Elections 2021: Tory leader 'ecstatic' to extend majority

The Conservative leader of Redditch Borough Council has said he is "ecstatic" to have increased the party's majority.

The Tories won all nine seats up for grabs on the local authority, including seven taken from Labour.

One of the Labour candidates to lose their place on the council was group leader Bill Hartnett.

His opposite number Matt Dormer paid tribute, saying the council had "lost some really good people last night".

However, he said the Conservative Party had to "repay" the "faith" shown by voters.

He added: "We haven't just crawled across the line or limped over with a small majority, we've got some really, really convincing majorities in some of these seats.

"I'm absolutely ecstatic, over the moon... but still very humbled that so many people have turned out in their droves to vote for us."

There was no change in overall control at Redditch Borough Council, with the Conservatives holding 24 seats and Labour just four after Thursday's election - losing both its leader and deputy leader.

Mr Hartnett said the result was a reflection of what had happened nationally.

He said: "I think both sides were shocked at the size of the result and that Hartlepool result... staggering result and and I think as more and more results come through later in the day.

"In my opinion, I think, it was national issues and the national trends on that way is no reflection on the local party or the local candidates."

Mr Hartnett has served on the county and borough councils since 1985 and said it was a "strange election with Covid conditions".

He said he felt the rollout of the vaccine had swung voters towards the Conservatives at a national level.

It's been a terrible night for Labour in Redditch, with the party losing all seven of the council seats it had been trying to defend.

The Conservatives have won all nine of the district council seats being contested this year, including in Church Hill ward where the Labour leader Bill Hartnett lost his seat.

The last time these seats were up for election was in 2016, before the EU referendum.

Back then Labour had control of the council; this morning it has just four councillors left.

Elsewhere, the Conservative Party kept control of Worcestershire County Council and increased its majority by five seats, mostly at the expense of Labour.

In total the Tories gained 10 seats but lost five, including Paul Middlebrough, a councillor for 38 years and former Tory leader of Wychavon District Council.

His Croome ward was taken by the Green Party's Martin Allen who said afterwards he was "absolutely staggered" by the result.

Labour lost seven seats including group leader Robin Lunn and his predecessor Peter McDonald.

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