Local election results 2023: Lib Dems see off Labour to keep control of Hull
- Published
Council leader Mike Ross, of the Lib Dems celebrate his party's election win
The Liberal Democrats have seen off a Labour threat to retain control of Hull City Council despite a low turnout of just 22.01%.
A third of the authority's 57 seats were up for election and the Lib Dems gained three, taking their total to 32.
Labour lost two seats, meaning it now has 25 seats on the local authority it ran until the election in 2022.
Victorious Lib Dem leader Mike Ross described his party's performance as "stonking" and "fantastic".
Prior to Thursday's vote, the Lib Dems had been defending a slender two-seat majority over Labour.
Lib Dem Gareth Byrne took the North Carr seat in Hull from Labour
Speaking moments after the result was declared, Mr Ross, leader of Hull City Council, said: "This has been an absolute stonking result. It's fantastic and shows the party is still on the up here after a year in administration.
"When the Labour Party is riding high in the national opinion polls, the fact that the Liberal Democrats are gaining seats off Labour... shows how far the Liberal Democrats have come."
Issues around traffic, specifically bus lanes, dominated the elections in the city, and the BBC's Sarah Sanderson asked Mr Ross about his party's next move.
"We have said we want the council to implement peak hour bus lanes in the city and we are getting on with that job," he replied.
Analysis: BBC Radio Humberside political reporter Sarah Sanderson
The local elections in Hull was once again a battle between Labour and the Lib Dems.
But it is the Lib Dems who are celebrating after keeping control of Hull City Council with 32 seats to Labour's 25.
It's another shock to the Labour Party as the Lib Dems once again took the votes in this fierce fight for power.
Hull had the lowest turnout in the local elections last year amongst unitary authorities with just 23.5% of the electorate turning out to vote. This year turn out was 22.01%.
Those who voted in this year's local elections will now be looking to the Lib Dems to deal with local issues and many more responsibilities which fall to our local authorities.
Labour, meanwhile, will once again sit as the opposition group as they question how they failed to take back control of Hull City Council.
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