Reform take control of Lincolnshire County Council in shock landslide

The party won 44 out of 70 seats in a stunning landslide, almost entirely sweeping East Lindsey, South Holland and Boston, with many senior councillors losing their seats.

It’s a shocking defeat for the Conservatives, who have been in control of the council for nearly 30 years.

They have been reduced to 14 seats, making them the official opposition.

The rest of the council will be composed of five Liberal Democrats, three Labour, three Independents and a Lincolnshire Independent.

Coun Martin Hill, who lost his position as council leader but retained his Folkingham Rural seat, said he worried about the new administration.

He said: “I am worried how they will fare, they are no policies, all soundbite. They will find that difficult to deliver in power.”

He blamed the national political picture for the Conservative party’s deep losses, but warned that the county council wouldn’t be able to do anything about issues like immigration.

Leading Tories Colin Davie, Patricia Bradwell and Danny McNally were among those who lost their seats.

Mike Rudkin, who set the Lincolnshire branch of Reform up, said he was delighted with the results even if he’d been unsuccessful in gaining a seat.

He said: “It was just me and a few volunteers when we started four years ago, and membership has just grown and grown.

“We had fantastic results last night, and Andrea Jenkyns is definitely the right person for the job. We’re finally starting to get the change Lincolnshire needs.”

The party’s newly-elected councillors will meet in the coming days to elect a leader.

Reform secured 73,207 votes across the county – more than Conservative and Labour put together.

The last time anyone but a Conservative held the top seat in the county was 1997, when Labour briefly held it.

This will be the final election for Lincolnshire County Council, with it likely to be abolished around 2027 in a local government shake-up.