| Election Name: | 2023 Canterbury City Council election |
| Country: | Kent |
| Type: | Parliamentary |
| Previous Election: | 2019 Canterbury City Council election |
| Previous Year: | 2019 |
| Next Election: | 2027 Canterbury City Council election |
| Next Year: | 2027 |
| Seats For Election: | All 39 seats to Canterbury City Council |
| Majority Seats: | 20 |
| Turnout: | 38.0% |
| Leader1: | Alan Baldock |
| Party1: | Labour Party (UK) |
| Last Election1: | 10 seats, 29.4% |
| Seats1: | 18 |
| Seat Change1: | 8 |
| Popular Vote1: | 29,825 |
| Percentage1: | 36.6% |
| Swing1: | 7.2% |
| Leader2: | Michael Dixey |
| Party2: | Liberal Democrats (UK) |
| Last Election2: | 6 seats, 19.7% |
| Seats2: | 9 |
| Seat Change2: | 3 |
| Popular Vote2: | 17,935 |
| Percentage2: | 22.0% |
| Swing2: | 2.3% |
| Leader4: | Ben Fitter-Harding |
| Party4: | Conservative Party (UK) |
| Last Election4: | 23 seats, 35.4% |
| Seats4: | 8 |
| Seat Change4: | 15 |
| Popular Vote4: | 19,867 |
| Percentage4: | 24.4% |
| Swing4: | 11.0% |
| Leader5: | Clare Turnbull |
| Party5: | Green Party of England and Wales |
| Last Election5: | 0 seats, 12.5% |
| Seats5: | 4 |
| Seat Change5: | 4 |
| Popular Vote5: | 11,350 |
| Percentage5: | 13.9% |
| Swing5: | 1.4% |
| Leader | |
| Posttitle: | Leader after election |
| Before Election: | Ben Fitter-Harding Conservative |
| Before Party: | No overall control |
| After Election: | Alan Baldock Labour |
| After Party: | No overall control |
The 2023 Canterbury City Council election took place on 4 May 2023 to elect members of Canterbury City Council in Kent, England.[1] This was on the same day as other local elections in England.
The Conservatives held a majority on the council from 2005 until April 2023, less than a month before the election, when four Conservatives left the party to form the "Independent Serve to Lead Group".[2] [3]
The election saw the council remain under no overall control, but the Conservatives went from being the largest party to being the third largest party behind Labour and the Liberal Democrats.[4] The leader of the council, Conservative councillor Ben Fitter-Harding, lost his seat.[5] After the election a Labour and Liberal Democrat coalition formed to take control of the council, with Labour group leader Alan Baldock being appointed leader of the council at the subsequent annual council meeting on 17 May 2023.[6]
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The Statement of Persons Nominated, which details the candidates standing in each ward, was released by Canterbury City Council following the close of nominations on 5 April 2023.[7] The results for each ward were as follows:[8]
Asterisks (*) denote incumbent councillors seeking re-election.