Labour gains seat in traditional Conservative territory and Tories retain a spot following two Derbyshire by-elections

By-elections were held for the Bakewell and Norbury wards on Derbyshire Dales District Council on Thursday, February 22.

Following a turnout of 35 per cent, Labour’s Bob Butcher won the vacated Bakewell seat by just 15 votes in a gain from the Conservatives.

The Bakewell seat had been vacated by long-serving Conservative Mark Wakeman.

Meanwhile, former district council chair Sue Bull is now back on the authority having lost her Ashbourne seat last May after winning the vacant Norbury seat.

The Norbury ward saw a turnout of 27 per cent with now Cllr Bull retaining the seat for the Conservatives by a significant margin.

A by-election was held for the Norbury ward after Cllr Tony Morley, Conservative representative since 2015, died in September.

These results leave the makeup of the council – led by a “progressive alliance” of Liberal Democrats, Labour, Green Party and one non-aligned – as follows: Lib Dems, 12 seats; Conservatives, 10 seats; Labour, seven seats; Green Party, four seats; one non-aligned councillor.

This strengthens the progressive alliance’s hold on the authority after the council fell out of Conservative control last May for only the second time in 50 years.

The full results for each by-election are:

Bakewell ward:

Bob Butcher – Labour – 467

Richard Walsh – Conservative – 452

Claire Cadogan – Liberal Democrat – 161

Nicole Peltell – Green Party – 73

Lesley Crosby – Reform UK – 50

Rachel Elnaugh-Love – 36

Norbury ward:

Sue Bull – Conservative – 317

Bob Allen – Labour – 75

John Hill – Green Party – 65

Robin Shirtcliffe – Liberal Democrat – 45