‘Astonishing’ Elections 2021 night as county map goes blue
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THE Conservatives have romped to victory in dramatic style in the Derbyshire County Council elections, significantly strengthening their grasp on the former Labour stronghold.
After a campaign defined by Covid-19 restrictions and a year like no other, the Conservatives tightened their hold on the county council from 36 seats to 45.
Meanwhile, Labour saw its share of seats on the authority, which it has controlled for 36 years out of the past 48, reduce from 24 seats to 14.
The results mean that for the first time the Tories have had back-to-back administrations at the authority.
It shows a further march from Derbyshire away from its historic voting patterns, as the “Red Wall” turns blue.
This had been foreshadowed in the 2019 General Election, in which Labour lost the Bolsover constituency to the Tories for the first time in decades, along with the district council.
This year, Labour lost three of the six Bolsover district seats – all of which it had held – during this year’s local elections, matching the move in the area away from its traditional political roots. It also lost four of its North East Derbyshire seats, a district council which also moved away from Labour in 2019.
Out of the 12 seats across Bolsover and North East Derbyshire, Labour had held 11 but now holds just four. But it is the victory in the seats of Alfreton and Somercotes in Amber Valley that will bring the Conservatives extra joy.
The two Alfreton and Somercotes seats being contested comprised Labour’s only showing on the county council in Amber Valley but with the defeat of Labour leader Paul Smith and fellow party runner Steve MarshallClarke, the Amber Valley map is now blue with the exception of the Greens’ victory in Duffield and Belper South.
The map is also entirely blue in South Derbyshire, with the Tories completing a clean sweep of all eight divisions, with a victory in Swadlincote North where Labour’s Sean Bambrick lost out by 84 votes.
The Green Party also gained its first ever county councillor, with Gez Kinsella claiming victory in the Duffield & Belper South division, overturning a huge loss back in 2017.
This builds on the party’s success in the borough council elections in 2019, when a Duffield Green Party councillor was elected. Mr Kinsella says this proves the party’s success was not a “flash in the pan”.
Meanwhile, the Liberal Democrats increased their numbers on the authority from three to four, but their group leader Beth Atkins lost her seat to Labour’s Anne Clarke.
The overall make-up of the council before the election was: Conservatives, 36 seats; Labour, 24 seats; Lib Dems, three seats; and one vacancy (Staveley).
The new make-up of the authority is: Conservatives, 45 seats; Labour, 14 seats; Lib Dems, four seats; Green Party, one seat.