DERBYSHIRE: Labour celebrates as party takes back council control

The Labour councillors secured an incredible 43 seats leaving the Conservatives with 18 after they previously held a controlling 31 seats.

Newly appointed Derbyshire County Council leader Anne Western was delighted with the result which came through today, Friday, May 3, at County Hall, Matlock, and has promised the Labour-led council will not let down the people of Derbyshire.

Cllr Western, who retained Barlborough and Clowne, said: “We feel very honoured that the people of Derbyshire have put their faith in us and we want to get started tackling some of the problems in the council.

“We want to look at the council budget and look at the way some of the council services have been changed such as social services like home help and residential care for the elderly, as well as services for adults with learning difficulties and those for families and children.

“We’ve a lot to do and we look forward to getting started.”

She added: “I’m really pleased and it’s a great result right across Derbyshire and it’s great that people have put their interest and trust in Labour and we won’t let them down.”

During the Derbyshire County Council elections Labour party members took 43 seats, Conservatives were left with 18 seats, Liberal Democrats with three and UKIP were left with none.

The former Conservative-led council included 31 Tory seats, 22 Labour, 1 UKIP, eight Lib Dems and two Independent seats.

Derbyshire county Labour Party Secretary Joe Murphy said: “I’m very pleased the council’s back in Labour control and we’re looking forward to implementing our manifesto.

“People in Derbyshire have clearly had enough of the Tories and we’re looking forward to helping the people of Derbyshire.”

Labour county cllr Irene Ratcliffe, who took the Wirksworth seat, said she was thrilled to see so many younger people voting and engaging in politics and that Labour councillors have been working very hard and had been getting positive feedback from residents.

Chesterfield Borough Council leader John Burrows said: “This is a massive victory that gives Chesterfield a chance to work with Labour colleagues to improve Chesterfield which will benefit from a Labour-controlled council with improvements to transport, business and enterprise as examples.”

Conservative Andrew Lewer and Simon Spencer, the former leader and deputy leader of Derbyshire County Council, retained their seats despite a massive swing towards Labour.

Cllr Lewer, who has been Conservative leader of the council for the last four years, retained his seat in the Ashbourne ward.

The Dovedale seat was kept by Conservative Cllr Simon Spencer, who up until the election was deputy leader of the county council.

Conservative Party members and county councillors did not attend County Hall, at Matlock, as the results came in throughout Thursday afternoon, May 3.

The election was contested as the country struggles to recover from a recession and the Conservative-Liberal Democrat Coalition Government has introduced hard-hitting spending cuts and changes to benefits. The cuts have affected local authority budgets and influenced plans to introduce changes to services including elderly care, transport and youth services.

2013 Local Derbyshire County Election winners:

Spire - Sharon Blank - Lab

Brimington - Walter Burrows - Lab

Boythorpe and Brampton South - Ron Mihaly - Lab

Wingerworth and Shirland - Barry Lewis - Con

Dronfield East - Janet Hill - Lab and Co-op

Derwent Valley - Michael Longden - Con

Loundsley Green and Newbold - Stuart Brittain - Lab

St Mary’s - Jean Innes - Lab and Co-op

Birdholme - Dave Allen - Lab

Staveley - John Graham Williams - Lab

Shirebrook and Pleasley - Marian Stockdale - Lab

Sandiacre - Wayne Major - Con

Breadsall and W. Hallam - Carol Ann Hart - Con

Ilkeston South - John Arnold Frudd - Lab

Ilkeston West - Michelle Booth - Lab

Bakewell - Judith Twigg - Con

Alfreton and Somercotes - Steve Clarke - Lab

Alfreton and Somercotes - Paul Smith - Lab

Alport and Derwent - Martin Tomlinson - Con

Belper - John Owen - Lab

Duffield and Belper South - Stuart Bradford - Con

Greater Heanor - Paul Jones - Lab

Heanor Central - Celia Cox - Lab

Horsley - Kevin Buttery - Con

Ripley East and Codnor - Steve Freeborn - Lab

Ripley West and Heage - David Williams - Lab

Matlock - Andy Botham - Lab

Sawley - David Walton - Con

Breaston - Robert Parkinson - Con

Ilkeston East - Glennice Birkin - Lab

Long Eaton - Robert Leon Hesker - Lab and Co-op

Petersham - Clare Neil -Lab and Co-op

Tibshelf - Clive Moseby - Lab

South Normanton and Pinxton - Jim Coyle - Lab

Sutton - Julie Hall - Lab

Swadlincote South - Trevor Southend - Lab

Swadlincote North - Sean Branbrick - Lab

Swadlincote Central - Paul Dunn - Lab

Melbourne - Linda May Chilton - Con

Linton - Kath Lauro - Lab

Hilton - Julie Patten - Con

Etwall and Repton - Martyn Ford - Con

Aston - Robert Davison - Lab

Eckington and Killamarsh - Diane Charles -Lab

Eckington and Killamarsh - Brian Ridgway - Lab

Ashbourne - Andrew Lewer - Con

Clay Cross South - Kevin Gillott - Lab

Bolosver North - Duncan McGregor - Lab

Barlborough and Clowne - Anne Western - Lab

Clay Cross North - Brian Wright - Lab

Dovedale - Simon Spencer - Con

Dronfield West and Walton - Stuart Ellis - Con

Bolsover South - Joan Dixon - Lab and Co-op

Wirksworth - Irene Ratcliffe - Lab

Glossop and Charlesworth - Damien Thomas Greenhaigh - Lab

Glossop and Charlesworth - Ellie Wilcox - Lab

Walton and West - Keith Morgan - Lib Dem Focus

Staveley North and Whittington - Dave Collins - Lab

New Mills - Beth Atkins - Lib Dem

Whaley Bridge - David William Lomax - Lib Dem Focus

Buxton West - Tony Arthur Kemp - Con

Chapel and Hope Valley - Jocelyn Street - Con

Buxton North and East - Caitlin Bisknell - Lab

Etherow - Dave Wilcox - Lab

The Derbyshire County Council election votes:

BNP 659 votes (0.3per cent)

Conservative 60,444 (28.7per cent)

Green Party 2,333 (1.1per cent)

Independent 3,410 (1.6per cent)

Labour 80,478 (38.2per cent)

Labour and Co-operative 7,886 (3.7per cent)

Liberal Democrat 8,894 (4.2per cent)

Liberal Democrat Focus Team 6,485 (3.1per cent)

Trade Unionists and Socialits Against Cuts 495 (0.2per cent)

UKIP 39,364 (18.7per cent)

Total electorate: 606,479. Total turnout: 34.8per cent. Total votes: 210,552. Total spoilt: 595.

Labour gains from Conservative included Buxton North and East, Ripley West and Heage, Greater Heanor, Swadlincote North, Aston, Dronfield East, Swadlincote Central, Linton, Wirksworth, Ripley East and Codnor, Alfreton and Somercotes, Belper, Petersham, Glossop and Charlesworth.

Labour gain from Liberal Democrats included Loundsley Green and Newbold, St Mary’s, Matlock, Boythorpe and Brampton South, Staveley North and Whittington.

Results of North East Derbyshire’s 26 candidates standing for eight seats across seven divisions with Eckington & Killamarsh Division having two seats are broken down as follows.

Overall turn out for North East Derbyshire was 30 per cent.

The results and official Declarations of Result of Poll are below:

Clay Cross North

ROWLEY, Linda (Conservative) - 630

WRIGHT, Brian (Labour) - 1,737 ELECTED

(Turn out: 27per cent)

Clay Cross South

ARMITAGE, William (Conservative) - 541

GILLOTT, Kevin (Labour) - 1,909 ELECTED

HOWELLS, Morgan (Independent) - 391

(Turn out: 29per cent)

Dronfield East

FOSTER, Angelique (Conservative) - 1,087

GILL, Clive (Independent) - 136

HARRISON, Roderick Bernard Arundle (UKIP) - 521

HILL, Janet (Labour & Co-operative) - 1,238 ELECTED

TEMPLE, Simon Philip (Lib Dem) - 206

(Turn out: 32per cent)

Dronfield West and Walton

CLARKE, Andrew Lewis (UKIP) - 1,139

ELLIS, Stuart (Conservative) - 1,312 ELECTED

GORDON, Michael (Labour) - 820

TEMPLE, Wendy Mary (Lib Dem) - 401

(Turn out: 35per cent)

Eckington and Killamarsh (two seats)

BLACKBURN, Lewis James (Conservative) - 843

CHARLES, Diane (Labour) - 2,507 ELECTED

HALL, Roger Anthony (Conservative) - 813

RIDGWAY, Brian (Labour) - 2,436 ELECTED

WATSON, Charles David Rae (UKIP) - 1,262

WATSON, David Stanely Rae (UKIP)- 1,065

(Turn out: 24per cent)

Wingerworth and Shirland

BARNES, Barry Herbert (Labour) - 1, 462

LEWIS, Barry (Conservative) - 1, 532 ELECTED

RANDALL, Alan (UKIP) - 774

(Turn out: 35per cent)

Sutton

CUPIT, Charlotte (Conservative) - 312

HILL, Julie Ann (Labour) - 1,726 ELECTED

POTTER, Glen John (UKIP) - 801

(Turn out: 29per cent)

The political make-up of Chesterfield Borough Council remains the same after the results of two by-elections were also announced today, Friday, May 3.

Helen Bagley and Linda Clarke held the St Helen’s and St Leonard’s wards for Labour.

The seats were up for election after the resignations of councillors Angela Reynolds and Nick Stringer respectively.

The results mean that the overall make-up of the council stays at 34 Labour councillors, 12 Liberal Democrats and two independents.

The full results were:

St Helen’s Ward

Helen Claire Bagley (Labour Party) – 602 votes

Mick Bagshaw (Independent) – 46 votes

Shelley Dale (Conservative Party) – 35 votes

Keith Lomas (UK Independence Party) – 246 votes

Daniel Wayne Marshall (Liberal Democrat Party) – 135 votes

Elected: Helen Claire Bagley (Labour Party)

St Leonard’s Ward

Maggie Cannon (Liberal Democract Party) – 164 votes

Linda Clarke (Labour Party) – 904 votes

Adrian Mather (Independent) – 294 votes

Simon John Temperton (Conservative Party) – 120 votes

Stuart David Yeowart (UK Independence Party) – 301 votes

Elected: Linda Clarke (Labour Party).

In the Chesterfield divisions of the Derbyshire County Council elections the Liberal Democrats held the Walton and West division, with the other eight seats being won by Labour.