Hertfordshire election results 2022: Tories, Labour and Lib Dem hold councils

Labour retained power in Stevenage

The Conservatives remain in control of Broxbourne and Welwyn Hatfield, while Labour retained power in Stevenage and the Lib Dems held Three Rivers, Watford and St Albans councils.

Broxbourne has been a Tory stronghold and, with 10 seats up for grabs, the party was defending nine and won nine after Thursday's voting.

There were 13 seats up for grabs in Stevenage and Labour won nine of them.

The party lost seats to the Tories in 2021, but gained two this year.

The Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats held two seats each as a third of seats were up for grabs.

All the seats were contested on St Albans City & District Council, and the Conservatives lost 18 seats, leaving them with only four.

The Liberal Democrats now have 50 of the 56 seats, a gain of 20. There is also one independent and one Green councillor.

On Welwyn Hatfield Borough Council, where a third of the seats were up for election, Labour gained Hatfield East and Hatfield Villages from the Conservatives, but lost Hatfield South West to the Liberal Democrats.

The Green Party gained a seat from the Liberal Democrats in Dickinsons ward on Three Rivers District Council - while all other seats remained the same.

North Hertfordshire District Council remains in no overall control with Labour winning nine seats, gaining two from the Conservatives, who won four seats, but lost another two to the Liberal Democrats, who won five.

A third of the seats were up for grabs.

The Conservatives remain the largest party with 19 seats, but Labour now have 17 and the Liberal Democrats 13.

Stevenage Labour council leader, Sharon Taylor, said: "We were hoping we'd hold the seats... but to gain two as well is a great result for us.

"We've had a great campaign here, superbly organised... but also, people are telling us, on the doorstep, they are really fed up with the cost of living crisis and wanted to send a message back to Boris Johnson and the Tories."

Conservative group leader, Phil Bibby, said: "We're certainly disappointed losing a couple of seats but bearing in mind that last year we got up to 11, and the year before we were only seven, and when I started as a councillor we were only about three or four, I still think we've got a decent upward trend to take heart from."

Analysis

By Andy Holmes, BBC Three Counties Radio political reporter

No surprises really in the two Hertfordshire councils that declared overnight.

Broxbourne Council prides itself on being among the first to announce results and is also one of the safest Tory authorities in the country, being held by the party since it was formed in 1973.

They managed to hold on to all nine of the seats they were defending, so still have 26 of the 30 seats on the council.

Labour held on to the other to remain the official opposition, albeit with just three councillors.

Meanwhile, Stevenage has always been Labour-led, but four gains in 2021 might have given Conservatives some hope of threatening that status this year.

In the end though, 2022 saw the town turn an even darker shade of red, with Labour winning nine of the 13 seats, including taking back two wards from the Conservatives.

The Conservatives have retained control of Broxbourne Borough Council

In Broxbourne, where a third of the seats were being contested, the Tories could not have lost control even if they had been defeated in each one.

The remaining seat was successfully defended by Labour.

A third of seats were being contested at Watford Borough Council, with the Liberal Democrats winning 10, gaining two from an independent and one from Labour, who retained two seats.

The Lib Dems are the biggest party with 27 seats overall, while Labour have nine.

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