Local voters in Hertfordshire are expecting a hung council in this week’s county council elections, with seats shared mainly between the Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats. Interestingly, there is little evidence from recent elections to suggest that Reform UK will surge in the county despite the party being prominent in the mainstream media.
Local elections
On 1 May we have local elections across England. For Hertfordshire County Council (HCC), all 78 HCC seats are up for grabs; there are currently 42 Conservative councillors and 22 LibDems. The remaining seats are currently held by six Labour councillors, five independents, one Green and one Reform UK, and there is one vacancy. Forty seats are needed for an overall majority and thus control of the council.
The county council is currently under Conservative control, but the party has lost several district councils in recent years as a result of public opinion swinging against the party.
Mixed results in 2023
In 2023 the Conservatives retained control only in Broxbourne. They lost East Herts, Hertsmere, Welwyn Hatfield and Dacorum, which was won by the LibDems, who also retained St Albans, Watford and Three Rivers.
Following the 2023 elections, the Greens held 19 seats in East Herts, making them the biggest party, but with the council as a whole under ‘No Overall Control’, as were North Herts, Hertsmere and Welwyn Hatfield.
Labour retained their majority on Stevenage council.
In February 2025 two Conservative councillors in the district of Broxbourne defected to Reform UK.
Popularity
For this week’s elections, all parties are aware of the particular importance of local issues. Large-scale house-building is a common concern nationwide, but areas like St Albans are feeling particularly squeezed, so the perceived threat to Green Belt land has become the subject of local anger. There are also complaints about the cost-of-living crisis, potholes and car parking charges.
The LibDems have established a popular base in St Albans, where Daisy Cooper is the MP, and the party will be looking to extend this influence into other areas.
However, the district covered by Broxbourne Borough Council is strongly Conservative and may remain so after the election, though Labour may retain, or even build on, the three seats they currently hold.
The people’s view
A voter in St Albans gave his opinion on how the election might go: “There is no doubt the LibDems are looking to take control of the council, though it is accepted that this time No Overall Control may be the best they can hope for, with them as the biggest party. Certainly, for the LibDems to take control of the council this would rank as a major success, and it would be an indication of just how fast electoral opinion is changing in the county.
“Interestingly, Reform is not very visible in the north of the county, though it is conceded that they may win seats in Stevenage.”
Opinion on the streets expects the LibDems to do well, but mention is also made of the Greens, who seem to be gaining influence. One voter suggested that the number of copies of both the Daily Mail and the Daily Express still bought in newsagents was evidence that St Albans is still a Conservative town, and this is possibly true of the older population. But the district council is LibDem-controlled, and the huge influx of commuters from London has changed the complexion of Hertfordshire’s voting population. This voter also points out that many of the commuters work in the City of London and have been dramatically and adversely affected by Brexit.
More about past Herts elections from East Anglia Bylines
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