The Ashfield Independents increased their majority on Ashfield District Council by two votes in an election that saw the district buck a national trend.
The political group, led by Councillor Jason Zadrozny (Ash Ind), secured victory in the district-wide poll by winning 32 out of a possible 35 seats on May 4.
This is the second election in a row where the group has comfortably won victory, increasing its control by two seats compared with its 30-seat majority in a 2019 win.
Senior figures including Cllr Zadrozny, deputy leader Helen-Ann Smith and cabinet members Samantha Deakin and Sarah Madigan all comfortably returned their seats.
Controversial former deputy leader Cllr Tom Hollis (Ash Ind) also returned to the authority as one of two Ashfield Independents in Huthwaite and Brierley.
It came just months after his double conviction for careless driving and harassment without violence during separate trials in Nottingham Magistrates’ Court last autumn.
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His victory, secured alongside Cllr Paul Grafton, was the deciding seat which allowed the Ashfield Independents to return a majority in the chamber.
However, Cllr David Martin was the biggest high-profile casualty for the group after losing to the Conservatives’ Cllr Dawn Justice in a closely-fought battle in Underwood.
The Underwood ward was recounted in scenes that echoed the same battle between the two candidates four years earlier, with Cllr Justice emerging victorious this year.
The newly-elected Tory was one of only two Conservatives to return seats in the chamber, alongside Cllr Phil Rostance who maintained his Hucknall West seat.
However, the Ashfield Independents made gains in almost all seats they did not already hold, taking two Hucknall West seats from the Tories and both Hucknall South seats from Labour.
The Labour Party returned just one seat after Cllr Cathy Mason returned to the chamber following a four-year absense by taking Carsic from the Ashfield Independents.
This seat, alongside Underwood, were the only seats the Independents lost control of as they went on to strengthen their grip on the council.
Overall, the Ashfield Independents won 32 out of 35 seats, with the Conservatives winning two and Labour winning one.
In the previous poll, in 2019, this split was 30 Ashfield Independents, three Conservatives and two Labour.
Turnout in the poll was 32 per cent, which was lower than the 38 per cent turnout in 2019.
Overall, the Ashfield Independents vote share reduced from 65 per cent in 2019 to 52 per cent in 2023.
Labour’s vote share rose from 18 per cent to 27 per cent despite returning just one seat, while the Conservatives also picked up 20 per cent of votes, compared with 11 per cent four years ago.
Speaking after the group’s victory, Cllr Zadrozny told the Local Democracy Reporting Service: “We put ourselves in front of the people of Ashfield to show them what we’ve delivered.
“Thankfully they have trusted us for another four years to finish that job so I’m delighted.
“It’ll be more of the same, we’ve got the £70m secured for town centre regeneration and now we’re delivering that.”
On the people who did not vote for the party and potential disillusionment with the group over the past four years, he added: “Whoever people voted for, the Ashfield Independents will continue to work hard for you.
“I appreciate national politics has got involved, plus a lot of mudslinging, but we will work really hard to regain those people’s trust and prove to them that we are the best alternative for politics.”
But former Labour council leader Cheryl Butler, who lost in her bid to be re-elected in Kirkby Cross and Portland, said there are positives to take from the results.
Her party secured dozens of gains nationally but she said the local circumstances of facing the Ashfield Independents dented Labour’s chances of winning in the district.
She told the Local Democracy Reporting Service: “It’s great that Labour have done well nationally, but we’re quite unique locally.
“This evening has shown Labour can actually gain votes, we’ve increased votes in many areas and come close in many wards, having some recounts and winning a seat.
“It’s about where we are, where we were, and we’re certainly on the up.
“[Without the Ashfield Independents] it would have been the two proper parties, the real parties out there and there would have been a very much different Ashfield District Council.
“We have another four years until the next district election, but we’ve got the general election coming up, the mayoral election coming up (in Mansfield).
“It’s about going back and looking at the figures, the wards and where we did well, and regrouping to get out there and put out a positive message.
“Honesty, integrity and transparency are what we’ve been out there telling the electorate about, we just need to speak to more people.”
Below are the Ashfield District Council election results in full, with the successful candidates for each ward listed in italics and underlined.
Abbey Hill Ward (1)
Andrew Meakin – Ashfield Independents (473)
Pat Rogerson – Conservatives (73)
Sean White – Labour Party (149)
ASH IND HOLD
(Turnout: 30.5 per cent)
Annesley & Kirkby Woodhouse (2)
Jamie Bell – Ashfield Independents (1027)
Simon Bishop – Labour Party (615)
Donna Gilbert – Labour Party (588)
Anthony Hunt – Trade Union and Socialist Coalition (28)
Rachel Madden – Ashfield Independents (1117)
Richard Portas – Conservatives (278)
Dale Saddington – Conservatives (249)
ASH IND HOLD X2
(Turnout: 36 per cent)
Ashfields (1)
Sam Ansell – Conservatives (243)
David Walters – Ashfield Independents (421)
Margaret Wilson – Labour Party (257)
ASH IND HOLD
(Turnout: 31.09 per cent)
Carsic (1)
Derrick Etches – N/A (27)
Tony Johnson – Conservatives (137)
Cathy Mason – Labour Party (332)
Joel Meakin – Ashfield Independents (236)
LAB GAIN from ASH IND
(Turnout: 27.75 per cent)
Greenwood & Summit (2)
Enid Bakewell – Labour Party (356)
Linford Gibbons – Labour Party (336)
Christoper Huskinson – Ashfield Independents (746)
Warren Nuttall – Ashfield Independents (744)
Lee Scothern – Conservatives (136)
Simon Wright – Conservatives (116)
ASH IND HOLD X2
(Turnout: 25.34 per cent)
Hucknall Central (2)
Ria Cash – Labour Party (627)
James Harvey – Liberal Democrats (82)
Jaimie McPherson – Conservatives (234)
Nick Parvin – Ashfield Independents (860)
Lee Waters – Ashfield Independents (826)
John Wilkinson – Labour Party (529)
ASH IND HOLD X2
(Turnout: 30.73 per cent)
Hucknall North (3)
Patrick Ayres – Labour Party (892)
Anna Ellis – Ashfield Independents (1277)
Martin Howes – Liberal Democrats (388)
Gordon Mann – Ashfield Independents (1218)
Kevin Stevenson – Liberal Democrats (145)
David Warwick – Labour Party (815)
John Wilmott – Ashfield Independents (1371)
Lewis Wright – Conservatives (368)
Steve Wright – Conservatives (365)
ASH IND HOLD X3
(Turnout: 33.52 per cent)
Hucknall South (2)
Stuart Bell – Labour Party (634)
Oliver Hay – Ashfield Independents (707)
Trevor Locke – Ashfield Independents (845)
Dave Randall – Conservatives (311)
ASH IND GAIN from LABOUR X2
(Turnout: 28.75 per cent)
Hucknall West (3)
Ian Briggs – Ashfield Independents (987)
Paul Craddock – Ashfield Independents (878)
Jan Lees – Conservatives (699)
Andrew Meikle – Breakthrough Party (153)
Kevin Rostance – Conservatives (881)
Phil Rostance – Conservatives (896)
David Shaw – Ashfield Independents (1070)
Richard Speight – Labour Party (724)
CON HOLD X1
ASH IND GAIN from CON X2
(Turnout: 30.65 per cent)
Huthwaite & Brierley (2)
Paul Grafton – Ashfield Independents (848)
Tom Hollis – Ashfield Independents (854)
John Howlett – Conservatives (359)
Stefan Lamb – Labour Party (726)
Jane Lilliman – Labour Party (690)
Graham Lynk – Conservatives (351)
ASH IND HOLD X2
(Turnout: 36.34 per cent)
Jacksdale & Westwood (1)
Chris Baron – Conservatives (103)
Julie Gregory – Ashfield Independents (529)
Christopher Varnam – Labour Party (136)
ASH IND HOLD
(Turnout: 30.45 per cent)
Kingsway (1)
Darren Clay – Conservatives (107)
Dale Grounds – Ashfield Independents (423)
Clare West – Labour Party (211)
(Turnout: 32.37 per cent)
Kirkby Cross & Portland (1)
Cheryl Butler – Labour Party (345)
Sam Howlett – Conservatives (228)
Sarah Lewsey – Ashfield Independents (500)
ASH IND HOLD
(Turnout: 35.3 per cent)
Larwood (1)
Adam Bright – Labour Party (206)
Jack Middleton – Conservatives (161)
Jason Zadrozny – Ashfield Independents (587)
ASH IND HOLD
(Turnout: 32.51 per cent)
Leamington (1)
Sarah Madigan – Ashfield Independents (351)
Stuart Peach – Conservatives (89)
Ruth Stevens – Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition (15)
Kerry Thornton – Labour Party (277)
ASH IND HOLD
(Turnout: 26.62 per cent)
Selston (2)
Mark Bradshaw – Conservatives (343)
Rob Brooks – Labour Party (362)
Cam Felton – Conservatives (319)
Colleen Flint – Labour Party (387)
Andy Gascoyne – Ashfield Independents (863)
Arnie Hankin – Ashfield Independents (832)
ASH IND HOLD
(Turnout: 32.95 per cent)
Skegby (2)
Michael Barber – Labour Party (474)
Will Bostock – Ashfield Independents (712)
Keith Broughton – Conservatives (385)
Jodine Cronshaw – Ashfield Independents (715)
Roman Gasecki – Conservatives (301)
George Watson – Labour Party (519)
ASH IND HOLD X2
(Turnout: 32.77 per cent)
Stanton Hill & Teversal (1)
Lee Haywood – Labour Party (381)
Bill Rogerson – Conservatives (120)
Helen-Ann Smith – Ashfield Independents (426)
ASH IND HOLD
(Turnout: 35.59 per cent)
Sutton Central & New Cross (2)
Samantha Deakin – Ashfield Independents (677)
Max Everett – Labour Party (381)
Vicki Heslop – Ashfield Independents (551)
Shinto Mathew – Conservatives (380)
Margaret Renshaw – Labour Party (316)
Lea Sharpe – Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition (39)
Karen Shaw – Conservatives (325)
ASH IND HOLD X2
(Turnout: 26.37 per cent)
Sutton Junction & Harlow Wood (1)
Marcus Everett – Labour Party (166)
Mitch Mitchell – Conservatives (260)
Matthew Relf – Ashfield Independents (525)
ASH IND HOLD
(Turnout: 35.41 per cent)
Sutton St Mary’s (1)
Kier Barsby – Ashfield Independents (355)
Christopher Barton-Hanson – Conservatives (298)
Rebekkah Sisson – Labour Party (272)
ASH IND HOLD
(Turnout: 26.62 per cent)
The Dales (1)
Jackie Barber – Labour Party (239)
Angela Bentley – Conservatives (182)
John Smallridge – Ashfield Independents (351)
ASH IND HOLD
(Turnout: 33.26 per cent)
Underwood (1)
Dawn Justice – Conservatives (547)
David Martin – Ashfield Independents (510)
Sebastian Wilson – Labour Party (128)
(Turnout: 46 per cent)