| Election Name: | 2021 Nottinghamshire County Council election |
| Country: | Nottinghamshire |
| Type: | Parliamentary |
| Ongoing: | no |
| Party Colour: | yes |
| Previous Election: | 2017 Nottinghamshire County Council election |
| Previous Year: | 2017 |
| Seats For Election: | All 66 seats to Nottinghamshire County Council |
| Majority Seats: | 34 |
| Election Date: | 6 May 2021 |
| Leader1: | Ben Bradley |
| Party1: | Conservative Party (UK) |
| Last Election1: | 31 |
| Seats1: | 37 |
| Seat Change1: | 6 |
| Popular Vote1: | 100,941 |
| Percentage1: | 42.4% |
| Swing1: | 3.0% |
| Leader2: | Alan Rhodes |
| Party2: | Labour Party (UK) |
| Last Election2: | 23 |
| Seats2: | 15 |
| Seat Change2: | 8 |
| Popular Vote2: | 69,789 |
| Percentage2: | 29.3% |
| Swing2: | 3.4% |
| Leader3: | Jason Zadrozny |
| Party3: | Ashfield Independents |
| Last Election3: | 5 |
| Seats3: | 10 |
| Seat Change3: | 5 |
| Popular Vote3: | 19,288 |
| Percentage3: | 8.1% |
| Swing3: | 3.4% |
| Council control | |
| Posttitle: | Council control after election |
| Before Election: | Conservative &<br>Mansfield Independent Forum |
| After Election: | Conservative |
| Turnout: | 38.3% (+2.1) |
The 2021 Nottinghamshire County Council election took place on 6 May 2021 as part of the 2021 local elections in the United Kingdom.[1] All 66 councillors were elected from 56 electoral divisions, which returned either one or two county councillors each by first-past-the-post voting for a four-year term of office.
The Conservative Party won 37 of 66 seats, winning an overall majority for the first time since 2009. The then Member of Parliament for Mansfield, Ben Bradley, was elected in Mansfield North division and was subsequently appointed Leader of the Council. He faced criticism from local Labour MPs and opposition councillors for taking the position whilst also serving as an MP.[2] Bradley ceased to be an MP after losing his seat in the 2024 general election. Councillor Bruce Laughton, of Muskham and Farnsfield division, was appointed Deputy Leader of the Council.[3]
The Labour Party won 15 seats, a net loss of 8 seats compared with the previous election. Councillor Alan Rhodes, Leader of the Labour group, lost his seat to the Conservatives in the Worksop North division. The Ashfield Independents won every seat in the Ashfield district, and the Liberal Democrats retained their single seat in the Bramcote & Beeston North division.
In the 2017 election, no single party won a majority of seats on the council. The Conservative Party won 31 seats, 3 short of an overall majority. The Conservatives subsequently formed a coalition with the Mansfield Independent Forum and the Conservative leader Kay Cutts was appointed Leader of the Council.[4] Prior to the 2021 election, Cutts announced her retirement from politics and did not seek re-election.
| Overall Turnout | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Registered electors | 622,403 | ||||
| Votes cast | 238,439 | ||||
| Turnout | 38.3% (+2.1) | ||||
(10 seats, 10 electoral divisions)[5]
| Ashfield Turnout | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Registered electors | 93,911 | ||||
| Votes cast | 33,444 | ||||
| Turnout | 35.6% | ||||
(9 seats, 9 electoral divisions)
| Bassetlaw Turnout | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Registered electors | 88,295 | ||||
| Votes cast | 29,584 | ||||
| Turnout | 33.5% | ||||
† The Conservative candidate for Worksop West, Lloyd Widdup, was suspended by the Conservative party in April 2021 pending the outcome of an investigation into social media posts. Widdup remained a validly nominated candidate and appeared on the ballot paper.
(9 seats, 7 electoral divisions)
| Broxtowe Turnout | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Registered electors | 85,558 | ||||
| Votes cast | 36,677 | ||||
| Turnout | 42.9% | ||||
(9 seats, 6 electoral divisions)
| Gedling Turnout | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Registered electors | 90,178 | ||||
| Votes cast | 34,182 | ||||
| Turnout | 37.9% | ||||
(9 seats, 5 electoral divisions)
| Mansfield Turnout | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Registered electors | 81,566 | ||||
| Votes cast | 29,327 | ||||
| Turnout | 36.0% | ||||
(10 seats, 10 electoral divisions)
| Newark & Sherwood Turnout | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Registered electors | 92,402 | ||||
| Votes cast | 34,407 | ||||
| Turnout | 37.2% | ||||
(10 seats, 9 electoral divisions)
| Rushcliffe Turnout | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Registered electors | 90,493 | ||||
| Votes cast | 40,818 | ||||
| Turnout | 45.1% | ||||