Elections 2021: 'Amazing night' for Tories as they take control of Dudley

The Conservatives have secured an overall majority to take control of Dudley council.

The party gained 12 seats, leaving them with 46, and Labour lost 11, giving them 24.

Council leader Patrick Harley said it was an amazing night for the Tories and a total rejection of Labour in the area.

Labour held control of Sandwell and City of Wolverhampton councils but the Conservatives gained several seats.

"We appear to be sweeping the boards and gaining seat after seat. We've not just [been] scraping through, but getting fantastic majorities, like 600 for Rob Clinton in Quarry Bank, 300 for Dave Borley in Lye," Mr Harley said, after the result had been announced.

He put it down to a regeneration programme which he said was connecting with people in the borough and added: "It also tells us and tells the detractors of Boris Johnson that... people really do like Boris."

Dudley Labour group leader, Qadar Zada, said he was not going to make excuses for the result.

He had not been expecting the number of losses in Dudley, but had expected an unusual result, he said.

Previously, no party had been in control. Thirty seven seats were required for a majority on the council, where a third of seats, 26, were up for election on Thursday.

Elsewhere, Labour held control of both City of Wolverhampton Council and Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council but with the Conservatives making gains.

The Tories made gains in five wards across Wolverhampton, which had 22 seats up for election.

In Heath Town, Labour incumbent Jasbir Jaspal was joined by a new councillor, her daughter-in-law, Jaspreet, and said they were looking forward to working together for the city.

"It is nice to be re-elected again and I would like to thank all the supporters for coming out in these very challenging times," Jasbir Jaspal said.

In Sandwell, the Tories gained nine seats, the first time the party has held a seat on the council for six years.

Liam Preece, who lost his Charlemont and Grove Vale seat, said it "wasn't a complete shock".

"We've all looked at the national picture, Charlemont was a traditionally Conservative seat that I took nine years ago I think it has reverted back to its historical voting pattern," he said.

Voter turnout was up by 5% from 2019, with 29.5% of eligible residents heading to the polls.

James Morris, Tory MP for Halesowen and Rowley Regis, tweeted: "For many years now Sandwell Council has been crying out for an effective opposition.

"Congratulations to the nine new Conservative councillors, including Laured Kalari and Satpal Singh in Rowley, who will be able to provide that."

In Solihull, the Tories maintained their control of the council, following an election with a 38% turnout.

It gained three seats, while the Green party gained one.

Meanwhile, in Walsall, the Conservatives increased their majority control of the council by five seats, with Independent candidate Pete Smith making a gain in the Blakenall ward.

Council leader Mike Bird said he believes the way the party has handled the Covid-19 vaccine roll-out has contributed to the party's success.

"I think Boris's results of how he handled this crisis has been, without doubt, well received by all people across the country," he said.

In the Birmingham City Council by-election, the majority Labour party lost two seats to the Conservatives.

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