Independent candidate Julian Murray believes the expenses row helped him The British National Party (BNP) has won a seat on Hertfordshire County Council with Labour taking a hammering. BNP candidate Deirdre Gates took the Labour seat of South Oxhey with 29% of the vote, beating Labour by 27 votes. Labour has lost 13 seats - 11 to the Tory Party, which has retained control of the council. The Tories have also taken control of the new unitary Central Bedfordshire Council, with 54 of the 66 seats, with Labour failing to get a single seat. The Conservatives have also retained control of Buckinghamshire County Council. Counts continuing The new unitary Bedford Borough Council has no party with overall control. The authority will be made up of nine Conservatives, seven independents, seven Labour members and 13 Lib Dems. In Hertfordshire the new council is made up of 55 Conservatives, 17 Lib Dems, three Labour members, one Green and one BNP. The new Central Bedfordshire Council is made up of 54 Tories, 11 Lib Dems and one independent. No Labour councillors were elected. The one independent elected in Northfields - Julian Murray - was previously a Labour councillor. Turnouts in Bedfordshire wards ranged between 30% and 44%. Formed through the merger of two district councils following the abolition of the county council, Central Bedfordshire Council was something of an unknown quantity. The Tories had controlled Mid-Bedfordshire and South Bedfordshire district councils, but Friday saw the new local authority given its first mandate. Tory group leader Patricia Turner said: "It's clear that the Labour Party vote has simply collapsed and I'm sure the national situation affected that. "But I believe the success of the Conservatives in central Bedfordshire was a result of the hard work and commitment of our candidates."
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It's clear that the Labour Party vote has simply collapsed and I'm sure the national situation affected that
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