Elections 2021: Conservatives win five empty Stockton seats

Former chairman of Cleveland Police Federation Steve Matthews won the Western Parishes seat for the Tories

The Conservatives have made a clean sweep of victories in a string of Stockton Council by-elections.

Empty seats in Yarm, Billingham West, Hartburn, Bishopsgarth and Elm Tree, and Western Parishes were up for grabs.

The Tories boosted their numbers on the council from 11 to 16 - gaining two seats previously held by the Liberal Democrats and an independent.

Meanwhile, all three by-elections in Redcar and Cleveland Council were defended by the Tories.

The wards going to the polls in Redcar were Longbeck, Hutton and Guisborough.

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In Stockton, Niall Innes won Hartburn, claiming almost three-quarters of the vote for the ward previously held by Tory Stockton South MP Matt Vickers, and said he was "speechless and delighted".

Conservatives also made gains in Billingham, and Bishopsgarth and Elm Tree.

That seat had been held by the Liberal Democrats until the death of Julia Cherrett in 2020.

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Restaurant owner Craig Harker only mustered 165 votes as an independent in the ward - with Conservative Hugo Stratton beating Liberal Democrat Matthew Eves by 325 ballots.

Lee Spence won the closest fought contest of the night in Billingham West.

The 31-year-old held off a challenge from independent Mark Bellerby to chalk another one up for the Tories, winning by 72 votes.

He said: "I'm hoping to put all the effort I can into the ward - I've met a lot of the public and I've got a lot of ideas."

Conservative Dan Fagan beat his nearest challenger by almost 2,000 votes in Yarm

Former Conservative Andrew Stephenson could not hold on to his Western Parishes seat as an independent.

It was won by the former chairman of Cleveland Police Federation Steve Matthews, who secured the seat for the Tories by more than 500 votes.

The 58-year-old Carlton resident said: "I've been the chair of the parish council for many years so I'm not a complete novice when it comes to local politics."

Conservative Dan Fagan won Yarm over Labour's Gail Chandler and Yarm Town Council chairman Alan Gallafant, who stood as an independent.

Mr Fagan beat the nearest challenger by almost 2,000 votes.

The 50-year-old surgeon said: "One of the key features of the campaign was to show some leadership and strategic vision to try and control some of the over-development problems we've seen in the south side of Yarm and Kirklevington."

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