Labour retained its hold on Stevenage’s Bedwell Division in a Hertfordshire County Council by-election yesterday (Thursday, August 29).

Ellie Plater won after receiving 962 votes, and Conservative candidate Harry Curtis finished second on 470 votes.

There were 352 votes for Reform UK’s Janet Bainbridge, 134 for Liberal Democrat Riad Mannan, and 133 for Balgiisa Ahmed, representing the Greens.

Labour Party members after the result was declared in StevenageLabour Party members after the result was declared in Stevenage (Image: Christopher Day/LDRS)

Turnout was 18.41 per cent, down from 33.4 per cent in Bedwell Division during the last set of Hertfordshire County Council elections in 2021.

At the general election in Stevenage this year, turnout in Stevenage was 61 per cent – the lowest since the constituency was created in 1983.

After the result, Cllr Plater – who has been a borough councillor for Bedwell ward since 2023 – told the Local Democracy Reporting Service: “I’m very honoured, absolutely honoured.

“I want to say thank you to all the residents who came out and voted.

“I’m going to start off with my three pledges – that’s what I’ve been elected on, that’s why people came out and voted.

“I’m going to concentrate on those, and pick up casework for residents as I go.”

Conservative Party members after the result was declared in StevenageConservative Party members after the result was declared in Stevenage (Image: Christopher Day/LDRS)

During the campaign, Cllr Plater pledged to tackle potholes and support local schools and buses.

Labour’s share of the vote in the by-election was 46.9 per cent, 0.9 percentage points lower than in 2021.

The Conservative vote share fell by 11.7 percentage points, with the Liberal Democrat share also falling by 3.2 percentage points.

Reform UK did not stand last time, and received 17.2 per cent of the vote this time, while the Greens slightly increased their share of the vote – up 0.5 percentage points to 6.5 per cent.

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The election was called when Baroness Taylor of Stevenage resigned after being named as a government minister last month.

Hertfordshire County Council’s political make-up remains unchanged after Labour held onto the seat vacated by Baroness Taylor.

There are 45 Conservatives, 24 Liberal Democrats, seven Labour councillors, one Green and one Independent.

The next full elections for Hertfordshire County Council are set to take place in May 2025.