How our town councils are at the forefront of change

Green Party takes over Hertford Town Council

There are 16 seats on Hertford Town Council. Previously the Conservatives had nine councillors, Labour two, the Greens three and Liberal Democrats two. The council now comprises 12 Green and four Labour councillors making it Green controlled with no Conservative representation at all.

There are no formal leader or deputy positions.

Cllr Vicky Smith is mayor and Cllr Alex Daar is deputy mayor.

There are 17 councillors on Bishop’s Stortford Town Council. The Tories had control with 12 seats while the Lib Dems had four and Labour just one.

The new make-up is 10 Liberal Democrats, five Labour and two Conservatives, putting the Liberal Democrats in control.

The new council leader is Cllr Miriam Swainston, the deputy leader is Cllr Stephen Skinner (both Lib Dem). The new Mayor is Cllr Richard Townsend with Cllr Sarah Copley as deputy.

Sawbridgeworth Town Council is the only town council in East Herts that remained Tory. There are 12 seats on the council – previously held by eight Conservatives, three Independents and one Lib Dem.

The current make up is eight Conservative, two Labour, one Lib Dem and one Independent. There is no formal appointment of a leader.

Cllr Ruth Buckmaster is mayor with Reece Smith as deputy (both Conservative).

There are 11 seats on Ware Town Council, which was previously held by the Conservatives who had seven seats to the Lib Dems’ two and Greens two.

After the election there are nine Greens, one Lib Dem and one Labour councillor, putting the Greens in full control of the council.

The new mayor of Ware is the Greens’ Cllr Thomas Day. The deputy mayor is Cllr Martin Butcher.

No county elections but leader acknowledges changed political landscape

of the 10 district and borough councils in the county were run by Conservatives – now just one, Broxbourne, is.

his Cabinet, including promoting Cllr Fiona Thomson to the post of deputy leader.

There were no elections this year to Hertfordshire County Council, which next has a full election in 2025, so councillors were able to watch the drama unfolding elsewhere in relative comfort. However, there will still be ramifications for the Conservative-controlled council, whose responsibilities include highways, education and social services. Before the 4th May elections, five

County council leader Cllr Richard Roberts acknowledged as much when he told the council’s annual meeting on Tuesday 23rd May that the changing political landscape meant he would look to ‘work collaboratively’ with the leadership of all councils – district, borough, town and parish.

Cllr Roberts, who has led the county council for the past two years, has also made changes to

Cllr Thomson also retains her portfolio as Executive Member for Children, Young People and Families, in which role she recently oversaw the county’s Ofsted rating of ‘Outstanding’ for children’s services.

Cllr Terry Douris is the new chairman of the council, while Cllr Caroline Clapper steps up to take over his former role in charge of Education, Libraries and Lifelong Learning.