Solihull Council full election results as Conservatives buck national trend

There was joy for Conservatives at Solihull's local election count in what was an unfolding gloomy picture nationally. Bucking the national trend the Conservatives strengthened their grip on the authority, while there was some good news for Labour and the Liberal Democrats.

A third of Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council’s seats were up for grabs and going into polling day on Thursday, (May 2) - the Conservatives had 10 of the 17 seats available - the Greens having five and independents two. When the results were announced on Friday afternoon, (May 3), the Tories were celebrating holding seats in Meriden, Lyndon, St Alephege, Silhill, Shirley East, Dorridge and Hockley Heath, Blythe, Knowle and Castle Bromwich.

Prish Sharma’s victory in Shirley West was a Conservative gain ensuring the Tories took 11 of the seats being contested. Early on in the afternoon there were hugs and smiles from Labour Party supporters as Hazel Dawkins secured a narrow victory of 667 votes to the second place Conservative candidate who had 652.

READ MORE: Solihull council election live results as Tories buck national trend

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That win in Kingshurst and Fordbridge sees Labour return to Solihull Council having not held a seat on the authority since 2021.

Elsewhere there was good news for Liberal Democrats as they gained seats in Elmdon and Olton.

Among the big names holding their seat were:

• The council’s deputy leader, Conservative councillor Karen Grinsell holding Shirley East

• Coun Tony Dicicco, the cabinet member for Adult Social Care and Health holding Meriden

• Conservative councillor David Pinwell - chairman of the Economic Development and Managed Growth Scrutiny Board holding Knowle

• Peter Hogarth, the chairman of the Governance Committee, holding Silhill

• Coun Max McLoughlin, the leader of the Green Group on the authority, holding his Shirley South seat.

Going into the election the Conservatives had a majority on the council with 29 members. The Green Party had 13 councillors while there were six Liberal Democrats and three independents.

After the election the council make up is:

• Conservatives 30 (+1)

• Greens 11 (-2)

• Liberal Democrats 8 (+2)

• Labour 1 (+1)

• Independent 1 (-2)

The results in full:

Bickenhill

CON HOLD

• Mark Pearson, Green Party - 301

• Adam Pilarski, Liberal Democrats - 149

• Alison Rolf, Conservative Party - 1,720

• Lydia Turner, Labour Party - 654

Blythe

CON HOLD

• Noel Grace, Labour Party - 915

• Keith Green, Conservative Party - 2,459

• Carol Linfield, Green Party - 409

• John Wyatt, Liberal Democrats - 302

Castle Bromwich

CON HOLD

• Emma Chidler, Labour Party - 658

• Richard Evans, Liberal Democrats - 102

• Akin Kog, Green Party - 372

• Martin McCarthy, Conservative Party - 1,742

Chelmsley Wood

GREEN HOLD

• Kenneth Harrop, Labour Party - 348

• Georgina Hartland, Conservative Party - 253

• Matt Purssell, Liberal Democrats - 47

• Shesh Sheshabhatter, Green Party - 901

Dorridge and Hockley Heath

CON HOLD

• David Brittin, Labour Party - 596

• David Godfrey, Liberal Democrats -214

• Jane Holt, Green Party - 619

• Sally Tomlinson, Conservative Party - 2,518

Elmdon

LIB DEM GAIN

• Yvonne Clements, Conservative Party - 1,176

• Paul Edwards, Independent - 107

• Lisa Holcroft, Labour Party - 473

• Kate Jones, Liberal Democrats - 1,231

• Margaret Ryan, Green Party - 140

Kingshurst and Fordbridge

LAB GAIN

• Stephen Caudwell, Green Party- 271

• Hazel Dawkins, Labour - 667

• Martin Phipps, Liberal Democrats - 51

• Brent Robertson, Conservative Party - 652

Knowle

CON HOLD

• Mark Amphlett, Green Party - 374

• Simon Johnson, Labour Party - 579

• Lionel King, Liberal Democrats - 259

• David Pinwell, Conservative Party -2,483

Lyndon

CON HOLD

• Sheila Brookes, Labour and Cooperative Party- 565

• Lynsey Fraser-Smith, Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition - 46

• Roger Halford, Green Party - 189

• Paul McCabe, Liberal Democrats - 1,201

• Josh O’Nyons, Conservative Party - 1,342

Meriden

CON HOLD

• Cathy Connan, Labour Party - 690

• Tony Dicicco, Conservative Party - 2,301

• Peter Lee, Liberal Democrats - 362

• Antony Lowe, Green Party - 384

Olton

LIB DEM GAIN

• Stephen Holt, Green Party - 242

• James Johnson, Conservative Party - 1,641

• Sarah Phipps, Liberal Democrats - 1,858

• Jack Simpson, Labour and Cooperative Party - 461

Shirley East

CON HOLD

• Gerard Dufficy, Labour Party - 947

• Karen Grinsell, Conservative Party - 2,027

• Jamshid Moori, Liberal Democrats - 234

• Alan Wigley, Green Party - 390

Shirley South

GREEN HOLD

• Frank Dawson, Liberal Democrats - 131

• Max McLoughlin, Green Party - 1,914

• Jessica Thompson, Conservative Party - 1,277

• Shirley Young, Labour Party - 485

Shirley West

CON GAIN

• Shelley Haughney, Green Party - 1,069

• Gayle Monk, Liberal Democrats - 166

• Kevin Raven, Labour Party - 615

• Prish Sharma, Conservative Party - 1,449

• Mark Windridge, Independent - 161

Silhill

CON HOLD

• Trevor Barker, Green Party - 384

• Peter Hogarth, Conservative Party - 2,183

• Nick Stephens, Labour and Cooperative Party - 779

• Terry Whitehead, Liberal Democrats - 575

Smith's Wood

GREEN HOLD

• Mark Caddick, Labour Party - 400

• Kamren Grant, Conservative Party - 230

• Jean Hamilton, Green Party - 939

• Christopher Johnson, Liberal Democrats - 28

St. Alphege

CON GAIN

• Joy Aldworth, Green Party - 336

• Ian English, Labour Party - 645

• Mark Geary, Liberal Democrats - 819

• Bob Grinsell, Conservative Party - 2,807

Votes for the mayoral and crime commissioner elections - the other elections Solihull voters took part in on Thursday - will be counted tomorrow, May 4, from 9am.