Under the current rotation, the council typically faces the count in groups of three years, with a year break in between.

Colchester Council is on year two of elections, meaning that the last time this set of seats was up for election was back in 2019.

A total of 17 councillor’s seats are to be decided on Thursday, one from each ward.

The current political make-up Colchester City Council is 19 Conservative councillors, led by group leader Darius Laws; 15 Liberal Democrats, led by Martin Goss; 15 Labour councillors, led by Chris Pearson and two Greens, led by Mark Goacher.

Following on from the previous election, Liberal Democrat councillor David King, of the Mile End ward, was elected leader of the council, replacing the defeated Conservative councillor, Paul Dundas, of Stanway.

Councillor David King (Image: Newsquest)

A new Cabinet was formed, consisting of four Liberal Democrats, three Labour, and one Green Party member.

This Liberal Democrat–Labour–Green coalition will be defending their majority this week.

Colchester Council has released the full list of all candidates standing.

Deputy Leader of the Council and Labour group leader, Adam Fox, of Old Heath and The Hythe, will not be re-standing, after previously announcing his intention to resign as Labour group leader and stand down as a councillor, when his term expires in May 2023.

West Mersea and Pyefleet Conservative councillor, Patricia Moore, who branded her council counterparts “muppets”, was found to have breached a code of conduct and will therefore no longer standing for election next month.

Former mayors and long-serving councillors, Helen Chuah, Lib Dem, of the St Anne's and St John's ward, as well as Nigel Chapman, Conservative for Rural North, will not be in the running.

Colchester Town Hall (Image: Newsquest)

Phil Coleman, Lib Dem, of Mile End, and Barbara Wood, Conservative, of Tiptree, are also not re-standing.

Across the city, former Stanway member and council leader Paul Dundas will be running for the Tiptree seat.

Conservative councillor, Simon Crow, is going for Castle, up against current seat holder Mark Goacher.

The Reform UK party also see four candidates standing, as well as three independents.

The full list is here.

Incumbent councillors are marked with an asterisk *.

Berechurch

• Amir Anbouche, Conservative
• John Clifton, Green
• Chris Pearson*, Labour
• Simon Collis, Liberal Democrats
• Diane Baker, Reform UK

Castle

• Simon Crow, Conservative
• Mark Goacher*, Green
• Charlie Jasper, Labour
• Martin Gillingham, Liberal Democrats

Greenstead

• David Cress, Conservative
• Lisa Cross, Green
• Tim Young*, Labour
• Chantelle-Louise Whyborn, Liberal Democrats
• Kevin Blair, Reform UK

Highwoods

• David Linghorn-Baker, Conservative
• Ryan Meadows, Green
• Pauline Bacon, Labour
• Alison Jay*, Liberal Democrats

Lexden and Braiswick

• Lewis Barber*, Conservatives
• Roger Bamforth, Green
• Sarah Bruce, Labour
• Thomas Stevenson, Liberal Democrats

Marks Tey and Layer

• Andrew Ellis*, Conservatives
• Amy Sheridan, Green
• John Spademan, Labour
• Lydia De-Col, Liberal Democrats

Mersea and Pyefleet

• Carl Powling, Conservative
• Libby Kirkby-Taylor, Green
• John Akker, Independent
• William Hayton, Labour
• John Knight, Liberal Democrats
• Sophie Preston-Hall, Reform UK

Mile End

• Phoebe Butcher, Conservatives
• Amanda Kirke, Green
• James Pey, Labour
• Venessa Moffat, Liberal Democrats

New Town and Christchurch

• Chris Piggott, Conservative
• Bob Brannan, Green
• Ian Partridge, Independent
• Sam McLean*, Labour Co-op
• Catherine Spindler, Liberal Democrats

Old Heath and the Hythe

• Richard Martin, Conservative
• Andrew Canessa, Green
• Jeffrey Drew, Independent
• Fay Smalls, Labour
• Shaun Boughton, Liberal Democrats

Prettygate

• Leigh Tate*, Conservative
• Natalie Edgoose, Green
• Richard Bourne, Labour
• John Loxley, Liberal Democrats

Rural North

• Thomas Rowe, Conservative
• John Burgess, Green
• Barbara Nichols, Labour
• Karen Maxwell, Liberal Democrats

Shrub End

• Angela Linghorn-Baker, Conservative
• Sara Ruth, Green
• Luke Hayes, Labour
• Sam McCarthy*, Liberal Democrats

St. Anne's & St. John's

• Rowan Knight, Conservative
• Sebastian Dwyer, Green
• Abigail Chambers, Labour
• Natalie Sommers, Liberal Democrats

Stanway

• Janice Seabrook, Conservative
• Pam Nelson, Green
• Ian Yates, Labour
• Lesley Scott-Boutell*, Liberal Democrats

Tiptree

• Paul Dundas, Conservative
• Clare Burgess, Green
• Elizabeth Holford, Labour
• Jennifer Stevens, Liberal Democrats
• Ashley Girling, Reform UK

Wivenhoe

• Andrew Higginson, Conservative
• Jo Wheatley, Green
• Heather Lowe, Labour
• Mark Cory*, Liberal Democrats

The 2023 Colchester City Council election is due to take place on May 4.

The deadline to register to vote is at midnight on April 17.

For more information, visit colchester.gov.uk/elections/.