# 2024 Welwyn Hatfield Borough Council election

The 2024 Welwyn Hatfield Borough Council election took place on 2 May 2024 to elect members of Welwyn Hatfield Borough Council in Hertfordshire, England. This was on the same day as other local elections across England and Hertfordshire's Police and Crime Commissioner election.
As is typical for Welwyn Hatfield's local elections, sixteen seats of the forty-eight total were contested. Of these sixteen, fourteen seats were held by Conservative councillors and two seats were held by Liberal Democrat councillors.
Prior to the election the council was under no overall control, being run by a Liberal Democrat and Labour coalition which formed after the 2023 local elections. The Conservatives, Liberal Democrats, Labour and the Green Party put candidates forward for all contested seats, with Reform UK additionally contesting seven of these seats and no independent candidates standing for any seat.
Following the election, the council remained under no overall control, with Labour the largest party, overtaking both their coalition partners the Liberal Democrats and the Conservatives. A Labour and Liberal Democrat coalition continued to run the council after the election. Labour changed their group leader after the election to Max Holloway; he was formally appointed as leader of the council at the subsequent annual council meeting on 20 May 2024.

## Election result

2024 Welwyn Hatfield Borough Council election :
| Party | Party | This election | This election | This election | Full council | Full council | Full council | This election | This election | This election |
| Party | Party | Seats | Net | Seats % | Other | Total | Total % | Votes | Votes % | +/− |
| | Labour | 8 | 8 | 50.0 | 12 | 20 | 41.7 | 8,549 | 31.8 | +0.9 |
| | Liberal Democrats | 4 | 2 | 25.0 | 12 | 16 | 33.3 | 5,750 | 21.4 | –4.5 |
| | Conservative | 4 | 10 | 25.0 | 8 | 12 | 25.0 | 9,102 | 33.9 | +0.1 |
| | Green | 0 | | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 2,552 | 9.5 | +0.6 |
| | Reform UK | 0 | | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 895 | 3.3 | +2.7 |

## Ward results

The Statements of Persons Nominated, which details the candidates standing in each ward, were released by Welwyn Hatfield Borough Council on 8 April 2024 following the close of nominations. The results were announced the day after the election at around mid-day. Sitting councillors standing for re-election are marked with an asterisk (*)

### Brookmans Park and Little Heath Ward

Brookmans Park and Little Heath :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Mark Short | 1,036 | 58.9 | −2.7 |
| | Labour | Graham Beevers | 374 | 21.3 | +3.1 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Peter Basford | 137 | 7.8 | −4.2 |
| | Reform UK | Harjinderpal Sandhu | 120 | 6.8 | N/A |
| | Green | William Berrington | 92 | 5.2 | −2.4 |
| Rejected ballots | Rejected ballots | Rejected ballots | 7 | | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 662 | | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,759 | 35.6 | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |

### Haldens Ward

Haldens Ward :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Matthew Hobbs | 743 | 47.7 | −2.9 |
| | Conservative | Alastair Hellyer* | 451 | 28.9 | −1.9 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Jason Payne | 237 | 15.2 | +4.9 |
| | Green | Lesley Smith | 127 | 8.2 | +0.5 |
| Rejected ballots | Rejected ballots | Rejected ballots | 11 | | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | | | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,558 | 31.9 | |
| | Labour gain from Conservative | Labour gain from Conservative | Swing | | |

### Handside Ward

Handside Ward :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Democrats | Anthony Skottowe | 1,091 | 43.7 | −12.0 |
| | Conservative | Fiona Thomsom* | 845 | 33.9 | +6.3 |
| | Labour | Vaishall Shah | 321 | 12.9 | +2.9 |
| | Green | Philip Hopley | 136 | 5.5 | −0.6 |
| | Reform UK | Andrew Lewis | 101 | 4.0 | N/A |
| Rejected ballots | Rejected ballots | Rejected ballots | 5 | | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | | | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,494 | 46.2 | |
| | Liberal Democrats gain from Conservative | Liberal Democrats gain from Conservative | Swing | | |

### Hatfield Central Ward

Hatfield Central Ward :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Ian Walsh | 645 | 48.2 | −9.0 |
| | Conservative | James Bond* | 328 | 24.5 | +2.3 |
| | Reform UK | Mark Smith | 135 | 10.1 | N/A |
| | Liberal Democrats | Edwards Adam | 124 | 9.3 | −2.6 |
| | Green | Cheryl Miles | 105 | 7.9 | −0.3 |
| Rejected ballots | Rejected ballots | Rejected ballots | 11 | | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | | | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,337 | 25.2 | |
| | Labour gain from Conservative | Labour gain from Conservative | Swing | | |

### Hatfield East Ward

Hatfield East Ward :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Shirley Asare | 783 | 42.3 | +2.7 |
| | Conservative | Claire Hunt | 597 | 32.2 | −0.7 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Pashang Fatemi | 315 | 17.0 | −4.6 |
| | Green | Ian Gregory | 158 | 8.5 | +3.0 |
| Rejected ballots | Rejected ballots | Rejected ballots | 15 | | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | | | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,853 | 33.1 | |
| | Labour gain from Conservative | Labour gain from Conservative | Swing | | |

### Hatfield South West Ward

Hatfield South Ward :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Karthik Bonkur | 784 | 44.5 | +7.6 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Muhammad Joglu | 489 | 27.7 | −15.8 |
| | Conservative | Craig Stanbury* | 418 | 23.7 | +9.4 |
| | Green | Antony John | 72 | 4.1 | −0.9 |
| Rejected ballots | Rejected ballots | Rejected ballots | 13 | | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | | | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,763 | 29.7 | |
| | Labour gain from Conservative | Labour gain from Conservative | Swing | | |

### Hatfield Villages Ward

Hatfield Villages :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Jane Otumunye | 669 | 41.6 | −2.3 |
| | Conservative | Abbie Cook | 551 | 34.2 | +4.7 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Brad Taylor | 292 | 18.1 | +0.2 |
| | Green | Andreas Kukol | 98 | 6.1 | +0.8 |
| Rejected ballots | Rejected ballots | Rejected ballots | 19 | | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | | | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,610 | 27.4 | |
| | Labour gain from Conservative | Labour gain from Conservative | Swing | | |

### Hollybush

Hollybush :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Alan Chesterman | 649 | 52.2 | −5.5 |
| | Conservative | Marios Artemi | 297 | 23.9 | −0.5 |
| | Reform UK | Hamish Haddow | 120 | 9.7 | N/A |
| | Green | Peter Gamby | 92 | 7.4 | −0.4 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Fauzia Haider | 85 | 6.8 | −2.2 |
| Rejected ballots | Rejected ballots | Rejected ballots | 13 | | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | | | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,243 | 25.7 | |
| | Labour gain from Conservative | Labour gain from Conservative | Swing | | |

### Howlands Ward

Howlands :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Katherine Gardner | 769 | 49.6 | −4.8 |
| | Conservative | Brian Seeger | 428 | 27.6 | −4.1 |
| | Reform UK | Dean Milliken | 142 | 9.2 | N/A |
| | Green | Penelope Berrington | 114 | 7.4 | +1.0 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Hillary Skoczylas | 96 | 6.2 | −0.3 |
| Rejected ballots | Rejected ballots | Rejected ballots | 18 | | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | | | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,549 | 29.7 | |
| | Labour gain from Conservative | Labour gain from Conservative | Swing | | |

### Northaw and Cuffley Ward

Northaw and Cuffley :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Barbara Fitzsimon | 852 | 60.6 | −5.7 |
| | Labour | Sheila Barrett | 272 | 19.3 | +3.9 |
| | Green | Brian Edwards | 164 | 11.7 | +3.3 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Antony Green | 118 | 8.4 | −0.7 |
| Rejected ballots | Rejected ballots | Rejected ballots | 19 | | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | | | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,406 | 30.7 | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |

### Panshanger Ward

Panshanger :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Democrats | Salman Khan | 541 | 38.1 | −8.9 |
| | Conservative | Stan Tunstall* | 462 | 32.6 | +4.1 |
| | Labour | Perry Hewitt | 314 | 22.1 | +2.5 |
| | Green | Alice Cowley-French | 102 | 7.2 | +2.8 |
| Rejected ballots | Rejected ballots | Rejected ballots | 14 | | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | | | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,419 | 32.7 | |
| | Liberal Democrats gain from Conservative | Liberal Democrats gain from Conservative | Swing | | |

### Peartree Ward

Peartree :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Democrats | Russ Platt* | 621 | 43.3 | −0.9 |
| | Labour | Tom Green | 521 | 36.3 | +0.9 |
| | Conservative | Jeet Dhelaria | 175 | 12.2 | −0.5 |
| | Green | Tanya Dickson | 118 | 8.2 | +1.3 |
| Rejected ballots | Rejected ballots | Rejected ballots | 10 | | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | | | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,435 | 26.1 | |
| | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Swing | | |

### Sherrards Ward

Sherrards :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Leo Gilbert | 606 | 31.5 | +9.9 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Azmat Mughal | 590 | 30.6 | −22.3 |
| | Conservative | Durk Reyner | 475 | 24.7 | +7.2 |
| | Green | David Cox | 128 | 6.6 | +2.3 |
| | Reform UK | Jack Aaron | 126 | 6.5 | +2.9 |
| Rejected ballots | Rejected ballots | Rejected ballots | 7 | | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 16 | 0.8 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,925 | 44.1 | |
| | Labour gain from Conservative | Labour gain from Conservative | Swing | | |

### Welham Green and Hatfield South Ward

Welham Green and Hatfield South :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Democrats | Paul Zukowskyj* | 699 | 41.6 | +3.7 |
| | Conservative | Teresa Travell | 593 | 35.3 | +0.3 |
| | Labour | Linda Mendez | 322 | 19.2 | −1.5 |
| | Green | Ian Nendick | 67 | 4.0 | +0.9 |
| Rejected ballots | Rejected ballots | Rejected ballots | 11 | | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 106 | 6.3 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,681 | 32.0 | |
| | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Swing | | |

### Welwyn East Ward

Welwyn East :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Julie Cragg* | 777 | 40.0 | −5.6 |
| | Labour | Georg von Bülow | 587 | 30.2 | −0.4 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Genevieve Almeyda | 250 | 12.9 | +2.0 |
| | Green | Darrin Dexter | 178 | 9.2 | −3.4 |
| | Reform UK | Tom Holdsworth | 151 | 7.8 | N/A |
| Rejected ballots | Rejected ballots | Rejected ballots | 10 | | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 190 | 9.8 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,943 | 37.9 | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |

### Welwyn West Ward

Welwyn West :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Alex Bardett | 817 | 43.6 | −3.3 |
| | Green | Sarah Butcher | 801 | 42.8 | +6.5 |
| | Labour | Andrew Osborne | 190 | 10.1 | +0.1 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Rhiannon Richardson | 65 | 3.5 | −2.9 |
| Rejected ballots | Rejected ballots | Rejected ballots | 7 | | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 16 | 0.9 | |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,873 | 38.5 | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | | |