Reform UK says it is ready for ‘change’ after winning control at Derbyshire County Council

Derbyshire County Council’s new controlling political party Reform UK says it is ready to give people the change they want as the former Tory-led administration and Labour opponents have been licking their wounds after suffering a mauling at the local county elections.

Local Democracy Reporter Jon Cooper said that Reform UK claimed 42 out of the council’s 64 seats to secure an overall majority after the election and count on May 1st and May 2nd and the Conservatives have now been left with 12 seats, Labour with three, and the Liberal Democrats with three while the Green Party doubled its presence to two and the Independents secured two seats.

The council’s previous set-up had seen the Conservatives enjoy 40 seats, Labour 15, the Liberal Democrats four, Amber Valley Independents two and the Independents two, and the Green Party had just one councillor all going to show how Reform has cut a swathe through the authority to dramatically change its political landscape.

Newly-elected Reform UK councillor Stephen Reed, for Clay Cross and Tupton, said: “We want people to work together for the good of the community and we have a big job ahead of us to bring everyone along.”

He added: “It is a huge honour to have been elected on to the county council. I’m looking forward to delivering for the people of my division and Derbyshire.

“Let’s not forget the sheer importance of what has happened here. From a standing start we have taken control of Derbyshire County Council. The message from local residents is clear – they want change, and Reform UK will deliver that.”

By the end of the election it appeared the former county council administration could not overcome its forecast multi-million pound budget deficits and subsequent cutbacks while the opposition Labour Group could not distance itself from its Government’s unpopular decisions.

While reflections on the previous Tory Government’s 14-year rule appear to have been fresh in voters’ minds, many were also conscious of the Labour Government’s record including winter fuel payment cuts for pensioners, an increase in employers’ national insurance payments, changes to inheritance tax affecting farmers, welfare cuts and tax increases while claiming they were addressing a £22bn blackhole left by the former Conservative Government.

Surviving Green Party councillor, Gez Kinsella, for South Belper and Holbrook, had warned both the council’s former Conservative administration and the opposition Labour Group at a meeting before the election that while they continued to argue among themselves Reform UK were making inroads to take power.

Former County Council Leader Barry Lewis, who lost his Shirland and Wingerworth South seat to Reform UK’s Paul Parkin, felt the national challenges had over-ridden the local issues as Reform UK continued to raise concerns about immigration and has since pledged to cut local authority spending, axe diversity roles, and stop home-working for council employees.

Mr Lewis said: “It is what happens if you have a (Labour) Government that promises one thing during a campaign leading up to an election and reneges on it.”

He added: “In relation to the Conservative Party, it is a 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.”

Among the Conservatives’ modest successes securing 12 seats on the county council, Tory Angelique Foster managed to win the Dronfield Woodhouse and Walton seat and Alex Dale secured the Dronfield and Unstone seat.

Cllr Foster said: “People have looked at the work the Conservatives have done and they know how hard we have worked but they have still chosen to vote elsewhere.”

She argued the situation reflects a ‘protest vote’ because people were not happy with what has been happening nationally and one issue Reform has campaigned with is illegal immigration and little could be done to stop them.

Cllr Dale argued it is important to vote for councillors who will stand up for you but he too believes Reform supporters voted on national issues while the county council’s service responsibilities actually include schools, roads, waste and recycling, care for older and vulnerable people and safeguarding children.

He said: “The message on the doorstep is frustration and anger and they want to send a message. They are certainly not happy with Labour, and the Conservative Party needs to show it is changing.”

Experts predicted voters were becoming disillusioned with the traditional two main Conservative and Labour parties and they predicted voters would start to look elsewhere as has been evidenced by Reform’s success in Derbyshire and nationally as well as with some Liberal Democrat gains across the country.

Derbyshire even saw defections before the election at district councils from other more traditional parties to Reform UK which was well represented with candidates in every one of the available 64 county council seat contests.

Successful Reform county councillors Stephen Reed and Carol Wood both left the Conservative Party as a respective NE Derbyshire District Councillor and a respective Bolsover District Councillor to join Reform and enjoy subsequent success at county level with their new party.

Nationally, Reform Uk secured majorities in ten county councils including Derbyshire as well as winning seats for hundreds of councillors, winning two mayoral races and the Runcorn and Helsby by-election giving the right-wing party a fifth MP.

Former Derbyshire County Council Labour Group Leader, Joan Dixon, who lost her Bolsover seat to Reform UK’s Carol Wood, said: “Of course, I’m disappointed and we now need to rest, reflect and retrench ready for the new authority elections.”

Reform UK will quickly have to prove themselves as Labour Government’s plans for Local Government Reorganisation may well mean further elections in at least two years’ time with the possible introduction of unitary councils in two-tier county areas, like Derbyshire, by replacing county and both district and borough councils altogether by 2028 with new unitary authorities.

Liberal Democrat Group Leader Ed Fordham, who became the only surviving county council group leader from the last term, said all the Reform UK councillors have a daunting task ahead of them.

The new 42-strong group of Reform UK county councillors in Derbyshire met for the first time at County Hall, in Matlock, over the Bank Holiday weekend pledging to deliver change for residents.

Following his election success, new Reform UK Derbyshire County Councillor, Jamie Hodgson, who won the Eckington and Coal Aston seat, said: “It’s absolutely brilliant. I am a normal bloke, a normal working bloke with a family and kids and I felt Derbyshire needed a change and I am here to give them change.”