08 May 2026
There was just one change to SADC’s political make-up in this year’s elections – expected to be the last to take place before the district council is dissolved under Local Government Reorganisation (LGR).
The Lib Dems successfully defended all but one of their seats, despite suggestions that the Greens might have taken two city centre wards, and Reform UK also failed in their bid to secure their first district councillor.
The last result of the count was a win for the Local Conservatives, with Aaron Jacob taking Harpenden West by just 20 votes. The full break-down was: Aaron Jacob 1,290, Ric Bellfield (Lib Dems) 1,270, Paul Brayley (Reform UK) 305, Mario May (Greens) 220 and David Crew (Labour) 108.
One of the seats expected to be a close-run contest, St Peter’s ward in central St Albans, was actually a decisive victory for Lib Dem Sean Hughes with 1,347 votes. Sally Leonard for the Greens came in second with 868, followed by Jim Brodie (Reform UK) on 240, Claudio Duran (Local Conservatives) with 172, and David Byatt (Labour) on 102.
In the other seat, Clarence, Livvy Gibbs for the Greens failed to beat Lib Dem Josie Madoc, with 1,269 and 1,557 votes respectively. The other results were Stephen Bird (Reform) on 224, June Reid (Local Conservatives) on 125 and Martin McGrath (Labour) on 123.
Reform UK’s best chance for election was likely to be London Colney, but Tony Lillico held onto the seat for the Lib Dems with 872. Reform’s Eleanor Jackson came close with 632, followed by David Eaton for Labour (563), Sarah Lister for the Local Conservatives (226) and Aimee Crompton-Smith for the Greens (203).
Two vacancies were filled in St Stephen ward, with Lib Dems Ajanta Hilton (1,414) and Mohammed Rafi (1,171) both elected. Reform’s Richard Brooks and Stewart Vassie polled 892 and 781 respectively. Other candidates were Martyn Redstone (Local Conservatives) on 671, Simin Taheri (Local Conservatives) 502, Gabriel Roberts (Greens) 218, Ben Tiplady (Greens) 175, Janet Blackwell (Labour) 108 and Jane Hobday (Labour) 81.
There were also two vacancies in Sandridge and Wheathampstead, but again these were taken by the Lib Dems with Ann Chance-Read and Simon Johns polling 1,278 and 1,061 respectively. The other candidates were Gill Clark (Local Conservatives) 666, Andrew Waterfield (Local Conservatives) 665, Nigel Hawes (Reform UK) 547, Frederick Philpott (Reform UK) 547, Danielle Durant-Taylor (Greens) 352, Oliver Hitch (Greens) 299, Denise Brown (Labour) 132 and Symon Vegro (Labour) 77.
Harpenden North and Rural saw Lib Dem Kevin Timmons top the polls with 1,088, Sam Spiri for the Local Conservatives coming next with 812, then Reform UK’s Philip Wells with 428, Joel Crichton for the Greens on 250, and Ben Dearman for Labour on 96.
Expelled Reform candidate for Hill End, Caspar Thomas, only managed 292 votes, with the ward taken by Lib Dem Jamie Day on 1,615. Green candidate Marianne Jordan came second on 344, with other candidates being Sudha Bharadia (Local Conservatives) on 234 and Steve Clark (Labour) on 97.
Harpenden South saw long-standing Local Conservative David Heritage re-elected with 1,081, followed by Lib Dem Nikolaus Rath on 898. Other results were Matthew Swan (Reform UK) on 388, Tanja Brueckmann-Rath (Green Party) on 195 and Guy Thomas (Labour) on 109.
In Redbourn, independent David Mitchell was re-elected with 771 votes. The other candidates were Joy Swan (Reform UK) 399, Naina Bloom (Liberal Democrats) 316, Amanda Nash (Local Conservatives) 268, Matthew Thomas (Green Party) 124 and Andy Hayes (Labour) 64.
The other independent candidate standing in this year’s elections, Damian Gaskin, failed to take Batchwood, polling 603 votes. He was beaten by Lib Dem Chris Lewis on 1,091. Other candidates were Tatiana Metcalf-Riener (Greens), Kathleen Robinson (Reform UK) 234, Stella Nash (Local Conservatives) 181 and Chris Cloke (Labour) 152.
For Park Street, Rav Dighe was elected for the Lib Dems on 1,185, followed by Roger Gray for Reform UK on 760, Richard Curthoys for Local Conservatives on 513, the Greens’ Mark Park-Crowne with 261, and Laurence Chester for Labour with 91.
Cunningham was held by Lib Dem Robert Donald (1,262), followed by James Humphrey from Reform UK on 351 and Isabelle Habib (Greens) on 328. Making up the rest of the pack were Rachael Drewitt (Local Conservatives) 251 and John Paton (Labour) 142.
Dawn Gamble for the Lib Dems took Verulam with 1,679. Other candidates were Susan Devi (Local Conservatives) on 445, Alan Dodds (Reform UK) 382, Kevin Tiplady (Greens) 300 and Geoff Meade (Labour) 125.
In Marshalswick West, Lib Dem Michael Jones held onto his seat with 1,121 votes. The rest of the split was pretty balanced with Local Conservative Don Deepthi polling 282, Jason Flynn for the Greens receiving 215, Reform UK’s Thomas Russell landing 248, and Labour’s Sarah Heiser coming in with 82.
In Marshalswick East and Jersey Farm, Lorraine Kirby was reelected for the Lib Dems with 1,389, followed by Graham Leonard for the Local Conservatives with 610, Larraine Charters from Reform UK with 418, Joe Flynn for the Greens with 319, and Labour’s Stephen Poxon with 87.
Colney Heath saw Chris Brazier re-elected for the Liberal Democrats with 413, with Frances Leonard (Local Conservatives) and Mark Woolhouse (Reform UK) closely tied on 225 and 223. The Greens’ Rebecca Watters polled 80 and Iain Grant for Labour 30.
For Bernards Heath, Helen Campbell held onto the ward with 1,447, with Green Party candidate Claire Gilbert runner-up with 514. Local Conservative Ambrose Killen polled 332, Reform UK’s William Smith 254, and Labour’s Janke Cloke 127.
Harpenden East saw Pip Liver re-elected for the Liberal Democrats with 1,107 votes. Other candidates were Geoffrey Newman (Local Conservatives) with 675, Thomas Cooney (Reform UK) with 327, Lesley Baker (Greens) 248, and Neil Muldock (Labour) 110.
Sopwell was held by the Lib Dems, with Sarwar Shamsher polling 1,226. Jane Dawson-Davis from Reform UK received 367 votes, Len Pattenden from the Greens 344, Janet Smith from Labour 187, Heather Rench for Local Conservatives 171, and Mark Ewington for the Communist Party of Great Britain 15.
The political balance of the council is now 44 Lib Dems, five Conservatives, three Greens, two Labour and two independents.
