Reform UK has lost a Nottinghamshire County Council seat that they won just two months ago following a knife-edge by-election win for the Conservatives.
The Conservatives reclaimed the Newark West seat from Reform after the party’s previous winner resigned from his position after less than a week.
Keith Girling won back his Nottinghamshire County Council seat with 680 votes – a majority of eight.
Mr Girling previously held the seat for effectively 18 years before losing it to Reform UK’s Desmond Clarke in the May election earlier this year.
A by-election was held on July 3 after Mr Clarke resigned less than a week after he was elected due to what the party said was down to “personal circumstances”.
Mr Clarke was one of 40 Reform councillors who helped the party take control of Nottinghamshire County Council in May.
He originally won with 35.9 percent share of the vote, and a majority of 153, beating the long-serving Conservative cabinet member at the time.
Speaking of being given a chance at taking back his seat, Mr Girling said he was “elated”.
“It was close, there is a big message there, so it shows how hard I’ve got to work to stay as a councillor,” he said. “It is good because I’ve always worked hard and I thrive off that.
“I’ll be getting back on and being a councillor again, answering emails and helping people, and that’s what the main thing is about. Opposition is different, so I will be looking at what those in control are doing and will be challenging where they need challenging.”
Robert Jenrick, Newark’s Conservative MP, attended the count at Newark and Sherwood District Council’s Castle House on the evening of July 3.
He added: “It shows that Reform can be beaten. This is the first time anywhere in the country the Conservative Party has won a seat off Reform.
“Time and again we did speak to people who were frustrated – and at times angry – that somebody had put themselves forward for election without having thought it through.
“It had a real world consequence because it cost £25,000 or more of taxpayers’ money. I am sure that played a part in our success today, but I really think today was a tribute to Keith.”
Reform’s new candidate, Caroline Hinds, a primary school teacher of 20 years, came a close second with 672 votes.
She said the resignation of Mr Clarke had played a part in her failure to win the seat, and said she was disappointed with the result.
The turnout was 21.99 percent, with 1,962 ballot papers.
More than half were postal votes.
Reform now has 39 seats on the County Council, while the Tories have increased their number to 18.
The final results were as follows:
Keith Girling (Con): 680
Caroline Hinds (Ref): 672
Rosemary Johnson Sabine (Lib Dem): 90
Andrew Leatherland (Social Democratic Party): 11
Matthew Joseph Thomson Spoors (Green): 190
Paul Taylor (Lab): 316
