A historic political shift has swept through Staffordshire as Reform UK claimed control of the County Council for the first time. Voters across the county opted for change, including in two of the three divisions covering Stone and its surrounding areas.
The only local exception was Stone Urban, where Stafford Borough Independents councillor Jill Hood comfortably retained her seat.
Reform landslide across Staffordshire
Reform UK now holds 49 of the 62 seats on Staffordshire County Council, a dramatic gain from having no representation previously. The Conservative Party dropped to 10 seats, down from 57 in 2021. Labour, the Green Party and Stafford Borough Independents each secured one seat. Once again, the Liberal Democrats failed to win any seats.
The results bring an end to over a decade of Conservative control at the county level. The new administration now inherits a £734 million annual budget and responsibility for delivering services that touch every part of daily life in Staffordshire.
That includes:
- Adult social care and children’s safeguarding
- Public health and mental wellbeing
- Highways, road maintenance and flood prevention
- Education and SEND (Special Educational Needs and Disabilities) services
- Libraries, recycling and waste services
Stone Urban
Winner: Jill Hood (Stafford Borough Independent)
Votes: 1,589
Jill Hood retained her seat with a strong personal mandate, seeing off a challenge from Reform UK and other party candidates. Known for her community work and long-standing presence in local politics, she will continue as the division’s representative.
In her campaign profile, she said:
“I have lived in Stone all my life and I love the town. I want to continue working with our police, county highways and support groups to make sure residents are heard and kept safe.”
Other candidates:
- Jordan Turnock (Reform UK): 1,215
- Darren Woodward (Conservative): 470
- Polly Sutherland (Labour): 470
Stone Rural North
Winner: Sean Bagguely (Reform UK)
Votes: 1,461
Sean Bagguely secured a Reform victory in the newly created Stone Rural North division. Former Conservative councillor Ian Parry, who previously held the Stone Rural seat, finished third.
Other candidates:
- Alec Sandiford (Liberal Democrats): 1,172
- Ian Parry (Conservative): 930
- Sharon Reid (Labour): 360
- Gary Lloyd (Independent): 303
Campaign topics in this division focused on concerns about public transport, SEND services and road safety. Residents also raised the impact of large housing developments on local infrastructure.
Stafford Trent Valley
Winner: Andrew Mynors (Reform UK)
Votes: 1,273
Andrew Mynors secured another Reform win in Stafford Trent Valley. His victory came by a margin of 21 votes over Conservative Jonathan Price following a recount. The division includes Aston Lodge, Little Stoke and surrounding rural areas.
Other candidates:
- Jonathan Price (Conservative): 1,252
- Brendan McKeown (Stafford Borough Independents): 1,008
- Trudie McGuinness (Labour): 421
- Peter Voss (Liberal Democrats): 202
Local priorities raised by residents included the ongoing closure of the Aston to Burston Trail, enforcement of pedestrianisation in Stone town centre and improving access to public transport.
What matters to Stone residents
Across all three divisions, voters highlighted recurring concerns in the ALBOS candidate questionnaires. These included:
- The provision of school places and support for families with children with SEND
- Dangerous parking and speeding, especially near local schools
- A decline in bus routes and limited access for those without cars
- Infrastructure issues linked to new housing developments
- Enforcement of the pedestrian-only zone in Stone town centre
- Investment in walking and cycling as part of climate commitments
These themes are now firmly on the desks of the area’s newly elected councillors. They take office at a time of major political change in Staffordshire and will be expected to show how new leadership can deliver on longstanding local concerns.
1 comment
Joe Stripp
Democracy?
I wonder how well the people of Staffordshire will be represented when 41% of the votes gives Reform UK 79% of the seats on the County Council.
I would like to see party politics removed from local elections so that all candidates are “Independent”.
Perhaps voters would then look more carefully at the views of individual candidates rather than voting based upon national political parties. Also, perhaps a higher percentage of people eligible to vote would actually vote. It is disappointing that only a third of eligible people actually vote.