Erewash turns red in the 2023 local elections

6 May 2023 | News

We did it.

Yesterday, the Erewash Labour team took control of the local council for the first time in twenty years, winning the local elections with a majority of Labour councillors on Erewash Borough Council.

It was a great day for the national party, but our local team worked their socks off to deliver a Labour majority and that took work us over the line in so many of our target seats. We made local and national news, with TV spots on channel 4 and ITV central as well as various radio and print spots.

Derby Road West ward has three Labour councillors. So does Long Eaton Central. Sawley has two Labour councillors. We fell just eight votes short of a seat in Sandiacre and there isn’t a single Tory Borough Councillor left in Ilkeston.

28 Labour councillors gives us a healthy majority to start making change for the better in Erewash, and I’m so proud of our Labour Group leader, Councillor James Dawson, and his brilliant team who are going to deliver it. The new group is full of fresh ideas, new faces and a lot of enthusiasm to deliver on our promises.

There are a lot of people to thank – firstly, our fantastic new councillors (who are too numerous to list!), but also the candidates who worked so hard to narrowly miss out on election, but who I am sure will make incredible councillors next time around – Rob Peat, Richard Pollard, Gaz Wilds and Richard Boud certainly deserve a special mention for their stellar efforts knocking thousands of doors each over the past several months.

Huge thanks must also go to our agent, Geoff Stratford, who has again worked tirelessly to ensure that all paperwork was completed, council officers were liaised with, print work was on point, finances were sorted, counting was done correctly and a million other background tasks were completed.

Thanks also to those of you who stood in non-target seats – you did a great service to Erewash Labour, and we’re extremely grateful for your efforts. Thanks to our activists, door-knockers, leafleters, social media champions and everyone who voted Labour. Particularly thanks to our organisers, for all the work they put in to turn Erewash red.