IN an historic election last week the Labour Party lost outright control over Durham County Council for the first time in about a century.
With 53 seats, the party ended 11 short of a majority following the count on Saturday. It lost 21 seats on the night
This means it will have to form a coalition with another party or independent councillors to forward its agenda.
Alternatively, the 27 independent councillors could band together with smaller parties to control the council.
The biggest gain was the Conservative Party which took 14 additional seats to make a total of 24. The party took all six Teesdale seats that were up for grabs in the Evenwood ward and Barnard Castle East and West divisions.
The Liberal Democrats increased its share by three to 17, while the Greens gained one seat on the council.
The North East Party took four seats.
Speaking shortly before the final results were counted, former Labour leader of the council Simon Henig said: “It has been a very challenging election – a very different election. We have been in lockdown for much of the last year, so we have not been able to do normal campaigning.
“There has clearly been a move towards the Conservatives and that has been across the country, not just in County Durham. We saw that in 2019 in the general election and that is reflected in these results as well.”
He vowed to continue the party’s commitment to create more jobs, and pointed to the 10,000 jobs that had been made in the county before the coronavirus lockdown was imposed. Cllr Henig, who reclaimed his Chester-le-Street seat, said: “I believe we are on a positive platform for County Durham. Our plan for 30,000 new jobs was a key part of that process and we want to move forward with that.
“We want to keep moving County Durham forward – it is a great county with a great future and that is our priority.”
He described pharmaceutical giant GSK as instrumental in the county’s growth plan saying: “We need to be encouraging GSK to stay in Barnard Castle – it is really vital for the county and the whole region, and it is part of our overall plans to carry on boosting jobs across the county. It is one of our biggest employers.”
Cllr Henig announced his resignation as Labour group leader on Monday.
Teesdale MP Dehenna Davison, who was present throughout the two-day election count, described the result as exciting.
She said: “In the Bishop Auckland constituency we have gone from five to ten seats. We knew it was going to be a good election for us from the feedback we were getting on the doorstep, but as I said a few weeks ago if we can double our number I would be delighted – thinking we would gain two or three.
“Looking at the picture right across County Durham it has been incredible with gains in Lanchester and we have had gains in Durham City.
“I think it is looking really positive for the future of the county. The new Conservative group is ready to get started.”
The MP noted the death of former county councillor Stephen Hugill, who represented the Evenwood ward. He died on Friday as the counting was underway.
She said: “I pay tribute to the incredible work he did, not just for the Evenwood division, but right across the county and in his community as well. It feels like a very bitter-sweet victory. It feels like we have done it for him.”
Cllr Richard Bell, leader of the Conservative group in the county council, said who runs the council has yet to be determined.
Speaking on Monday, he said: “Obviously I am very pleased with the results – we had some great hard-working candidates and I’m sure they will make good councillors.
“We are currently the second largest group on the council, but that may change depending on how all the independents come together, and who they decide to support. Currently either a Labour or non-Labour administration supported by independents is possible.”
Cllr Bell, who was re-elected to the Barnard Castle West ward, added that it would up to the large number of individual independent councillors to decide what they want to do.
He concluded: “We are willing to work across party and across county for the good of the council and the residents.”
Meanwhile, former Bishop Auckland MP Helen Goodman failed in her bid for election to Durham County Council. Ms Goodman stood for the Labour Party in the West Auckland ward but came in fourth place. Labour’s Rob Yorke and the Conservatives’ Mark Roberts were elected.
