By-election candidates detailed for Long Eaton North

The candidates have been announced for an upcoming Derbyshire County Council by-election spurred by the resignation of a Reform UK cabinet member.

The by-election is being held for the Long Eaton North division on the county council on Tuesday, December 2nd to replace Cllr Jack Bradley of Reform UK, who resigned last month for “personal reasons”.

All five of the major political parties have put forward candidates to fill the vacancy, alongside the Derbyshire Community Party, a collection of independents founded in Belper.

Here are the six candidates for the Long Eaton North division, in the order they appear on the ballot:

• Samuel Briggs – Liberal Democrat
• George Carr-Williamson – Labour
• Owen Ferron – Reform UK
• Cheryl Pidgeon – Derbyshire Community Party
• Dan Pitt – Conservative 

Cllr Bradley had been elected to the division in May and appointed cabinet member for education and special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), but resigned last month.

He had been behind a move to close five adult education centres without public consultation in a private decision.

That decision was also made illegally due to it being made too early, in line with national legislation, causing the decision to have to be retaken and prompting a council apology.

A further by-election will also be held in due course to fill another vacant slot on the county council vacated by Reform’s Cllr Richard Morgan, who represented the Horsley division, leaving his seat just 18 days after that of Cllr Bradley.

In mid-October, Cllr Paul Maginnis, formerly Conservative county councillor for the Sawley division, resigned from the party five months on from his appointment to join Reform UK, but retained his seat without a by-election.

He is now the support cabinet member for education and SEND.

The current makeup of the council due to the two vacancies is as follows: Reform have 41 councillors, the Conservatives have 11 councillors, Labour have three councillors, the Liberal Democrats have three councillors, the Green Party have two councillors and there are two independent councillors.