Liberal Democrats took half of all the district and borough council seats that were up for grabs in the May 7 elections – but it's the 14 seats won by Reform that have caused the biggest stir across the county.

Just six of the county's 10 district and borough councils held scheduled elections last week – with each of those councils looking to replace around a third of their councillors at the polls.

In total there were 88 seats available on Broxbourne, St Albans, Stevenage, Three Rivers, Watford and Welwyn Hatfield councils.

And there were a further two single seats available in by-elections in East Herts and Hertsmere.

Overall, the Liberal Democrats won 44 of the seats, the Conservatives 23 (including the two by-elections) and Reform took 14.

Labour took just seven of the seats available, with the Greens winning one, and the remaining seat was won by an Independent.

The elections did not change the political control of any of the councils. Broxbourne remains under Conservative control, St Albans and Watford under Liberal Democrat control and Stevenage under Labour. Three Rivers and Welwyn Hatfield remain under 'no overall control'.

The biggest gains were made by Reform, who took 14 of the seats that were up for grabs – with two in Broxbourne, three in Welwyn Hatfield and nine in Stevenage, which is enough to make them the official Opposition.

And the biggest losses were felt by Labour, who held on to five seats and picked up two more – but failed to retain 14 seats that had been theirs before the election.

Cllr Doug Bainbridge is leader of the Reform group on Hertfordshire County Council and one of the party's newly elected members of Stevenage Borough Council.

He says it was a "pretty good" result for Reform in Hertfordshire "from a standing start", though he admits to thinking they could even have "done a bit better across the county".

"I think it's a good result and it sends a message out to the establishment that [the voters] have had enough of all the rubbish," he said.

"The message from the doors was that people have had enough of being lied to by the establishment – and now is the time for change.

"I think they see us at Reform as a vehicle for that change."

And in thanking those who have put "trust in us", he says: "We are ordinary people looking after the ordinary people of Hertfordshire.

"We will be their voice and fight for what we believe is right."

Leader of the Labour group on the county council, Cllr Nigel Bell – who is also a member of Watford Borough Council – admits to disappointment at the party's loss of so many seats across the county.

Among the losses were nine seats in Stevenage, two each in Watford and Welwyn Hatfield and one in Three Rivers.

But despite the losses, Cllr Bell says he is still pleased that Labour continue to control Stevenage Borough Council and is the largest party in Welwyn Hatfield.

"People fought hard locally, and we have lost some good councillors, unfortunately, because of the national situation," he said.

"There is a general feeling against the Labour Government – feeling that they have either not done enough or feeling that they are not happy with what the Government has done."

He says residents are concerned about the cost of living, increasing petrol prices and housing – either for themselves or their families.

And he says that nationally there has not been enough focus on the Labour government's achievements, pointing to both the Renters' Rights Act and the Employment Rights Act.

But while he says there is a need to look again at policy nationally, he is not among those backing calls for Keir Starmer to step down as Party leader.

He says he hopes people "don't panic" and rush towards a change of leadership.

"We could get a new leader, he could go today – but that wouldn't solve anything," he said. "People want stability."

And he suggests that's a view shared by the majority of activists locally.

"Party members are down, but we need to fight on," said Cllr Bell.

"We have had 14 years of Conservative Government and the coalition. Now we have our chance, we need to stick with it."

Going into the election, the Liberal Democrats had the most to lose, with 44 seats already held by their councillors.

They did lose two of their seats, one in St Albans and one in Three Rivers – but retained 42.

And they picked up two new seats in Watford – taking a clean sweep of all 12 available seats on the council.

In addition, Liberal Democrat Peter Taylor was re-elected as mayor with 14,583 votes – 9,611 more than second-placed Reform candidate Mark Dixon.

Welcoming the results, leader of the Liberal Democrat group on the county council, Cllr Steve Jarvis, highlights the party's success in Watford and in St Albans, where they picked up 20 of the 22 available seats.

"We won exactly half of all the seats up for election in Hertfordshire – including all the seats in Watford," said Cllr Jarvis.

"That's a good out-turn.

"We are very happy [with the results across Hertfordshire]. We would like to win more, of course, but we are very happy."

Cllr Jarvis says that the party's success in the polls reflects residents' views that they are doing a good job locally.

"I think in most cases they think the Liberal Democrats are doing a good job for them locally," he said.

"And it's what we have seen in places where people have had Liberal Democrats – because they have re-elected them."

But Cllr Jarvis also acknowledges that the national political situation can be a factor.

"Although I think people voted Liberal Democrat largely because of our record locally, they do think we have an acceptable position nationally," he said.

Across the county, Conservatives held on to 16 of the seats they had held before the election, including the two by-elections in East Herts and Hertsmere.

And although they did lose two existing seats in Broxbourne, they picked up seven additional seats, including two in Broxbourne, one in St Albans, three in Three Rivers and one in Welwyn Hatfield.

Cllr Richard Roberts, who is leader of the Conservative group on the county council, has welcomed the county-wide success of the party, which he says reflects hard work on the ground.

"I think Hertfordshire shows the way forward for a resurgence of confidence in the Conservative Party," he said.

"I think it reflects an awful lot of hard work on the ground, a lot of door knocking, and a lot of communicating of what is being done on behalf of residents by Conservative councillors.

"Also, the national message from Kemi Badenoch is cutting through in a way that it wasn't a year ago."

AROUND THE COUNTY . . .

BROXBOURNE

In Broxbourne Borough Council, 10 of the council's 30 seats were up for election. And it would not have been possible for the Conservatives to lose their majority.

Going into the election, seven of the available seats had been held by the Conservatives, two by Reform and one by Labour.

The Conservatives won a total of seven seats on the council – holding on to five existing Conservative seats, as well as losing two to Reform and winning two back from Reform. Labour held on to Waltham Cross.

Following the election, the political make-up of the council remains the same with 24 Conservative councillors, three Labour, two Reform and one Conservative/unaligned.

ST ALBANS

Twenty-two of the 56 seats on St Albans City and District Council were included in the election on May 7, including two that had been vacant.

The Liberal Democrats won in 19 wards, bringing their total number of councillors to 44.

The Tories held on to Harpenden South, as well as taking Harpenden West from the Liberal Democrats – bringing their total number of seats on the council to five.

And the remaining ward in the St Albans election (Redbourn) was retained by Independent David Mitchell

Following the election, the political make-up of the council is now Liberal Democrat 44; Conservative five, Green three, Labour two, and Independents two.

At the Stevenage Borough Council elections, Reform took nine of the 14 seats that were available – enough to now make them the official Opposition.

Labour won just three of the wards – holding on to just two of the 11 they had held going into the election and picking up one seat that had been held by Reform UK.

But with 22 councillors in total, they still have control of the 39-strong council.

Liberal Democrats retained both of their wards in the election.

Following the election, the political make-up of the council is Labour 22, Reform 10, Liberal Democrat 6, Conservative one.

THREE RIVERS

At Three Rivers District Council, the Conservatives picked up three seats – one each from Labour, Liberal Democrats and an Independent.

The remaining 10 seats were retained by the original parties – four by the Conservatives, one by the Greens and five by the Liberal Democrats.

The council remains in no overall control, with Liberal Democrats having the largest number of councillors, with 18, followed by the Conservatives, who have 14.

Three seats are held by the Green Party, two by Labour and two by Independents.

WATFORD

At Watford Borough Council, the Liberal Democrats took all 12 of the seats in the election.

And Liberal Democrat Peter Taylor was re-elected as mayor, after receiving 14,583 votes, which was 9,611 more than second-placed Reform candidate Mark Dixon.

The party has now increased its majority on the council, holding 32 of the 36 seats overall. Labour has four.

WELWYN HATFIELD

Going into the election, Welwyn Hatfield Borough Council was in no overall control, with Labour holding 17 seats, Liberal Democrats 15, Conservatives 11, Green Party two and two Independents.

There were 17 of the council's 48 seats included in the elections, making it theoretically possible for Liberal Democrats or Labour to take overall control.

But following the election, the council still has no overall control, with Labour still the largest single party, though now with just 16 councillors.

Of the seats in the election, the Liberal Democrats held on to the six that had been theirs.

Labour held on to two of the four seats they had had going into the election, but the remaining two were taken by Reform.

Meanwhile, the Green Party councillors, who have defected to the party during the council term, both lost their seats, with one seat being picked up by Labour and one by Reform.

Following the election, the Liberal Democrats remain the second largest party of the council with 15 seats. The Conservatives have 12, Reform has three and Independents have two.

In addition to the scheduled council elections, there were also two by-elections, in East Herts District Council and Hertsmere Borough Council

The election in the Bentley Heath and the Royds ward, in Hertsmere Borough Council, followed the resignation of Cllr Meenal Sachdev (Conservative). And the seat was retained by the Conservatives by John Graham.

In the East Herts District Council by-election, the Conservatives also held on to the Little Hadham and the Pelhams ward.