# 2018 Welwyn Hatfield Borough Council election

Elections to Welwyn Hatfield Borough Council took place on 3 May 2018. This was on the same day as other local elections across the United Kingdom. The Conservatives saw a reduction a large reduction in their number of seats, only just hanging on to majority of the council.

## Composition of the Council

Prior to the election the composition of the council was:
| 27 | 16 | 5 |
| Conservative | Labour | Liberal Democrats |
After the election, the composition of the council was:
| 25 | 15 | 8 |
| Conservative | Labour | Liberal Democrats |

## Results summary

Welwyn Hatfield Borough Council election, 2018 :
| Party | Seats | Gains | Losses | Net gain/loss | Votes % | Votes | +/− |
| Conservative | 25 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 41.3 | 11,553 | 4.0 |
| Labour | 15 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 28.9 | 8,088 | 0.2 |
| Liberal Democrats | 8 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 24.4 | 6,835 | 7.5 |
| Independent | 0 | 0 | 0 | | 4.6 | 1,403 | 2.6 |
| Abolish the Town Council | 0 | 0 | 0 | | 0.7 | 208 | New |

## Ward results
### Brookmans Park and Little Heath

Brookmans Park and Little Heath :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Rebecca Louise Lass | 1,519 | 75.2 | 4.1 |
| | Labour | Graham Martyn Beevers | 274 | 13.6 | 0.3 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Louisa Beth Noel | 228 | 11.3 | 3.7 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,245 | 61.6 | — |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,021 | 39.9 | — |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | 2.2 | |

### Haldens

Haldens :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Lucy Musk | 647 | 34.7 | 3.0 |
| | Conservative | Drew Robert Richardson | 624 | 33.5 | 1.9 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Anthony Dennis | 592 | 31.8 | 19.9 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 23 | 1.2 | — |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,863 | 37.7 | — |
| | Labour gain from Conservative | Labour gain from Conservative | Swing | 0.6 | |

### Handside

Handside :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Democrats | Siobhan Anne Elam | 1,495 | 56.1 | 20.3 |
| | Conservative | Graham Eric Dowler | 889 | 33.4 | 8.8 |
| | Labour | Ian Merison | 279 | 10.5 | 5.3 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 606 | 22.7 | — |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,263 | 48.9 | — |
| | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Swing | 14.6 | |

### Hatfield Central

Hatfield Central :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Pankit Shah | 756 | 53.7 | 2.0 |
| | Conservative | Caron Anne Juggins | 446 | 31.7 | 0.5 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Adam Edwards | 205 | 14.6 | 2.5 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 310 | 22.0 | — |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,407 | 26.2 | — |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | 0.8 | |

### Hatfield East

Hatfield East :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Peter Hebden | 756 | 42.8 | 8.8 |
| | Labour | Cathy Watson | 648 | 36.7 | 4.8 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Jackie Brennan | 363 | 20.5 | 10.5 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 108 | 6.1 | — |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,767 | 32.2 | — |
| | Conservative gain from Labour | Conservative gain from Labour | Swing | 2.0 | |

### Hatfield South West

Hatfield South West :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Kieran Michael Thorpe | 679 | 46.3 | 1.5 |
| | Conservative | Kim Elizabeth Langley | 382 | 26.1 | 4.1 |
| | Abolish the Town Council | Melvyn Jones | 208 | 14.2 | N/A |
| | Liberal Democrats | Paul Graham Wilson | 197 | 13.4 | 2.3 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 297 | 20.2 | — |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,466 | 28.8 | — |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | 2.8 | |

### Hatfield Villages

Hatfield Villages :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Duncan James Bell | 688 | 46.0 | 3.9 |
| | Conservative | Samuel Kasumu | 598 | 39.9 | 10.0 |
| | Labour | Margaret Anne Eames-Peterses | 554 | 37.0 | 0.9 |
| | Labour | Oliver Timothy Price | 496 | 33.1 | 4.8 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Jane Quinton | 212 | 14.2 | 2.0 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Gemma May Louise Moore | 205 | 13.7 | 1.5 |
| | Independent | Carol Ann Beckerman | 69 | 4.6 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 44 | — | — |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,497 | 29.7 | — |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | 1.6 | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | — | |

### Hollybush

Hollybush :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Lynn Anne Chesterman | 726 | 53.4 | 14.5 |
| | Conservative | Howard Frank Weintrob | 475 | 34.9 | 5.8 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Christopher Paul Corbey-West | 103 | 7.6 | 1.5 |
| | Independent | George William Saunders | 56 | 4.1 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 251 | 18.5 | — |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,360 | 27.4 | — |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | 10.2 | |

### Howlands

Howlands :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Labour | Max Peter Holloway | 858 | 52.2 | 16.0 |
| | Conservative | Stan Tunstall | 629 | 38.3 | 9.3 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Konrad Basch | 157 | 9.5 | ±0.0 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 229 | 13.9 | — |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,644 | 32.3 | — |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing | 3.4 | |

### Northaw and Cuffley

Northaw and Cuffley :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Bernard John Sarson | 1,152 | 70.5 | 1.9 |
| | Conservative | Simon Anthony Wrenn | 1,133 | 69.3 | 0.7 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Robina Helen Durrant | 320 | 19.6 | 1.2 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Clive Johnson | 240 | 14.7 | 3.7 |
| | Labour | Sheila Ann Barrett | 205 | 12.5 | 0.5 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 813 | 49.7 | — |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,635 | 34.1 | — |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | 0.3 | |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | — | |

### Panshanger

Panshanger :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Democrats | Ayesha Rohale | 601 | 37.5 | 22.0 |
| | Conservative | Darren Malcolm Bennett | 564 | 35.2 | 10.6 |
| | Labour | Zoe Pateman | 367 | 22.9 | 0.6 |
| | Independent | Susan Patricia Storer | 70 | 4.4 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 37 | 2.3 | — |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,602 | 35.7 | — |
| | Liberal Democrats gain from Conservative | Liberal Democrats gain from Conservative | Swing | 16.3 | |

### Peartree

Peartree :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Democrats | Tamsin Francesca Jackson-Mynott | 583 | 44.0 | 7.9 |
| | Labour | Helen Jane Beckett | 512 | 38.7 | 6.6 |
| | Conservative | Roy Gilbert Talbot | 229 | 17.3 | 0.8 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 71 | 5.3 | — |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,324 | 28.3 | — |
| | Liberal Democrats gain from Labour | Liberal Democrats gain from Labour | Swing | 0.7 | |

### Sherrards

Sherrards :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Democrats | Jean-Paul Bernard Skoczylas | 782 | 38.7 | 25.6 |
| | Conservative | Alan Stewart Franey | 672 | 33.3 | 4.9 |
| | Labour | Jason Lee Robinson | 484 | 24.0 | 3.1 |
| | Independent | Jon Beckerman | 82 | 4.1 | N/A |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 110 | 5.4 | — |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,020 | 44.8 | — |
| | Liberal Democrats gain from Conservative | Liberal Democrats gain from Conservative | Swing | 15.3 | |

### Welham Green and Hatfield South

Welham Green and Hatfield South :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Liberal Democrats | Helen Quenet | 793 | 44.8 | 2.9 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Jaida Esin Caliskan | 692 | 39.1 | 8.1 |
| | Conservative | Teresa Florence Travell | 599 | 33.9 | 1.9 |
| | Conservative | Edward Frederick Findlay Boulton | 570 | 32.2 | 0.2 |
| | Labour | Linda Elizabeth Mendez | 393 | 22.2 | 1.9 |
| | Labour | John Richard Eames-Petersen | 364 | 20.6 | 0.3 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 93 | 5.2 | — |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,769 | 33.1 | — |
| | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Swing | 2.5 | |
| | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Swing | | |

### Welwyn East

Welwyn East :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Steven Markiewicz | 875 | 47.8 | 1.9 |
| | Labour | Rose Grewal | 515 | 28.1 | 5.2 |
| | Independent | Carl Jamie Storer | 237 | 12.9 | N/A |
| | Liberal Democrats | Helen Natalie Harrington | 204 | 11.1 | 7.8 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 360 | 19.7 | — |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,831 | 36.1 | — |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | 1.7 | |

### Welwyn West

Welwyn West :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Sunny Thusu | 1,054 | 51.9 | 12.2 |
| | Independent | Sandra Anne Kyriakides | 785 | 38.7 | 3.5 |
| | Labour | Joshua Murombo Chigwangwa | 191 | 9.4 | 2.5 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 269 | 13.2 | — |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,030 | 42.3 | — |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | 4.4 | |

## By-Elections
### Welwyn West

A by-election was held on 29 November following the death of Mandy Perkins, the leader of the Council.
Welwyn West :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Conservative | Paul Richard Smith | 960 | 58.7 | 6.8 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Christina Maria Raven | 604 | 36.9 | N/A |
| | Labour | Josh Chigwangwa | 72 | 4.4 | 5.0 |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 356 | 21.8 | — |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 1,636 | 33.7 | — |
| | Conservative hold | Conservative hold | Swing | 21.9 | |