Elizabeth Dennis-Harburg is the new leader of North Herts District Council
- Credit: NHDC
A new leader and cabinet members at North Herts District Council were announced at yesterday evening s Annual General Meeting.
The new leader is Hitchin Walsworth representative, Labour councillor Elizabeth Dennis-Harburg - who succeeds Martin Stears-Hanscomb in the role.
NHDC will be run by a joint administration of Labour and Co-operative and Liberal Democrat councillors during 2021/22.
Cllr Dennis-Harburg - who is also Labour and Co-operative Group leader - will be supported by seven councillors responsible for a different portfolio.
Cllr Paul Clark is NHDC deputy leader and executive member for planning - and he heads up The Liberal Democrats Group.
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But they lost two seats – including Hitchin South, which had been held by executive member for growth, infrastructure, planning and the economy Cllr Derrick Ashley.
Conservatives Michael Muir (Baldock and Letchworth East), David Barnard (Hitchin Rural) and Richard Thake (Knebworth and Codicote) all kept their seats.
Conservative cabinet member Cllr Terry Hone (Letchworth South), executive member for community safety and waste management was also returned to County Hall.
And so was Fiona Hill (Royston East and Ermine) – whose result was the last in the county to be declared, just after 11pm on Saturday.
Leader of the county council’s Labour group Judi Billing held on to Hitchin North.
Political party leaders have responded to the latest NHDC election results
- Credit: NHDC
The results of the election for North Herts District Council means that no single party has overall control of the authority - and the leader lost his seat.
The council was previously a joint administration between Labour and the Liberal Democrats with 20 Conservative seats, 15 Labour and Cooperative seats and 11 Liberal Democrat seats.
It now consists of 23 Conservative seats, 15 Labour and Co-operative seats and 11 Liberal Democrat seats
Mirroring 2019, two candidates from the Conservatives and Lib Dems had to draw straws to determine the outcome for one ward, after both receiving 727 votes each.
Liberal Democrat Steve Jarvis kept hold of the Royston West and Rural division.
And it was fellow Lib Dem Paul Clark who took the Hitchin South seat that had been held by Cllr Ashley – by a margin of just 42 votes.
Meanwhile the Conservatives have retained their control of Hertfordshire County Council – but lost their leader in an election shock when Cllr David Williams lost his Harpenden seat to Lib Dem Paul De Kort.
All 78 seats on the county council were up for grabs. The Conservatives won 46 seats – which is three fewer than they held before, but still 14 more than the other parties put together.