# 2019 North Hertfordshire District Council election

The 2019 North Hertfordshire Council election was held on 2 May 2019, at the same time as other local elections across England and Northern Ireland. Of the 49 seats on North Hertfordshire District Council, 16 were up for election.
The Conservatives had a majority on the council prior to the election, but lost a net total of six seats, leaving the council under no overall control. The Conservative leader and leader of the council prior to the election was Lynda Needham, who lost her Letchworth South West seat after a tie with the Liberal Democrat candidate, Sean Prendergast, which was settled by drawing lots. Whilst the Conservatives remained the largest party, with six seats more than any other party, a Labour and Liberal Democrat coalition took control of the council after the election, with the Labour leader, Martin Stears-Handscomb, becoming leader of the council, and the Liberal Democrat leader, Paul Clark, becoming deputy leader of the council. David Levett became new leader of the Conservative group, which became the opposition.

## Overall results

The overall results were as follows:
2019 North Hertfordshire District 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 % | +/− |
| | Conservative | 7 | 6 | 43.8 | 15 | 22 | 44.9 | 9,380 | 36.0 | -3.6 |
| | Liberal Democrats | 6 | 4 | 37.5 | 7 | 11 | 22.4 | 7,384 | 28.4 | +7.8 |
| | Labour | 3 | 2 | 18.8 | 13 | 16 | 32.7 | 5,675 | 21.8 | -9.2 |
| | Green | 0 | | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 2,757 | 10.6 | +3.3 |
| | UKIP | 0 | | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 841 | 3.2 | +2.9 |

## Ward Results

The results for each ward were as follows. Where the previous incumbent was standing for re-election they are marked with an asterisk(*).
Arbury ward :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Democrats | Thomas Wade Tyson (Tom Tyson) | 570 | 51.0% | +39.5 |
| | Conservative | Christopher John Schwick (Chris Schwick) | 453 | 40.5% | −23.4 |
| | Green | Timothy Peter Lee (Tim Lee) | 88 | 7.9% | −5.0 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,118 | 51.6% | |
| | Liberal Democrats gain from Conservative | Liberal Democrats gain from Conservative | Swing | +31.5 | |
Baldock Town ward :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Michael Douglas Robert Mackenzie Muir* | 941 | 51.4% | +0.7 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Robin Christopher Lambie (Rob Lambie) | 350 | 19.1% | +5.9 |
| | Labour | Colwyn Luke Griffiths | 321 | 17.5% | −12.7 |
| | Green | George Woolhouse | 201 | 11.0% | +5.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,832 | 32.0% | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | -2.6 | |
Cadwell ward :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Democrats | Samuel North (Sam North) | 352 | 48.0% | +38.1 |
| | Conservative | Michael Frank Goddard | 207 | 28.2% | −29.8 |
| | Labour | David Leon De Smet | 95 | 12.9% | −6.7 |
| | Green | Rosamund Brigid McGuire | 72 | 9.8% | −0.8 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 734 | 41.2% | |
| | Liberal Democrats gain from Conservative | Liberal Democrats gain from Conservative | Swing | +33.9 | |
Chesfield ward :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | George Edmund Rhys Davies | 595 | 42.0% | +7.5 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Keith Abrahams | 337 | 23.8% | −18.5 |
| | Labour | Yusuf Liam Mayet | 226 | 15.9% | −0.9 |
| | Green | Mary Karin Marshall | 220 | 15.5% | +9.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,417 | 27.4% | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | +13.0 | |
Ermine ward :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Gerald Edward Morris* | 492 | 59.2% | −14.5 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Suzanne Anderton (Suzie Anderton) | 187 | 22.5% | +22.5 |
| | Green | Mark Alister Gamon | 104 | 12.5% | −11.7 |
| | Labour | Robin Anthony King | 40 | 4.8% | +4.8 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 831 | 40.2% | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | -18.5 | |
Hitchin Bearton ward :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Judi Billing* | 1,157 | 53.7% | −2.6 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Jonathan Clayden | 351 | 16.3% | +3.0 |
| | Conservative | Gulshan Deep Singh Mangat | 328 | 15.2% | −6.8 |
| | Green | Anni Elke Sander | 296 | 13.7% | +5.9 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,155 | 34.4% | |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | -2.8 | |
Hitchin Highbury ward :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Democrats | Keith Hoskins | 1,606 | 62.2% | +14.6 |
| | Conservative | Leon Emirali | 534 | 20.7% | −9.4 |
| | Labour | Angela Jean Griggs | 244 | 9.5% | −7.2 |
| | Green | Diana Joyce Newson | 181 | 7.0% | +1.4 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,582 | 41.9% | |
| | Liberal Democrats gain from Conservative | Liberal Democrats gain from Conservative | Swing | +12.0 | |
Hitchin Walsworth ward :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Kay Frances Tart | 994 | 44.4% | −3.7 |
| | Conservative | Mark David Russell | 570 | 25.4% | −4.5 |
| | Green | William Lavin | 393 | 17.5% | +5.8 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Ying Han | 255 | 11.4% | +1.5 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,240 | 37.1% | |
| | Labour gain from Conservative | Labour gain from Conservative | Swing | +0.4 | |
Hitchwood, Offa and Hoo ward :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | David John Barnard* | 1,149 | 54.7% | −8.3 |
| | Green | Nicola Jane Clark (Nicky Clark) | 360 | 17.1% | +7.3 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Marilyn Margaret Parkin | 305 | 14.5% | +5.6 |
| | Labour | Anton Jungreuthmayer | 260 | 12.4% | −5.8 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,100 | 36.1% | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | -7.8 | |
Letchworth Grange ward :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Morgan William Derbyshire | 708 | 37.9% | +0.1 |
| | Labour | Conor Brogan | 563 | 30.1% | −13.3 |
| | UKIP | Steven Adelantado | 234 | 12.5% | +12.5 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Joshua Edward Hamilton (Josh Hamilton) | 187 | 10.0% | −1.4 |
| | Green | Sarah Elizabeth Cope | 172 | 9.2% | +1.3 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,868 | 34.4% | |
| | Conservative gain from Liberal Democrats | Conservative gain from Liberal Democrats | Swing | +6.7 | |
The retiring councillor in Letchworth Grange ward, Paul Marment, had been elected as a Conservative in 2015, but defected to the Liberal Democrats in 2018.
Letchworth South East ward :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Adem Irfan Ruggiero-Cakir | 796 | 43.3% | +4.3 |
| | Conservative | Andrew Malcolm Clare | 783 | 42.6% | +4.0 |
| | UKIP | Sidney Arthur Start | 242 | 13.2% | +7.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,838 | 34.0% | |
| | Labour gain from Conservative | Labour gain from Conservative | Swing | +0.1 | |
Letchworth South West ward :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Democrats | Sean Prendergast | 800 | 34.6% | +7.8 |
| | Conservative | Lynda Ann Needham* | 800 | 34.6% | −9.0 |
| | Labour | Jean Andrews | 279 | 12.1% | −9.5 |
| | UKIP | Wendy Gross | 218 | 9.4% | +9.4 |
| | Green | Nicholas Mark Newson | 201 | 8.7% | +1.1 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,312 | 38.9% | |
| | Liberal Democrats gain from Conservative | Liberal Democrats gain from Conservative | Swing | +8.4 | |
As the result in Letchworth South West ward was a draw, the tied candidates drew lots to choose the winner.
Royston Heath ward :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Democrats | Carol Ann Stanier | 963 | 54.2% | +9.4 |
| | Conservative | Sarah Anne Dingley* | 538 | 30.3% | −10.4 |
| | Green | Katherine Marie Shann | 134 | 7.5% | +3.7 |
| | Labour | Amy Jane Bourke-Waite | 119 | 6.7% | −3.6 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,777 | 40.3% | |
| | Liberal Democrats gain from Conservative | Liberal Democrats gain from Conservative | Swing | +9.9 | |
Royston Meridian ward :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Anthony Frederick Hunter* (Tony Hunter) | 699 | 47.3% | −7.8 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Peter Martin Rice | 340 | 23.0% | +13.6 |
| | UKIP | Christopher Laurence Arquati | 147 | 9.9% | +9.9 |
| | Labour | Stephen James Lockett | 147 | 9.9% | −7.2 |
| | Green | Karen Julie Harmel | 140 | 9.5% | −8.2 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,479 | 35.9% | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | -10.7 | |
Royston Palace ward :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Jean Margaret Green* | 474 | 37.8% | −5.5 |
| | Labour | Robert Edward Inwood (Rob Inwood) | 415 | 33.1% | −0.5 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Amy Chesterton Di Capite | 180 | 14.4% | −1.5 |
| | Green | Angela Clark | 170 | 13.6% | +6.5 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,253 | 28.6% | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | -2.5 | |
Weston and Sandon ward :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Democrats | Stephen Kenneth Jarvis* (Steve Jarvis) | 601 | 79.1% | +21.6 |
| | Conservative | Michael Steven Frederick Storm Hearn | 109 | 14.3% | −18.3 |
| | Green | Desmond Peter Stephens (Des Stephens) | 25 | 3.3% | −6.2 |
| | Labour | Headley Valentine Parkins | 19 | 2.5% | 2.5 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 760 | 46.2% | |
| | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Swing | +20.0 | |

## Changes 2019–2021

Two councillors resigned in March 2020: Ben Lewis, Conservative councillor for Royston Palace, and Deepak Sangha, Labour councillor for Letchworth Wilbury. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic no by-election could be held. The vacancies were subsequently filled at the 2021 election, which would have been when Deepak Sangha's term of office would have expired anyway.