The 10 councils left with no overall control after local elections
May's local elections left 10 councils under no overall control and sparked weeks of uncertainty about their political direction.
Reform won the most seats of any party — 677 out of some 1,650 — cinching majority control in ten councils, but gaining representation across all 23 councils.
Labour and Conservatives lost two-thirds of the seats they had in 2021 while the Liberal Democrats nearly doubled their seats up to 370 overall, and winning majority control of three councils.
Since the election counts, 10 local councils left with no overall control have since confirmed their leadership and executive arrangements after holding annual meetings.
This is the political makeup of each authority, and which parties will lead them.
Devon County Council
Both the Lib Dems and Reform gained 18 seats at the election, ensuring the former became the biggest party with 27 councillors.
The Conservatives lost 32 seats and control of the council, with seven councillors remaining.
The Greens were the only other party to make gains as their seats increased from two to six.
Lib Dem Julian Brazil was elected leader unchallenged on Thursday.
A major challenge for the new leadership will be children's services, with the county's support rated inadequate by Ofsted for the second time in five years earlier this month.
Commenting on the issue on Thursday, Mr Brazil said: 'No stone will be unturned or sinew unstrained in order to improve the service that we deliver to some of the most vulnerable children in our communities.'
At the same meeting, Reform councillor Michael Fife Cook complained that 'half the council is being ignored' after the Lib Dem cabinet was confirmed.
Gloucestershire County Council
The Conservatives had led Gloucestershire County Council since 2001 but lost 20 seats at the election, reducing the Tory group to just six.
The Lib Dems gained 11 seats but fell one short of the 28 needed for a majority.
The party's group leader Lisa Spivey was elected council leader unchallenged on May 21, becoming the first woman to take on the role.
Her nomination was backed by the Greens, which secured the third highest number of seats at the election with nine – a gain of five.
Reform became the second largest group with 11 councillors while Labour's seats were reduced from five to one.
Speaking at the annual meeting, Ms Spivey said the electorate had delivered 'a clear call for something better – a loud and resounding vote for change'.
Addressing new Reform councillors, she acknowledged there would be sharp differences of opinion between the two groups, but added: 'I look forward to working with you to deliver for your communities.'
Hertfordshire County Council
Hertfordshire County Council slipped into no overall control for the first time this century, with a collapse in support for the Conservatives indicative of the party's wider electoral woes.
Such was its dominance in this part of the South East, the Tories had been the only party to hold a majority in Hertfordshire since the council was established in 1974.
With 40 seats needed for a majority, the Lib Dems came closest with 31 due to a gain of eight.
The Tories lost more than half of their 46 seats to end the night with 22 councillors, while Reform made the biggest gain by securing 14 seats.
Both Labour and the Greens ended up with five seats.
Lib Dem Steve Jarvis was elected leader on May 20, with no sign of a formal coalition agreement with other parties.
He said his first two priorities were to fix roads and host a summit on plans to improve support for those with special educational needs and disabilities.
Leicestershire County Council
A surge in support for Reform in Leicestershire resulted in the party gaining 25 seats – just three short of an overall majority.
The Conservatives, who led the council as a majority since 2001, lost 27 seats.
This left the party as the second largest group with 15 councillors, followed by the Lib Dems with 11 (+2), Labour with two (-2), the Greens with one (+1) and independents with one (+1).
Former Conservative councillor Dan Harrison was elected leader on May 14, having defected to Reform in February.
The Conservatives had ruled out forming a coalition with Reform, preferring to provide a 'strong opposition', the BBC reported.
Warwickshire County Council
Warwickshire County Council, which has alternated between a Conservative majority and no overall control since it was established in 1974, is now under the leadership of Reform.
However, despite securing 23 seats the party fell short of the 29 needed for a majority.
The Lib Dems gained nine seats to take its total to 19, while the Conservative vote collapsed to deliver just nine councillors – a loss of 32.
The Greens won seven seats with a gain of four. Labour lost three to end with three.
Reform's Rob Howard was elected as leader of the county council on May 16 and his cabinet will be announced 'in the coming weeks', the council said.
Alternative leadership nominations were made for Liberal Democrat councillor Jerry Roodhouse and Green councillor Jonathan Chilvers.
Mr Howard won the support of 28 councillors, while Mr Roodhouse won 15 votes and Mr Chilvers 10, with one abstention.
Reform councillor Edward Harris was chosen as the new chairman of the authority and Conservative councillor Dale Keeling elected as vice-chairman.
Worcestershire County Council
Reform were just two seats shy of securing the 29 needed for an overall majority after voters turned their backs on the Conservatives en masse, with the party losing 33 councillors – leaving them with 12.
The Tories had been in charge of the county since 2001.
Reform's Jo Monk was elected the new leader of the council unchallenged on Thursday.
The Greens benefited from a five-seat boost to become the third biggest group, ahead of the Lib Dems on six (+2) and Labour on two (-1).
The Conservatives fell one seat short of retaining overall control of Buckinghamshire council, a unitary authority performing both county and district-level functions created in 2020.
The Tories lost 29 seats to leave them with 48 after boundary changes, while the Lib Dems gained 19 to secure 27 and second place.
Conservative Steven Broadbent was elected council leader on Thursday after former Tory leader Martin Tett stepped down.
Independents are the third largest group with 13 councillors, an increase of six, followed by Labour on four.
Reform failed to make the inroads it achieved elsewhere, with the party winning three seats.
Cornwall Council
Reform emerged from the election as the biggest party but fell well short of the 44 seats needed to gain overall control.
Reform's 28 new councillors put the party ahead of the Lib Dems in second on 26, after a gain of 13.
However, the support of independents proved pivotal in the vote for council leader on May 20 as Lib Dem councillor Leigh Frost was elected with 53 votes. There were 25 abstentions.
Reform UK had withdrawn from the race after other parties said they would not support them, the BBC reported.
Independents maintained their 16 seats and became the third biggest block, while the Conservatives suffered a huge loss of 40 seats, reducing their representation to seven councillors.
Labour now have four seats on the council – a reduction of one.
Northumberland County Council
The Conservatives narrowly retained its status as the largest group on Northumberland County Council, finishing three seats ahead of Reform, which gained its first 23 councillors.
But the Tories failed to win the 36 seats needed for overall control and faced a challenge from Reform for the leadership of the unitary authority.
Support from independents, Greens and Liberal Democrats led to Tory leader Glen Sanderson being re-elected as leader ahead of Reform nominee Mark Peart. Labour councillors abstained.
The election saw Labour slip from 21 seats to eight while independents, the Lib Dems and the Greens maintained low levels of representation.
Speaking at the annual meeting on May 21, Mr Sanderson is reported as saying: 'We will build together to make this continue to be successful. We all share one thing in common, which is to have our residents put a cross in our box to say we put our trust in you to represent us.'
Wiltshire Council
During a dramatic annual meeting on May 20, the Liberal Democrats took control of Wiltshire Council – a Conservative stronghold since it became a unitary council in 2009.
The Lib Dems gained 16 seats in the election but fell seven short of an overall majority, while the Tories lost 24 to come in second on 37.
This set up a head-to-head between Lib Dem Ian Thorn and former council leader Richard Clewer for the leadership.
Boosted by support from independents, it was Mr Thorn who prevailed by a margin of five votes.
Mr Thorn said there is now an opportunity to encourage parties to work together more, while Mr Clewer said he was 'frustrated' and 'sad' not to continue in the role.
Reform is now the third biggest party on the unitary council after winning 10 seats, followed by independents on seven and Labour on one (-2).
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Independent
18 minutes ago
- The Independent
Winter fuel payments: Am I eligible and how much can I get?
In the latest U-turn after months of backlash, the government has announced a massive expansion of who will receive winter fuel payments. After weeks of speculation over what the changes would look like, it has now been confirmed that 9 million pensions will be eligible for the payment - a huge uplift from the 1.5 million pensioners who received the payment in winter 2024-25. Here, The Independent looks at how the new system will work and who will be affected by the uplift. How many people did the winter fuel payment cut affect? The winter fuel payment is a state benefit previously given to all pensioners to help with energy costs during the coldest months of the year. The decision to means-test the previously universal payment was one of the first announcements by Rachel Reeves when she became chancellor after Labour's landslide election victory last year, and it has been widely blamed for the party's collapse in support. The government has insisted the policy was necessary to help stabilise the public finances, and meant that the payment would only go to those on low incomes who received specified benefits such as pension credit. This meant the number of pensioners receiving the payment was reduced from 11.4 million to 1.5 million. Several charities, MPs and unions criticised the decision, with some blaming it for the party's disappointing local election results. In November, it was revealed that the government's own figures indicated it would force 100,000 pensioners into poverty in 2026. How was the payment linked to pension credit? Only those who claim pension credit were able to receive the winter fuel payment in winter 2024. Those who are above state pension age and have an income of less than £218.15 a week, or less than £332.95 as a joint weekly income with your partner, are eligible for pension credit. However, despite the government's campaigns and an increase in claims after the July 2024 announcement, it is estimated that half a million eligible people fail to claim the benefit. How will the new system work? The government has increased the threshold at which people over the state pension age become eligible for the payment, meaning that anyone with an income of or below £35,000 will receive it this winter. The government estimates that the new threshold will ensure that more than three quarters of pensioners in England and Wales - around 9m people - will receive the benefit. It is estimated that around 2 million pensioners in England and Wales have taxable incomes above £35,000 and will therefore be exempt. The payment of £200 per household, or £300 per household where there is someone over 80, will be made automatically this winter, meaning no pensioner will need to take any action in order to receive the payment. Those with incomes above the threshold will see the payment automatically recovered via HMRC, or they have the option to opt out. However, details of how this will work are yet to be confirmed. Ministers estimate the change will cost the taxpayer £1.25bn in England and Wales, saving around £450m compared to when the winter fuel payment was universally available. The Treasury has not yet set out how it will pay for the uplift, but has insisted the costs will be accounted for at the autumn budget and incorporated into the next OBR forecast. They have also promised it will not lead to permanent additional borrowing.
Daily Mail
22 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Labour splashes the cash… but who's going to pick up the bill? Brits warned of looming tax hikes as Rachel Reeves lays out 'unrealistic' spending plans TODAY
Rachel Reeves will splash the cash today as fears mount that Brits will need to pick up the bill later. The Cabinet is set to sign off the spending review before the Chancellor announces the details in the Commons at lunchtime. She will allocate huge sums to departments for the coming years, after loosening the government's borrowing rules at the last Budget. But although Ms Reeves will boast that her new approach means Labour can spend a staggering £300billion more over the next five years than the Tories planned, critics have warned she does not know where the money is coming from. The generous fiscal envelope set last Autumn has been put under massive pressure by the economy slowing down and Donald Trump 's trade war. There are demands to pump far more cash into defence, while Ms Reeves has already made an humiliating U-turn on winter fuel allowance cuts and is facing a Labour revolts on other benefits curbs. That has led analysts and political rivals to argue that more tax increases are 'inevitable' - although the funding gap will not crystalise until the next fiscal package. The tax rises in the Budget last year were the biggest on record for a single fiscal event. Public sector productivity has been making almost no progress despite investment The backdrop to the decisions has been looking increasingly grim, with Labour trailing Reform in the polls. Figures yesterday showed unemployment rising, and a survey found just 12 per cent of Brits believe Ms Reeves is doing a good job. Ministers have described the spending plans – equal to an extra £8,100 for every taxpayer in Britain – as 'the end of austerity'. In her announcement later, Ms Reeves will admit voters do not feel like they have more money in their pockets as Labour prepares to mark one year in office. But she will insisting she is 'renewing Britain'. 'This Government's task – my task – and the purpose of this spending review is to change that, to ensure that renewal is felt in people's everyday lives, their jobs, their communities,' she will say. Last week, Ms Reeves refused to rule out any further tax increases. Spending will be skewed heavily towards the NHS in an attempt to cut waiting lists further. Defence is set to be another big winner after Sir Keir Starmer committed to spending 2.5 per cent of GDP by 2027. Allies of Angela Rayner were last night claiming victory in her bid to secure more cash towards meeting Labour's target of building 1.5 million new homes by the next election. The Deputy PM, who is responsible for housing policy, had a series of bust-ups with Treasury ministers and No 10 over the issue. The Treasury had proposed a modest increase in the social housing budget from £2.3 billion a year to £2.5 billion. But government sources last night said Ms Rayner had secured a £39 billion settlement over ten years. The Treasury said it was the biggest boost to social housing in a generation. But the growing cost of servicing the UK's debt mountain means other areas of spending, including the police, face a budget squeeze in future years. The Tories branded Ms Reeves the 'Spend Today, Tax Tomorrow Chancellor'. Shadow chancellor Mel Stride said: 'Labour is spending money it doesn't have, with no credible plan to pay for it. 'That means more borrowing, more debt, and, inevitably, more tax rises in the Autumn Budget. Don't be fooled. We can't afford Labour.' In recent days, the Chancellor and Prime Minister have repeatedly claimed that Labour has 'fixed the foundations' of the economy, despite rising inflation and cuts to official growth forecasts. Yesterday's stark employment figures underline the real-world impact of Labour's tax and spend approach. They revealed UK payroll numbers have shrunk by 276,000 over the past seven months. In May alone, payrolls fell by 109,000 – the worst month since the pandemic. Meanwhile the unemployment rate has climbed to 4.6 per cent, the highest in nearly four years. Experts pinned the blame on Ms Reeves's £25 billion raid on employer National Insurance, which was announced in the October Budget and took effect in April. Payroll numbers fell every month since the Budget.
Daily Mail
22 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Red Arrows 'are running out of jets': Iconic display team are forced to cannibalise old planes for parts as shows come under threat from shortages
The Red Arrows are reportedly running out of jets, forcing the team to pick apart old planes for spare parts. The iconic fleet has been slashed from 26 working aircraft earlier this year to 17 today, with a further four in so-called deep maintenance and unavailable to fly. And this number could plummet further to just six planes within three years, placing their famous 'diamond nine' display under threat. It all means engineers are hurriedly cannibalising old aircraft in a bid to keep the best planes flying. Sources told The Sun that the stunt team's popular shows, often the highlight of special occasions including Charles III's coronation, could soon be cancelled in the wake of the shortage. One said: 'There are no two ways about it — the Red Arrows are running out of planes. 'Planes can only fly so many shows before they need new parts. 'So either they get new planes or they have to cancel shows.' The huge G-forces imparted on the Hawk T1s give them a shorter shelf life than other flypast planes. MailOnline has approached the Ministry of Defence for comment. First introduced in 1974, the current crop have been on borrowed time ever since the factory that makes spare parts closed five years ago. They are due to go out of service in 2030 with the Hawk T2s, which are used to train up RAF pilots, set to retire 10 years later. RAF chief Sir Richard Knighton insisted he was looking to find a replacement for the Hawk 'as soon as possible'. But in April it was reported the stunt team could swap its iconic British-built jets for a fleet of Russian-designed aircraft in a move that's left MPs and military top brass furious. Defence chiefs have reportedly been considering swapping the ageing Hawk T1s - which have been a staple for the famed aerobatic teams - for the M-346. As revealed by MailOnline earlier this year, much of the RAF display squad's ageing fleet of jets are nearing the end of their shelf lives - with some having been in service for around 50 years. Reports suggest the RAF may have to turn to Vladimir Putin for alternative aircraft, as the Yorkshire factory that made the BAE Hawks closed in 2020 - with a UK alternative still years away. The news was branded 'outrageous' by Tories, who said it flew in the face of the Red Arrows' publicly stated role of showcasing British industry and 'reinforcing the reputation of the UK'. Mark Francois, shadow armed forces minister, was horrified the British jets could be getting side-lined in favour of ones 'endorsed' by Russian tyrant Putin. 'The Red Arrows and their domestically manufactured Hawk jets are an iconic example of British aviation achievement,' the Tory MP told MailOnline. 'When the Hawk retires, in a few years time, it needs a firmly British replacement - not a Putin-endorsed Russian one - to maintain that tradition and boost our sovereign industrial capability, into the bargain.' Speaking to The Sun, Tory shadow defence secretary James Cartlidge added: 'When the Red Arrows perform their brilliant air displays, their red, white and blue vapour trails represent the Union Jack - not the Russian tricolour. 'Taxpayers would think it extraordinary.' Former Chief Air Marshal Sir Mike Graydon also hit out and said: 'This would be an extraordinary decision. There would be a strong reaction from the public.' While retired Air Marshal Edward Stringer added the Red Arrows were meant to 'showcase British kit, training and expertise'. The Red Arrows was set up in 1954. Made up of some of the RAF's most elite pilots, members of the squad have flown in Folland Gnat and then the BAE Hawk. However, the T1 Hawk are set to be retired in 2030, while the newer T2 Hawks have been plagued by engine woes. The T2s are set to be retired in 2040. Defence chiefs have been eager for a new British-made jet to replace the outdated models - with Bristol-based Aeralis among the best options to do so. But the government said that the £19million Aermacchi M-346, jointly developed by Russia and Italy, is being considered, reported the Sun. Tyrant Vladimir Putin has previously posed for photos with the Russian version of the jet, known as the Yak-130. Former RAF fast jet instructor Tim Davies said buying the Russian-linked plane would be 'treasonous'. While Reform UK leader Nigel Farage told MailOnline: 'That would be totally unacceptable. It's a big no.' But Downing Street branded claims the Red Arrows could be replaced with Russian-designed planes made in Italy as 'pure speculation' and insisted the procurement process hasn't even started yet. The Prime Minister's official spokesman said: 'The Ministry of Defence has made clear this is pure speculation. The procurement for the replacement jets for the Red Arrows has not started. 'So it's clearly not true to say any particular company is being considered. Indeed, the Ministry of Defence and the Italian company have said there have been no discussions with the company over buying that aircraft. 'Clearly I'm not going to get ahead of any future procurement competition, but I would be very clear that we do not procure any military equipment from Russia.' In a statement, the Ministry of Defence added: 'We have not yet engaged the market on the future Red Arrows jet.' In January, ex-pilots expressed fears the high number of hours flown, uncovered by a MailOnline probe, will force them to be stood down earlier unless they are preserved. For fans, this could result in very limited displays, with little aerobatics to expand the lifespan of the jets. A former RAF fast-jet pilot told MailOnline: 'If they don't get new aircraft, the Reds are finished.' All of the 16 jets currently in operation – stationed at RAF Waddington in Lincolnshire – are approaching 50 years old. The youngest is 43. Ministers insist the Hawk T1s – engineered by BAE Systems and powered with Rolls-Royce engines – will fly until the planned out-of-service date. Reform UK leader Nigel Farage told MailOnline: 'It would be a national disgrace if we lost the Red Arrows.' A Ministry of Defence (MoD) source said 'there are plenty of hours left to get them to 2030 and, indeed, well beyond if necessary'.
