A full election wrap-up for Derbyshire

Reform UK have taken control of Derbyshire County Council in a turquoise tsunami to end eight years of Conservative control and leave other parties by the wayside.

Labour had been looking to echo last year’s General Election success and regain council seats and control of authorities throughout the country but that hope fell far short in Derbyshire.

Reform UK had stood six candidates in 2021 and put out a full slate of 64 this time around, and from a starting point of zero councillors ended the day in a turquoise tsunami, gaining 42 elected members.

The party did not put forward a Derbyshire-specific manifesto but has ridden a national political movement led by leader Nigel Farage, who claimed on a visit to Denby that the county council was “broken” and that Reform would “fix it”.

Reform’s victories included a win for Alan Graves in Aston, who is Reform’s group leader on Derby City Council.

It does not yet have an earmarked proposed leader and this will be decided at a later date.

This has also left them with a majority of nine and are the largest party by 30 councillors.

The Conservatives, who had been in control since 2017 and had 40 councillors, have ended this year’s elections with 12.

They also lost council leader, Barry Lewis, in a tight race in Shirland & Wingerworth South in which he lost by 62 votes to Reform’s Paul Parkin, with the Green Party’s Frank Adlington-Stringer finishing a close third by 26 votes.

The Conservatives also lost cabinet member for highways Charlotte Cupit in Swanwick & Riddings, and cabinet member for infrastructure and environment Carolyn Renwick in Staveley North & Whittington.

Labour went from holding hope of taking back control of the council to dropping from 15 councillors to just three, losing their leader, Joan Dixon, in Bolsover by a significant margin, and deputy leader Kevin Gillott in North Wingfield, Pilsley & Morton.

The Liberal Democrats have dropped from four councillors to three, with leader Ed Fordham retaining his Spire seat and the Green Party has grown from one to two councillors, retaining previous lone member Gez Kinsella in South Belper & Holbrook and joined by Rachael Hatchett in Alport & Duffield by a large margin.

Meanwhile, the council now has its first councillors who have been elected as independents, with previous independents having been appointed under political banners.

Ruth George, former Labour MP for High Peak and representing Labour in Whaley Bridge, was deselected by her party but swept to victory with a 2,494-vote victory over the candidate who displaced her.

Amy Wheelton was elected in South Derbyshire’s Linton ward with a sizable winning margin.

The final makeup of the council is now as follows: Reform UK, 42 councillors; Conservatives, 12; Labour, three; Liberal Democrats, three; Green Party, two; independents, two.

Reform’s turquoise tsunami claimed all the seats in Bolsover district, all but two in South Derbyshire and all but three in Erewash.

Labour are now confined to just two seats in the High Peak – Glossop South and New Mills & Hayfield – and one in Amber Valley in North Belper.

Speaking before the results were declared, successful Reform candidate in Melbourne, Charlotte Hill, said: “It is looking really positive for Reform across the county and we could potentially take control of the council and the more councillors the better.”

She said voters were “fed up” of Labour and the Conservatives and wanted a change. She said many people told her they were voting for the first time and that success was down to the “unspoken majority”.

Ms Hill said she herself had not voted in the 2021 county elections and that the local party was only started at Christmas and received leaflets in early March for an eight-week campaign.

She said this involved Reform candidates “working harder than anyone else”, knocking on “thousands” of doors.

Ms Hill said the party would now put action behind its words.

Former Conservative leader Mr Lewis, on losing his council seat, told the Local Democracy Reporting Service there had been some national challenges overriding the local issues.

He added: “In reference to the Conservative Party it’s time for us to rebuild and refocus and create policies that are relevant to the public. The kind of thing they want to hear and understand.

“I will refocus on my business and I will still keep an interest in politics particularly in the Conservative Party.”

Mr Lewis said: “I will be back, as Arnie (Arnold Schwarzenegger) says,” alluding to the prospect of further elections in two years’ time under Government plans for Local Government Reorganisation and the formation of new councils.

Mrs Dixon, sharing a statement on X (formerly Twitter), wrote: “I’d like to thank the people of Bolsover, Hillstown, Carr Vale, Palterton, Scarcliffe, the Whaleys and the Langwiths for letting me be your county councillor for the last 20 years. I wish the new county councillor well. I will continue to work in and serve my community.”

Mr Fordham, the only group leader to keep their seat, on behalf of the Lib Dems, said: “It’s going to be interesting times and it can be a curse when you live in interesting times and I know what it is like to be a new councillor and all the Reform councillors have a daunting job in front of them.”

Cllr Kinsella, on behalf of the Green Party, said: “What we need to do is understand why people would vote for a party which sows distrust, animosity and hate and it is more important than ever that we are an effective opposition and hold their feet to the fire.”

Independent Cllr George, formerly of Labour, said: “The Labour Party said I wasn’t fit to continue as county councillor for Whaley Bridge & Blackbrook. The people – overwhelmingly – said I was.”

Winning Independent Amy Wheelton said she was “humbled” at the result. She said she will work with other councillors but will maintain independence.