Nigel Farage’s Reform Party has won its first-ever seat in Stonehouse.
Dean Botterill has been elected as a County Councillor for Stonehouse with 825 votes on a turnout of 33.7 per cent. He pipped green candidate Tom Jarman by 11 votes, who received 804 votes. The seat was previously held by former Independent councillor Nick Housden.
Reform seized control of eight authorities from the Conservatives, including former strongholds Kent and Staffordshire.
Meanwhile, veteran Nailsworth county councillor Steve Robinson was re-elected for the Labour Party. Cllr Robinson polled 1,675 votes but faced a strong challenge from the Green Party’s Gill Thomas, who took 1,201 votes.
The Liberal Democrats are now the largest party on Gloucestershire County Council.
They took a total of 27 seats – one short of the 28 needed to gain overall control of the council. They will have to negotiate with other parties to form a coalition.
Meanwhile, the Green Party defeated Labour in a by-election in Stroud.
Cate James-Hodges,19, has been elected as a Stroud District Councillor for the Stroud Central Ward. She won with 416 votes on a turnout of 40.9 per cent by nearly 300 votes.
Cllr James-Hodges replaces former Stroud MP David Drew – who resigned in February.
Your results for GCC elections in the Stroud area
Bisley & Painswick – Gary Luff elected for the Green Party
Cam Valley – Michael Rees elected for the Reform Party
Dursley – Richard Dean elected for the Green Party
Hardwicke & Severn – Stephen Davies re-elected for the Conservatives
Haresfield & Upton St Leonards (new) – John Patient elected for the Green Party
Minchinhampton – Chloe Turner re-elected for the Green Party
Nailsworth – Steve Robinson re-elected for the Labour Party
Rodborough – Craig Horrocks elected for the Green Party
Stonehouse – Dean Botterill elected for the Reform Party
Stroud Central – Natalie Rothwell-Warn elected for the Green Party
Wotton-under-Edge – Linda Cohen – re-elected for the Liberal Democrats.
Results for the SDC by-election:
Cate James-Hodges (Green) – 416 votes
Shelley Rider (Labour) – 118 votes
Daryl Smith (Reform UK) – 108 votes
Hena Mannan-Rahman (Conservative) – 60 votes
Philip Purves (Liberal Democrats) – 27 votes
Lucian Aeris (UKIP) – 10 votes
