Reform UK takes some big scalps to take control of Derbyshire County Council in the county elections

Derbyshire County Council’s Conservatives – who have been the authority’s controlling party since 2017 – have come under a sweeping attack from Reform successes during the local county election while the county’s Conservative Leader and the opposition Labour leader both lost their seats.

Reform UK won a string of seats at North East Derbyshire area including Clay Cross and Tupton with Stephen Reed, Eckington and Coal Aston with Jamie Hodgson, Killamarsh and Renishaw with David Elsdon, and Sutton with Robert Reaney.

The Reform UK Party has – most significantly – clinched an overall majority at Derbyshire County Council to take control of the authority with 37 per cent of the vote, according to breaking results.

Reform UK’s Stephen Reed said: “It’s exciting. We have a big job ahead of us and the challenge is we have to bring everyone along with us."

By mid-afternoon Reform UK had taken at least 20 seats to the Conservatives four across the county, according to council websites, and matters were to get worse for the Tories.

However, Conservative Angelique Foster managed to secure the Dronfield Woodhouse and Walton seat and Conservative Alex Dale secured the Dronfield and Unstone seat.

Cllr Foster said her success has been ‘bitter-sweet’ under the circumstances  and she has been concerned because Reform has focussed so much on immigration.

Former Conservative Leader Barry Lewis was toppled from his Shirland and Wingerworth South seat after a recount to see the seat taken by Reform’s Paul Parkin while elsewhere in Bolsover opposition Labour.

Group Leader Joan Dixon lost her Bolsover seat to Reform UK’s Carol Wood.

Mr Lewis said there have been some challenges nationally 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 says’, as he alluded to the prospect of further elections in two years’ time with the prospect of Government plans for Local Government Reorganisation with the possible introduction of Unitary authorities.

The new Shirland and Wingerworth South Councillor, Paul Parkin, said: “I am delighted to have been elected by the people of Shirland and Wingerworth South, Ashover and the surrounding villages. I look forward to getting to work very quickly and delivering on the promises that our party and myself have made.”

Darren Muizelaar, of Reform Uk, also took North Wingfield, Pilsley and Morton where  Labour’s Kevin Gillott lost his county council seat.

Reform UK has won an overall majority at Derbyshire County Council and the Green Party has so far managed to win two seats with Gez Kinsella keeping his South Belper and Holbrook.

Elsewhere, Ruth George retained her Whaley Bridge seat as an Independent after she had been deselected from the Labour party over accusations of antisemitism which she dismissed.   

Of the votes: Reform UK won 37per cent; Conservatives won 21 per cent; Liberal Democrats won nine per cent; Labour and Cooperative won six per cent; The Green Party won nine per cent; Independent won four per cent; and Labour won 14 per cent.

Also Belper Independents, Chesterfield Independents, the Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition, the Homeland Party, and the National Front all won one per cent each of the votes.