Elections 2021: Tories increase Derbyshire County Council majority

Labour group leader Paul Smith, with a scarf over his face, lost the seat he had held for 25 years

The Conservatives have retained control of Derbyshire County Council and increased their majority.

With all 64 seats declared they won 45, an increase of nine, after they took control in 2017.

Labour suffered losses, with the group leader Paul Smith being defeated in the ward he had held for 25 years.

One success for Labour was Ruth George held off a challenge from Edwina Currie - both former MPs - for the Whaley Bridge seat.

The Tories took seats previously held by Labour, including Clay Cross North, Ilkeston South and Eckington and Killamarsh.

The highest profile result was Mr Smith losing his Alfreton and Somercotes ward seat.

Following the result, Mr Smith said: "As Arnie [Arnold Schwarzenegger] said, I'll be back."

Edwina Currie (right) failed to secure a seat on the council with Labour's Ruth George re-elected in Whaley Bridge

Former South Derbyshire MP and junior health minister Edwina Currie came out of political retirement to stand as a candidate for Whaley Bridge.

But Labour's Ruth George, who lost her High Peak Westminster seat in 2019, received 2,544 votes to Ms Currie's 1,878.

Ms George said she was "absolutely delighted" to be re-elected.

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Council leader Barry Lewis said: "It's quite astonishing really, it's a great day.

"In the great tectonic shifts of politics we are up and that's the main thing."

Meanwhile, the Green Party won its first ever seat on the council, with Gez Kinsella taking Duffield and Belper South from the Conservatives.

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Proposed development of green belt land has been a prominent issue in the area.

The Conservatives now have 45 seats to Labour's 14, with the Liberal Democrats on four and the Green Party on one.

Analysis: Eddie Bisknell, BBC Local Democracy Reporting Service

Today's results mean that, for the first time, the Conservatives have had back-to-back administrations at the council.

Labour saw its share of seats on the authority, which it has held for 36 years out of the past 48, reduce from 24 seats to 14.

With the defeat of Labour leader Paul Smith and fellow party runner Steve Marshall-Clarke, the Amber Valley map is now nearly all blue, with a Green Party victory in Duffield preventing a Tory clean sweep.

This has been compounded by the blow of the Labour group's deputy leader, Mick Wall, also losing his seat.

The map is also entirely blue in South Derbyshire, with the Tories completing a clean sweep of all eight divisions.

It shows a further march from Derbyshire away from its historic voting patterns, as the "Red Wall" turns blue.