No party has won overall control of Lichfield District Council after a dramatic local elections count.
The Conservatives went into the vote with 36 of the 47 councillors, but saw their numbers reduced to 23 – just one short of the 24 needed for a working majority.
Labour jumped from 11 members to 17, while the Liberal Democrats also enjoyed a boom in numbers, rising from a single councillor to seven.
But the result went down to a wire with the last result – in the Whittington and Streethay ward – going through a number of full recounts before a final result was announced.
There were a number of high profile casualties at the ballot box, with the council’s chair Colin Greatorex losing out in St John’s ward along with fellow Conservative councillors Deb Baker and Tim Matthews.
Cabinet member Angela Lax was defeated in the Stowe ward, while Staffordshire County Council’s leader Alan White lost out in the crucial Whittington and Streethay vote.
Former cabinet member Ashley Yeates was also ousted by the Lib Dems in the Mease Valley ward.
Lichfield District Council is now a three party authority after independent candidates failed to win at the ballot box, with Joanne Grange losing her seat to the Lib Dems in Chadsmead, while former cabinet member Liz Little also lost out in Little Aston and Stonnall ward to the Conservatives – the party she left after being de-selected.
The full results from each ward can be seen here.
Mediocrity called out at last!
Thank goodness Councillors will have to work together for the benefit of Lichfield. I have always maintained local democracy should be free of party politics in favour of local needs.
Maybe we will see the cancellation of Stychbrook leisure centre, moving the bus station and development of the green space at friarsgate.
The Conservatives and Doug Pullen can’t say they weren’t warned what was coming. They can’t just blame it on the national picture either. One poor decision and broken promise after another, including awful new housing developments, they got what they deserved. Perhaps the turkey voted for Christmas as with all the new comers to the area and the new social housing, the demographics are changing!
Yes!! 🎉 Fabricant out next hopefully 🙏
Fantastic day.
At last this council will be opened up for all to see what is going on.
Look after the people of Lichfield,we deserve so such better than this smug tory crowd have been dishing out.
A terrible day for the Tories and a great day for Lichfield
I wish to commend Ross and LL team on a good job well done with covering all the election from the onset until the final whistle
Well done and thank you
A great result for Lichfield. The previous council did not listen to locals, hopefully now the councillors will listen more carefully and act on behalf of the electorate.
According to the votes cast most will be euphoric at this result but getting rid of Fabbo will require something much harder than getting this result. A 3-way split of the vote will give Fabbo an easy victory in our first past the post system. The best chance Fabbo ‘fans’ have is for Labour and the Lib Dems to agree to field a joint candidate to stand against him. Fat chance! So it looks that he could be re-elected on an overall minority vote. With the re-emergence of a strongish 3rd party we need electoral reform in the shape of transferable votes to ensure successful candidates have at least 50% +1 of votes cast, thus electing candidates who are approved by a majority of the electorate, unlike currently in most constituencies.
At last, democracy at work where your vote really did make a difference. So pleased that they will have to work together, compromise and all for the greater good of the community. That applies to all.
Totally agree with Sarah. Local elections would be so much better if you took away the party politics. You’d then be electing the best independents to look after local needs. No need to worry about towing party lines
Ohhh dear now that’s so funny, not gone to plan has it Mr Tories ? Maybe all those houses you allowed to be built have finally caught up with you? Poetic Justice
A democracy failure in Alrewas and Fradley. Conservatives somehow still get 50% of the votes, despite everything, yet all three seats go to Conservatives how is that democratic.
This is great news for Lichfield & Burntwood.
Many of us want our Councillors to listen to us and not impose on us.
I hope you will work collectively for the good of the area.
Next stop – removing the MP, we all deserve better.
That’s what happens when you continually ignore the views of your local residents -they ignore you at the ballot box. Bye bye incompetent Council. Hope the new one learns from the mistakes of the past.
Can’t they take it to Pens ?
Hopefully this now sees a more open and responsive council for Lichfield district and sees the tax payers money evenly spread out across the district and that residents have a council structure that listens , engages and acts rather then listen and ignore. The councils officers also need to start to listen and with open ears..
To those elected do not let the next steps become farcical as you all work out who is going to take control and how a council with no majority will work. Hopefully the Liberals and Labour will power share to enable a strong council going forward and give Lichfield a new direction that meets the needs of our communities across the whole of the lichfield district
Nothing will change, they’re all in it for themselves.
This photo is like Leonardo da Vincis, The Last Supper so much going with some many people.
There’s a big lesson here. The Tories may have lost overall control but are still the largest single party. If this was replicated in a general election we would still have a Tory MP, even possibly Fabricant. If Labour and Lib Dems don’t have a discussion and decide which one is best placed to beat the Tories it will be a case of divide and rule again. They need to swallow their pride and put up one candidate in opposition. Please!
On a more local note party politics are not so important in local elections. It doesn’t matter what political colour the councillors are but how they work for the community and residents. I was therefore sorry to see that Angela Lax was not re-elected as she has been a most hardworking, proactive and supportive councillor on a number of issues. Her successors have a hard act to follow and much will be expected of them.