Elections 2021: Conservatives retain Leicestershire County Council

The Conservatives have retained control of Leicestershire County Council for the sixth successive time.

The party increased their majority and now have 42 of the 55 seats on the authority.

The Conservatives also gained two seats - Coalville North and Forest and Measham - from Labour.

Leicestershire County Council leader Nick Rushton said the party had become "very popular, particularly among the working classes".

The Tory councillor, who has led the authority since 2012, retained his seat in North West Leicestershire.

He said: "I've been out on the doorsteps, not only in relatively safe seats like mine, but I've been to some of the marginal areas.

"At the moment we're very popular, particularly among the working classes."

The Liberal Democrats also lost ground after a seat in Oadby, Coalville South, Mallory and Market Harborough East went to the Tories.

With nine seats, the Liberal Democrats remain the second largest party on the council with Labour on four.

Labour's group leader, Dr Terri Eynon, lost her seat to the Conservatives in Coalville North.

She told BBC Radio Leicester: "The electorate, they don't vote for you on how hard you work, how much case work you do, how many meetings you turn up to - they vote for someone who represents them.

"They choose someone who they feel will feel the same way that they do and clearly at the moment that isn't members of the Labour Party here in North West Leicestershire, which I feel is sad but that's the way it goes."

North West Leicestershire MP Andrew Bridgen said he had not expected a whitewash in the district, "more a blue rinse".

He said: "We ran the most professional campaign and the results showed - people came out and they voted Conservative."

Not a whitewash, but one Leicestershire Conservative MP's claiming a "blue rinse" following today's election.

They've got plenty to celebrate - gaining six seats, to reach a dominating total of 42 out of the 55 seats at County Hall in Glenfield.

All that, from just over 51.3% of the vote.

It leaves the major opposition, the Lib Dems, with nine councillors, down four, with lots to think about.

Group leader Simon Galton kept his seat in Launde but saw his majority slip from almost 900 to 190. He says national issues dominated the campaigning, and the fact that it wasn't focused on local issues "is a failure on our part".

The last result in Oadby was delayed by a recount, and another gain for the Tories, in the heart of traditionally Lib Dem territory.

Labour has reached another new low in terms of the number of councillors here.

As is often the case, Leicestershire seems to have reflected what's happened nationally.

The city of Leicester provided a crumb of red comfort, with a hold for Labour in the North Evington by-election.

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