LOCAL ELECTIONS 2019: Labour retains power at Chesterfield Borough Council - but with a reduced majority

Following today's local election count, it means the council is now made up of 28 Labour members, 17 Liberal Democrats and three Independents.

Labour has seven fewer seats than before the election and the Liberal Democrats have seven more. The number of independent members has remained the same.

Speaking after the election win, Councillor Tricia Gilby said she was 'proud' to have been re-elected leader of the council.

She said: "I would like to thank the people who voted for us. They believe that Labour can be trusted because we deliver on our promises. While other parties talk the town down, we have an ambitious plan to create a prosperous borough from which all will benefit.

"The key messages that we heard on the doorstep were that people are dissatisfied with the Labour leadership (nationally) and they feel betrayed on Brexit by all parties. That has led to seven out of 10 people not voting.

"Therefore there is no party in Chesterfield that are winning here. We have listened to the electorate of Chesterfield and we will do everything we can to deliver on our pledges and win people back to the ballot box."

And in a tweet posted on Twitter, the town's Labour MP Toby Perkins voiced his concerns about the result - despite his party's success.

He wrote: "So a dramatic count for the @ChesterfieldBC elections ends with @UKLabour retaining the council with overall majority of eight - though both the loss of nine seats and the low turnout should sound alarm bells about voter frustration with direction of the party."

One major casualty for the ruling Labour group was the loss of cabinet member and former mayor Steve Brunt.

He first entered the council chamber in 1987 and served until 1999 before returning to frontline politics in the town four years ago. Mr Brunt was the mayor in 2016/17.

Meanwhile, the Liberal Democrats mirrored the party's strong performance nationally by winning 17 seats - an increase of nine on the elections of 2015.

They also narrowly missed out on winning another by just one vote and a further seat by under 60 votes.

A party spokesman said: "Gains like this put Labour under notice that local voters are deeply unhappy with how they run the council.

"Labour's council leader said at the count that they had heard the voters' message on the doorstep about Jeremy Corbyn and about Brexit.

"They seem, however, to have missed all the other messages about the town centre, Labour's waste of taxpayers' money and their neglect of environmental concerns.

"If Labour prefer to adopt the head in the sand approach and ignore all the uncomfortable truths, then it is our job to make them take notice and offer an alternative to their failure.

"This was an astonishingly bad set of results for both Labour and Conservatives across the country as a whole as well as here in Chesterfield. It was a very good night for the Liberal Democrats.

""The Lib Dems' work ethic undoubtedly helped us to achieve this improved result. The voters recognised and rewarded the hard work put in serving the community and then keeping the residents up to date"

Councillors elected by ward are:

Barrow Hill and New Whittington ward – three seats

Barry Bingham (LD)

Paul Robert Holmes (LD)

Kelly Marie Thornton (LD)

Brimington North ward – two seats

Terry Gilby (Lab)

Suzie Francis Perkins (Lab)

Brimington South ward – three seats

Andy Bellamy (Lab)

Ian William Callan (Lab)

Tricia Gilby (Lab)

Brockwell ward – three seats

Maureen Davenport (LD)

Ed Fordham (LD)

Katherine Elizabeth Hollingworth (LD)

Dunston ward – three seats

Janice Marie Marriott (Lab)

Mark David Rayner (Lab)

Gordon Simmons (Lab)

Hasland ward – three seats

Mick Brady (Lab)

Stuart Brittain (Lab)

Amanda Serjeant (Lab)

Hollingwood and Inkersall ward – three seats

Mick Bagshaw (Ind)

Paul Alan Mann (Ind)

Ruth Marina Perry (Ind)

Holmebrook ward – two seats

Glenys Falconer (LD)

Keith Falconer (LD)

Linacre ward – two seats

Peter Ian Barr (LD)

Emily Jane Coy (LD)

Loundsley Green ward – two seats

Ray Catt (Lab)

Avis Joan Murphy (Lab)

Lowgates and Woodthorpe ward – two seats

Dean Collins (Lab)

Lisa Kelly Collins (Lab)

Middlecroft and Poolsbrook ward – two seats

Barry Dyke (Lab)

Chris Ludlow (Lab)

Moor ward – two seats

Kate Caulfield (Lab)

Tony Rogers (LD)

Old Whittington ward – two seats

Jean Mary Innes (Lab)

Peter Innes (Lab)

Rother ward – three seats

Lisa Danielle Blakemore (Lab)

Jenny Flood (Lab)

Keith Miles (Lab)

St Helen’s ward – two seats

Jill Mannion-Brunt (Lab)

Tom Murphy (Lab)

St Leonard’s ward – three seats

Sharon Lesley Blank (Lab)

Dan Kelly (Lab)

Kate Sarvent (Lab)

Walton ward – three seats

Maggie Kellman (LD)

Nick Redihough (LD)

Tom Snowdon (LD)

West ward – three seats

Howard Borrell (LD)

Paul Adam Niblock (LD)

Shirley Anne Niblock (LD)

The turnout was 31.47 per cent.

For a full list of results, visit www.chesterfield.gov.uk/elections.