Labour councillors celebrate a broad power base across Derbyshire after elections

With Labour-led Chesterfield Borough and Bolsover further consolidating their positions, NE Derbyshire District Council’s Conservative crown fell after Labour secured 28 seats at this local authority.

Chesterfield Borough Council Leader and Labour Councillor for Brimington South Tricia Gilby said: “We are absolutely delighted with the result, both nationally and locally.

“I think what it says is that people recognise it’s only the Labour Party that has a plan for creating positive benefit for all.

“In Chesterfield, we had a good story to tell about our delivery over the past four years. We showed our communities in Chesterfield that we are by their side during the pandemic and we continue to be by their side in the cost of living crisis.

“We are absolutely grateful for people putting their confidence back in us and we have an ambitious plan to deliver in the next four years and we have already got down to doing that.

“Nationally, we intend to keep working very hard to get rid of this disastrous Conservative Government and make sure Labour are elected as the next Government.”

Labour Chesterfield Borough Councillors have kept a tight hold on the local authority by securing 28 seats to the Liberal Democrats 12 seats.

However, the council has been reduced from 48 council seats across 19 wards to 40 council seats across 16 wards as part of scheduled changes for the election to ensure each councillor represents a similar number of electors.

With voters considering issues such as the cost of living crisis, healthcare and the economy, Labour has also been left continuing to lead the Conservative Government in popularity polls nationally.

Labour now has more councils and councillors after the Local Elections in the country and Northern Ireland and the Conservative Party lost over 1,000 seats and Labour can now lay claim to be the largest party in Local Government.

Liberal Democrat Chesterfield Borough Councillor Paul Holmes, who represents Whittington, said there was a clear split across the country where Labour did well in particular areas with voters reacting to the Conservative Government but the Lib Dems elsewhere had also done well where they faced-off against the Tories including their victory at Derbyshire Dales District Council.

Cllr Holmes added that Labour’s campaign literature had been geared up to urge people to vote to send the Government a message.

He also said that three of his fellow Liberal Democrat Councillors at Chesterfield had only lost their seats by the narrowest margins and even though Labour did well overall the proportion of Liberal Democrat councillors at the authority had only fallen from about 35per cent to about 31per cent with the reduced number of wards.

At NE Derbyshire District Council, The Conservatives previously held 26 seats and now have 19 councillors, whereas Labour previously had 18 councillors but secured 28 seats.

Elsewhere in NE Derbyshire, the Liberal Democrats still have three councillors, but the Independents have gone from six councillors to two and the Green Party now has one seat in the Wingerworth ward.

Labour-led Bolsover District Council re-inforced its position from 20 seats to 31 out of a possible 37 seats. The Conservatives and The Independents at Bolsover district have both been left with three seats each.

Bolsover District Council Labour Leader and councillor for Langwith said: “This is a really good set of results for Bolsover District Labour, winning the majority of wards, and I would like to thank everyone who voted Labour and put your faith in us. What we must do now is put our words and election pledges into action.

“We will continue with our ambitions to support our local businesses and high streets, provide good quality council housing in areas of need, invest in leisure and recreational facilities and regenerate our towns and villages, whilst improving skill and job opportunities for local people.”

He added: “We have already begun to look at what projects and schemes we can implement and have started by launching a £427,000 scheme to help out rural businesses – which is just a sign of things to come.”

The previously, tightly-contested High Peak Borough Council also fell into the hands of Labour, reflecting the national mood as Labour councillors increased their power base at the local authority by securing 29 seats as the Tories were reduced to ten. The Green Party secured two seats in the Hope Valley and the Liberal Democrats secured only one, and the Independent Party was represented with just one seat.

Elsewhere in Derbyshire, Labour can also boast control over Amber Valley Borough Council, Erewash Borough Council, and South Derbyshire District Council, while the Liberal Democrats now hold Derbyshire Dales District Council.

Comments were requested from Conservative NE Derbyshire District Cllr Alex Dale, Leader of NE Derbyshire District Council’s Labour Group Nigel Barker, and High Peak Borough Councillor Anthony McKeown but they had not responded at the time of publication.

Conservative-led Derbyshire County Council was not subject to the 2023 Local Elections but its next election will take place in May, 2025.