The Conservatives have been “wiped out” after eight years in power in a major local election defeat. Reform UK now has control of Derbyshire County Council with a majority 42 elected members, up from zero, in what some are calling a protest vote as the county turned away from the two main parties.
Both Labour and Conservative leaders lost their seats to Reform, with Starmer’s party dropping from 15 councillors to three, and the Tories going from 40 to 12. Outgoing Conservative and council leader Barry Lewis, who lost Shirland and Wingerworth South in a tight race by 62 votes to Paul Parkin, said: “It’s something of a wipeout for us, I think – nationally and locally.” Putting it down to “a fractured party” and national challenges, he added: “We need to rebuild trust with our residents and voters who’ve lost faith with us.”
Speaking to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, 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.”
Reform’s Stephen Reed, who won the Clay Cross and Tupton division, accepted claims that voters opted for Reform in protest.
He said: “People keep saying it’s a protest vote, I think there’s no doubt people are protesting at how politics currently runs.
“There is an element that people want change so it’s a message to other parties to say, ‘look, we’re not happy with the way things are going’.”
Labour’s Joan Dixon lost Bolsover by a significant margin to Reform’s Carol Wood, who received almost double the number of votes.
Former leader Dixon shared a statement on X to thank those who had allowed her to be a county councillor for the last 20 years, adding that she will continue to work and serve in the community.
Nigel Farage claimed on a visit to Denby that the county council was “broken” and that Reform would “fix it”, although the party has not put forward a Derbyshire-specific manifesto.
Reform has not yet confirmed the proposed council leader for the region.
