The 2021 Nottinghamshire County Council election took place on 6 May 2021 as part of the 2021 local elections in the United Kingdom. All 66 councillors were elected from 56 electoral divisions, which returned either one or two county councillors each by first-past-the-post voting for a four-year term of office.
The Conservative Party won 37 of 66 seats, winning an overall majority for the first time since 2009. The then Member of Parliament for Mansfield, Ben Bradley, was elected in Mansfield North division and was subsequently appointed Leader of the Council. He faced criticism from local Labour MPs and opposition councillors for taking the position whilst also serving as an MP. Bradley ceased to be an MP after losing his seat in the 2024 general election. Councillor Bruce Laughton, of Muskham and Farnsfield division, was appointed Deputy Leader of the Council.
The Labour Party won 15 seats, a net loss of 8 seats compared with the previous election. Councillor Alan Rhodes, Leader of the Labour group, lost his seat to the Conservatives in the Worksop North division to Callum Bailey. The Ashfield Independents won every seat in the Ashfield district, and the Liberal Democrats retained their single seat in the Bramcote & Beeston North division.
Background In the 2017 election, no single party won a majority of seats on the council. The Conservative Party won 31 seats, 3 short of an overall majority. The Conservatives subsequently formed a coalition with the Mansfield Independent Forum and the Conservative leader Kay Cutts was appointed Leader of the Council. Prior to the 2021 election, Cutts announced her retirement from politics and did not seek re-election.
Overall election results
Overall TurnoutRegistered electors622,403Votes cast238,439Turnout38.3% (2.1%)
Results by electoral division
Ashfield District (10 seats, 10 electoral divisions)
Ashfield TurnoutRegistered electors93,911Votes cast33,444Turnout35.6%
Ashfields
Hucknall North
Hucknall South
Hucknall West
Kirkby North
Kirkby South
Selston
Sutton Central & East
Sutton North
Sutton West
Bassetlaw District (9 seats, 9 electoral divisions)
Bassetlaw TurnoutRegistered electors88,295Votes cast29,584Turnout33.5%
Blyth & Harworth
Misterton
Retford East
Retford West
Tuxford
Worksop East
Worksop North
Worksop South
Worksop West
† The Conservative candidate for Worksop West, Lloyd Widdup, was suspended by the Conservative Party in April 2021 pending the outcome of an investigation into social media posts. Widdup remained a validly nominated candidate and appeared on the ballot paper.
Broxtowe Borough (9 seats, 7 electoral divisions)
Broxtowe TurnoutRegistered electors85,558Votes cast36,677Turnout42.9%
Beeston Central & Rylands
Bramcote & Beeston North
Eastwood
Greasley & Brinsley
Nuthall & Kimberley
Stapleford & Broxtowe Central
Toton, Chilwell & Attenborough
Gedling Borough (9 seats, 6 electoral divisions)
Gedling TurnoutRegistered electors90,178Votes cast34,182Turnout37.9%
Arnold North
Arnold South
Calverton
Carlton East
Carlton West
Newstead
Mansfield District (9 seats, 5 electoral divisions)
Mansfield TurnoutRegistered electors81,566Votes cast29,327Turnout36.0%
Mansfield East
Mansfield North
Mansfield South
Mansfield West
Warsop
Newark & Sherwood District (10 seats, 10 electoral divisions)
Newark & Sherwood TurnoutRegistered electors92,402Votes cast34,407Turnout37.2%
Balderton
Blidworth
Collingham
Farndon & Trent
Muskham & Farnsfield
Newark East
Newark West
Ollerton
Sherwood Forest
Southwell
Rushcliffe Borough (10 seats, 9 electoral divisions)
Rushcliffe TurnoutRegistered electors90,493Votes cast40,818Turnout45.1%
Bingham East
Bingham West
Cotgrave
Keyworth
Leake & Ruddington
Radcliffe On Trent
West Bridgford North
West Bridgford South
West Bridgford West
By-elections
Collingham
Eastwood
Kirkby South
References