← Blackburn with Darwen (all cycles) · 4 May 2023 cohort

Blackburn with Darwen 2023

Local elections held 4 May 2023.

17 ward races

17 seats

1 elected below the proportional quota

5.9% of seats below quota

How to read this page

Each race below shows the share of valid ballots the marginal elected candidate actually won, and compares it to the proportional quota: the share that would be needed to be guaranteed that seat under any proportional voting method (1 seats + 1). For a 1-seat ward the quota is 50%; for 2 seats, 33.3%; for 3 seats, 25%.

Where the actual winning share fell below the quota, we show the gap as points under par — the editorial indictment. Above-par results are just majority mandates and pass without comment. The voting method is the subject of every observation here. Named candidates appear as the public election record requires; the cause being audited is the voting method, not the individuals. See the methodology page for derivations.

If votes were counted by party

Across the 17 wards in this cycle, parties received the vote totals below. The proportional column shows what each party would have won if the 17 seats had been allocated to those vote totals in proportion (how, with caveats). The Δ column is the actual seat count minus the proportional seat count — positive numbers are parties First-Past-the-Post over-represented in this council, negative are parties it under-represented.

Party	Votes	Vote %	Seats won	% of seats	Proportional seats	Proportional %	Δ
Labour Party	17,949	63.0%	14	82.4%	12	70.6%	+2
Conservative and Unionist Party	8,633	30.3%	3	17.6%	5	29.4%	-2
Liberal Democrats	1,440	5.1%	0	0.0%	0	0.0%	0
Green Party	255	0.9%	0	0.0%	0	0.0%	0
Independent	153	0.5%	0	0.0%	0	0.0%	0
Alliance for Democracy and Freedom	56	0.2%	0	0.0%	0	0.0%	0
Total	28,486	100.0%	17	100.0%	17	100.0%	0

Vote share vs seats won

The top bar is each party's share of votes cast in this council. Below, one square per seat, coloured by the party that won it — first the actual First-Past-the-Post result, then what a proportional method would have produced from the same vote totals. Divergence between the bar and the actual grid is the indictment of the method.

Vote share

Actual seats

Proportional seats

Wards in this council

Sorted with the largest gap below the quota first. Click any ward to jump to its full result.

Darwen South · 1 seat · won at 45.3% · +4.7 pts below quota
West Pennine · 1 seat · won at 51.9% · above quota
Blackburn South & Lower Darwen · 1 seat · won at 56.0% · above quota
Ewood · 1 seat · won at 58.2% · above quota
Darwen East · 1 seat · won at 59.1% · above quota
Billinge & Beardwood · 1 seat · won at 62.0% · above quota
Darwen West · 1 seat · won at 62.8% · above quota
Audley & Queen's Park · 1 seat · won at 67.1% · above quota
Roe Lee · 1 seat · won at 67.4% · above quota
Livesey with Pleasington · 1 seat · won at 67.5% · above quota
Mill Hill & Moorgate · 1 seat · won at 68.1% · above quota
Blackburn South East · 1 seat · won at 73.4% · above quota
Blackburn Central · 1 seat · won at 76.4% · above quota
Little Harwood & Whitebirk · 1 seat · won at 80.3% · above quota
Bastwell & Daisyfield · 1 seat · won at 80.4% · above quota
Wensley Fold · 1 seat · won at 90.1% · above quota
Shear Brow & Corporation Park · 1 seat · won at 90.5% · above quota

Race results

Darwen South · single-seat

Marginal winner 45.3% Proportional quota 50.0% Difference +4.7 pts below quota Valid ballots 1,872

Rank	Candidate	Party	Votes	Share	Elected
1	Shaw, A.	Labour Party	848	45.3%	Elected
2	Salton, L.	Conservative and Unionist Party	764	40.8%
3	Huggill, S.	Liberal Democrats	204	10.9%
4	Wilson-Parr, D.	Alliance for Democracy and Freedom	56	3.0%

Electorate 6,502 · Ballots cast 1,872 · Back to ward index

West Pennine · single-seat

Marginal winner 51.9% Proportional quota 50.0% Difference −1.9 pts Valid ballots 2,295

Rank	Candidate	Party	Votes	Share	Elected
1	Rigby, J.	Conservative and Unionist Party	1,192	51.9%	Elected
2	Dobson, L.	Labour Party	750	32.7%
3	East, J.	Liberal Democrats	353	15.4%

Electorate 6,170 · Ballots cast 2,295 · Back to ward index

Blackburn South & Lower Darwen · single-seat

Marginal winner 56.0% Proportional quota 50.0% Difference −6.0 pts Valid ballots 1,498

Rank	Candidate	Party	Votes	Share	Elected
1	Slater, J.	Conservative and Unionist Party	839	56.0%	Elected
2	Johnson, L.	Labour Party	659	44.0%

Electorate 5,721 · Ballots cast 1,498 · Back to ward index

Ewood · single-seat

Marginal winner 58.2% Proportional quota 50.0% Difference −8.2 pts Valid ballots 1,272

Rank	Candidate	Party	Votes	Share	Elected
1	Casey, J.	Labour Party	740	58.2%	Elected
2	Moore, R.	Conservative and Unionist Party	532	41.8%

Electorate 6,160 · Ballots cast 1,272 · Back to ward index

Darwen East · single-seat

Marginal winner 59.1% Proportional quota 50.0% Difference −9.1 pts Valid ballots 1,401

Rank	Candidate	Party	Votes	Share	Elected
1	Gibson, M.	Labour Party	828	59.1%	Elected
2	Davies, M.	Liberal Democrats	351	25.1%
3	Slater, R.	Conservative and Unionist Party	222	15.8%

Electorate 6,427 · Ballots cast 1,401 · Back to ward index

Billinge & Beardwood · single-seat

Marginal winner 62.0% Proportional quota 50.0% Difference −12.0 pts Valid ballots 2,100

Rank	Candidate	Party	Votes	Share	Elected
1	Floyd, J.	Labour Party	1,303	62.0%	Elected
2	Ali, I.	Conservative and Unionist Party	687	32.7%
3	Mahmood, T.	Liberal Democrats	110	5.2%

Electorate 6,154 · Ballots cast 2,100 · Back to ward index

Darwen West · single-seat

Marginal winner 62.8% Proportional quota 50.0% Difference −12.8 pts Valid ballots 1,905

Rank	Candidate	Party	Votes	Share	Elected
1	Brookfield, S.	Labour Party	1,196	62.8%	Elected
2	Crook, J.	Conservative and Unionist Party	596	31.3%
3	Plumley, C.	Liberal Democrats	113	5.9%

Electorate 6,227 · Ballots cast 1,905 · Back to ward index

Audley & Queen's Park · single-seat

Marginal winner 67.1% Proportional quota 50.0% Difference −17.1 pts Valid ballots 1,808

Rank	Candidate	Party	Votes	Share	Elected
1	Sidat, S.	Labour Party	1,213	67.1%	Elected
2	Kapadia, A.	Conservative and Unionist Party	333	18.4%
3	Mahmood, T.	Independent	139	7.7%
4	Mukadam, R.	Liberal Democrats	109	6.0%
5	Bhatti, A.	Independent	14	0.8%

Electorate 6,393 · Ballots cast 1,808 · Back to ward index

Roe Lee · single-seat

Marginal winner 67.4% Proportional quota 50.0% Difference −17.4 pts Valid ballots 1,755

Rank	Candidate	Party	Votes	Share	Elected
1	Riley, P.	Labour Party	1,182	67.4%	Elected
2	Lever, C.	Conservative and Unionist Party	418	23.8%
3	Morley, P.	Green Party	155	8.8%

Electorate 6,366 · Ballots cast 1,755 · Back to ward index

Livesey with Pleasington · single-seat

Marginal winner 67.5% Proportional quota 50.0% Difference −17.5 pts Valid ballots 2,015

Rank	Candidate	Party	Votes	Share	Elected
1	Marrow, P.	Conservative and Unionist Party	1,360	67.5%	Elected
2	Jackson, M.	Labour Party	655	32.5%

Electorate 6,440 · Ballots cast 2,015 · Back to ward index

Mill Hill & Moorgate · single-seat

Marginal winner 68.1% Proportional quota 50.0% Difference −18.1 pts Valid ballots 1,124

Rank	Candidate	Party	Votes	Share	Elected
1	Talbot, D.	Labour Party	765	68.1%	Elected
2	Cade, L.	Conservative and Unionist Party	259	23.0%
3	Field, R.	Green Party	100	8.9%

Electorate 5,583 · Ballots cast 1,124 · Back to ward index

Blackburn South East · single-seat

Marginal winner 73.4% Proportional quota 50.0% Difference −23.4 pts Valid ballots 984

Rank	Candidate	Party	Votes	Share	Elected
1	McGurk, V.	Labour Party	722	73.4%	Elected
2	Arnold, H.	Conservative and Unionist Party	262	26.6%

Electorate 6,025 · Ballots cast 984 · Back to ward index

Blackburn Central · single-seat

Marginal winner 76.4% Proportional quota 50.0% Difference −26.4 pts Valid ballots 1,366

Rank	Candidate	Party	Votes	Share	Elected
1	Hussain, M.	Labour Party	1,043	76.4%	Elected
2	Sabir, G.	Conservative and Unionist Party	220	16.1%
3	Bhatti, S.	Liberal Democrats	103	7.5%

Electorate 6,261 · Ballots cast 1,366 · Back to ward index

Little Harwood & Whitebirk · single-seat

Marginal winner 80.3% Proportional quota 50.0% Difference −30.3 pts Valid ballots 1,522

Rank	Candidate	Party	Votes	Share	Elected
1	Desai, M.	Labour Party	1,222	80.3%	Elected
2	Mahmood, A.	Conservative and Unionist Party	203	13.3%
3	Miah, A.	Liberal Democrats	97	6.4%

Electorate 6,057 · Ballots cast 1,522 · Back to ward index

Bastwell & Daisyfield · single-seat

Marginal winner 80.4% Proportional quota 50.0% Difference −30.4 pts Valid ballots 2,072

Rank	Candidate	Party	Votes	Share	Elected
1	Hussain, S.	Labour Party	1,666	80.4%	Elected
2	Patel, I.	Conservative and Unionist Party	406	19.6%

Electorate 5,921 · Ballots cast 2,072 · Back to ward index

Wensley Fold · single-seat

Marginal winner 90.1% Proportional quota 50.0% Difference −40.1 pts Valid ballots 1,800

Rank	Candidate	Party	Votes	Share	Elected
1	Mahmood, Q.	Labour Party	1,621	90.1%	Elected
2	Marrow, M.	Conservative and Unionist Party	179	9.9%

Electorate 6,014 · Ballots cast 1,800 · Back to ward index

Shear Brow & Corporation Park · single-seat

Marginal winner 90.5% Proportional quota 50.0% Difference −40.5 pts Valid ballots 1,697

Rank	Candidate	Party	Votes	Share	Elected
1	Patel, S.	Labour Party	1,536	90.5%	Elected
2	Hussain, Z.	Conservative and Unionist Party	161	9.5%

Electorate 6,145 · Ballots cast 1,697 · Back to ward index