Labour retain overall control of Rotherham Council

Labour has retained overall control of the council in today’s election count, by just three seats.

Labour gained two seats to take 33 seats – 30 were needed for a majority.

The Conservatives lost two seats overall, but are still the main opposition, with 13 councillors on RMBC. They gained 20 seats from none in 2021, and entered this election with 15 councillors.

The Liberal Democrats won three seats, and Independent candidates gained 10.

Labour gained seats in Hoober, Maltby East, Rother Vale and Bramley, and Ravenfield, but lost seats in Keppel and Boston Castle.

Boston Castle, the last ward to declare, was hotly contested with 15 candidates.

The Conservatives gained in Hellaby and Maltby West, Anston and Woodsetts.

Councillor Chris Read, leader of the Rotherham Labour party, said he was ‘really pleased’ with the result, in what has been a ‘tough election’.

He told the Local Democracy Reporting Service that feelings had ‘run very high’ around Gaza.

“We’re three seats up on where we were three years ago, we’re really pleased about that.”

He added that the council’s priorities this year will be fixing potholes, and ‘basic council services that people depend on’, such as council house building and regeneration.

Liberal Democrat leader Adam Carter said he had encountered ‘real unhappiness’ with the council on the campaign trail, and voters ‘wanted change’.

Councillor Simon Ball, leader of the Conservatives said: "People are dissatisfied with how [Labour] operate.

"Clearly Labour are not on track to win the Rother Valley parliamentary seat and rightly so.

"We have bucked the national trend here and it’s nice to see, it’s sad to see councillors go and I pay tribute to the commitment they have showed in holding the Labour council to account and it’s pleasing to see new councillors come in with fresh ideas. I, and the Conservative team look forward to changing the narrative in the next four years

One of the new independent councillors, Jodie Ryalls, says she had been nervous all day, and ‘is just a girl off the estate who wants better’ for her community. Children and young people will be a priority for both councillors in the Dalton and Thrybergh ward.