Group |
| Political Unity for Progress |
| Populist Party |
| Progress and Reform Party |
| Psychedelic Movement |
| Real Democracy Party |
| Rebooting Democracy |
| Reform 2000 Party |
| Reform Derby |
| Reform UK |
| Rejoin EU |
| Renew |
| Restoration Party |
| Resurrection |
| Revolutionary Communist Party Britain (Marxist-Leninist) |
| Rise |
| Save Us Now |
| Science Party |
| Scottish Family Party |
| Shared Ground |
| Social Democratic Party |
| Socialist Alternative |
| Socialist Equality Party |
| Socialist Labour Party |
| Speak Political |
| Taking The Initiative Party |
| The Autonomous Party |
| The Common People |
| The Constitution and Reform Party |
| The Democratic Party |
| The Entertainment Party |
| The Justice & Anti-Corruption Party |
| The Liberal Party |
| The Local Group |
| The Moderate Group |
| The Motoring Party |
| The Official Monster Raving Loony Party |
| The Peace Party – Non-violence, Justice, Environment |
| The Pensioner’s Party |
| The Peoples Party For Better Government |
| The Protest Party |
| The Reclaim Party |
| The Republican Socialist Party |
| The Resume Party (GB) |
| The Sensible Party |
| The Socialist Party of Great Britain |
| The Spitfire Party |
| The Universal Good Party |
| The Whig Party |
| Tomorrow’s World Order |
| Touch Love Worldwide (UK) |
| Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition |
| Transhumanist Party |
| True & Fair Party |
| True Democracy Party |
| UK Independence Party (UKIP) |
| UK Meritocracy Party |
| UK Voice |
| Unity For Peace And Socialism |
| Vanguard Party |
| Vectis Party |
| Veterans and People’s Party |
| Volt United Kingdom |
| Vox Pop |
| Women’s Equality Party |
| Workers Party of Britain |
| Workers Revolutionary Party |
| Yes 2 Europe |
| Yeshua |
| Yourvoice |
| Zero Tolerance Policing ex Chief |
Facebook pages of registered independent parties and other groups