Conservatives hold off Reform by only 22 votes in by-election

David Nash won the Bracebridge Heath seat with 22 votes more than his Reform opponent, Mark Rind, after a tight race.

The by-election was called following the death of Conservative Councillor Peter Burley in January, who had represented the area on the district council since 2007.

The Tories enjoyed more than 60 per cent of the vote the last time the seat was contested in 2023, but fell to 33 per cent in a six-way race last night.

The full results were:

• Funmi Adeyemi (Labour) – 99
• Chris Barr (Independent) – 153
• Stephen Chapman (Liberal Democrat) – 36
• Dave Nash (Conservative) – 308
• Mark Rind (Reform UK) – 286
• Christopher Rattigan-Smith (Green Party) – 43

The sudden rise of Reform may unsettle Conservatives ahead of the county council elections in May, where all of the seats are up for grabs.

Councillor Nash said: “I wasn’t sure what to expect when I got into the campaign – it just shows that every vote counts.

“Whenever people have spoken to me about Reform on the doorstep, it’s always been about the national picture. My message has been there’s not much we can do about that – it’s about who will be best for our village.

“It’s clear people realise Conservatives have still got a lot of rebuilding to do, but it’s coming on.

“My approach has been to get around as many houses as I can. I’ve lost 12lbs over the last three weeks – I’ve been on a health kick but the canvassing is definitely helping!

“The winter fuel cuts has been the most common complaint I’ve heard, there’s a lot of anger about it.

“My goal now is to live up to what Peter Burley did. He served this village well for nearly 20 years and everyone appreciates what he did for us.”

Control of North Kesteven District Council won’t be affected, with Conservatives remaining the ruling party with 24 seats.

The two-seat ward will also continue to be represented by Councillor Lindsey Cawrey, also a Conservative member.