The 2025 Derbyshire County Council election took place on 1 May 2025 to elect members to Derbyshire County Council in Derbyshire, England. This was on the same day as other local elections All 64 seats were contested under new boundaries. The Conservatives had controlled the council since the 2017 election. At the election, Reform UK won 42 seats and gained control of the council. Alan Graves was elected leader of the council, while still also serving on Derby City Council.

Previous council composition After 2021 election Before 2025 election Party Seats Party Seats 45 41 14 15 4 4 1 1 0 3

Changes July 2022: Alan Griffiths (Conservative) dies - by-election held October 2022 March 2023: Philip Rose (Conservative) and Alex Stevenson (Conservative) join Reform UK October 2022: Joel Bryan (Labour) gains by-election from Conservatives June 2023: Roger Redfern (Conservative) dies - by-election held August 2023 August 2023: Alan Haynes (Labour) gains by-election from Conservatives May 2024: Nigel Gourlay (Conservative) suspended from party January 2025: Philip Rose (Reform UK) and Alex Stevenson (Reform UK) leave party to sit as independents March 2025: Ruth George (Labour) leaves party to sit as an independent

Summary

Overview

The election produced a large majority for Reform UK. Gaining seats across the county, and winning the popular vote by a wide margin, Reform UK made significant gains at the expense of both the Conservative and Labour groups.

The Conservatives experienced an electoral collapse, losing over half their vote from 2021, losing two-thirds of their seats. Their leader, Barry Lewis, who had been leader of the council since 2017, lost his seat.

The results were also punishing for Labour, losing eleven seats, and a significant portion of their vote from the previous election. They were wiped out in most districts by Reform UK and reduced to 3 seats, a record low for the party. The Labour leader, Joan Dixon, was defeated in her seat.

The Green Party won an additional seat in Amber Valley, and the Liberal Democrats lost a seat to finish on 3 - joint third with Labour. Two Independents were also elected, including former High Peak MP, Ruth George.

Reform UK had no councillors on the county council prior to the election. After the election, the new Reform UK group chose Alan Graves to be their leader; he was already the Reform UK group leader on Derby City Council. He was formally appointed as leader of the county council at the subsequent annual council meeting on 21 May 2025.

Election result

Division results by district Amber Valley

+Amber Valley district summaryPartySeats+/-Votes%+/-Reform UK 7 7 13,049 35.0 N/AGreen 2 1 6,716 18.0 +5.0Labour 1 1 6,150 16.5 –14.0Conservative 0 9 7,061 18.9 –33.9Liberal Democrats 0 1,897 5.1 +1.5Independent 0 1,516 4.1 N/ANational Front 0 18 <0.1 N/ATotal1037,31637.0Registered electors101,080–

Division results

Bolsover

+Bolsover district summaryPartySeats+/-Votes%+/-Reform UK 6 6 10,810 54.0 N/ALabour 0 3 4,241 21.2 –21.9Conservative 0 3 2,682 13.4 –28.0Green 0 979 4.9 +3.7Independent 0 698 3.5 –5.0Liberal Democrats 0 305 1.5 –2.2TUSC 0 233 1.2 –1.0Homeland 0 84 0.4 N/ATotal620,03232.0Registered electors62,798–

Division results

Chesterfield

+Chesterfield district summaryPartySeats+/-Votes%+/-Reform UK 6 6 9,589 35.7 N/ALiberal Democrats 2 1 5,491 20.5 –4.2Labour 0 6 6,365 23.7 –14.5Conservative 0 2,233 8.3 –17.2Green 0 2,093 7.8 +4.7Independent 0 728 2.7 –3.3Chesterfield Ind. 0 329 1.2 –1.3Total8 126,82833.8Registered electors79,509–

Division results

Derbyshire Dales

+Derbyshire Dales district summaryPartySeats+/-Votes%+/-Conservative 3 2 7,055 27.1 –22.7Reform UK 2 2 7,477 28.7 N/ALiberal Democrats 1 4,590 17.6 –1.5Labour 0 4,226 16.2 –3.7Green 0 2,546 9.8 –0.6Independent 0 136 0.5 –0.3Total626,17044.7Registered electors58,589–

Division results

Erewash

+Erewash district summaryPartySeats+/-Votes%+/-Reform UK 6 6 12,315 40.9 +40.1Conservative 3 6 8,068 26.8 –27.9Labour 0 5,705 19.0 –10.8Liberal Democrats 0 2,288 7.6 +0.5Green 0 1,698 5.6 –2.1Total930,074

Division results

High Peak

+High Peak district summaryPartySeats+/-Votes%+/-Conservative 3 1 7,241 24.2 –17.6Reform UK 2 2 7,969 26.6 +26.4Labour 2 2 7,442 24.9 –18.2Independent 1 1 2,737 9.2 +8.2Green 0 3,039 10.2 +2.8Liberal Democrats 0 1,480 4.9 –1.4Total829,90841.0Registered electors73,038–

Division results

North East Derbyshire

+North East Derbyshire district summaryPartySeats+/-Votes%+/-Reform UK 6 6 11,065 36.8 +36.6Conservative 2 5 7,915 26.3 –28.3Labour 0 1 6,081 20.2 –12.3Green 0 2,626 8.7 +4.4Independent 0 1,655 5.5 +4.7Liberal Democrats 0 753 2.5 –5.2Total830,16836.6Registered electors82,387–

Division results

South Derbyshire

+South Derbyshire district summaryPartySeats+/-Votes%+/-Reform UK 7 7 11,355 41.9 +41.4Conservative 1 8 5,581 20.6 –35.1Independent 1 1 1,519 5.6 +2.6Labour 0 5,645 20.9 –8.0Liberal Democrats 0 2,968 11.0 +7.8Total927,13831.4Registered electors86,354–

Division results

By-elections

Long Eaton North

Horsley

A by-election was called following the resignation of Reform councillor, Richard Morgan. The Green Party win was the first occasion that they had gained a seat from Reform anywhere.https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c5y2j42dgy5o

References