The Conservative Party achieved its strongest showing in the Three Rivers District since the 1980s following the local council elections held on 7 May 2026. The results saw the party gain three seats, bringing their total representation to 14 out of 39 seats on the council.
The outcome leaves the council under no overall control, a status it has held since August 2024. While the Liberal Democrats remain the largest party with 18 seats, they lost two of those to the Conservatives. The Labour Party now holds two seats following the loss of one to the Conservatives, while the Green Party maintains three seats.
Local contests saw significant shifts, including in the Penn and Mill End ward where Conservative Kerry Milliken was elected with 892 votes, unseating the Liberal Democrat candidate. Additionally, Andrea Fraser secured the highest individual vote count across the district with 1,380 votes to win the seat for the Conservatives in Rickmansworth Town.
According to Three Rivers District Council, the recent poll marked a notable movement in local political representation. Oliver Cooper, the leader of the Conservatives at the council, stated that voters had rejected the previous administration and that the party had worked hard to demonstrate recent changes. He added that the council composition will now require the Liberal Democrats to work more closely with other councillors to pass policies.
The council had been under Liberal Democrat majority control from 2018 until 2024. The Conservatives previously held council control from 1976 through the early 1980s.
About this article: This story was put together with the help of AI tools and checked by a real person on our team. We're a small crew trying to cover as much of the UK as we can on a limited budget. We're getting better every day - but we're not perfect yet. If something looks off, let us know. You're part of the process.
