Stretton By-Election: Reform UK Win County Council Seat

Reform UK's Jonathan Pyke has been elected as the new Staffordshire County Councillor for the Stretton division following Thursday's by-election.

The by-election was called after the resignation of former county councillor Barry Martin, who took to social media following his first full council meeting, calling the job "so dull and boring".

Jonathan Pyke secured 902 votes (37%), narrowly defeating Conservative candidate Bernard Peters, who received 871 votes (36%). Labour & Co-operative candidate Shelagh McKiernan finished third with 448 votes (18%), while Green Party candidate Jack Mellor polled 213 votes (9%). 

The result means Reform UK retains representation in the division and strengthens the party's position on Staffordshire County Council, where it already holds majority control following the 2025 county elections.

The close contest between Reform UK and the Conservatives saw just 31 votes separate the top two candidates, making Stretton one of the closest local by-election results in Staffordshire in recent history.

Before polling day, The Staffordshire Signal contacted all four candidates to give residents the opportunity to hear directly about their priorities for the division. Three candidates responded to our questions about why they were standing, what matters most in Stretton and Horninglow, and what they would do if elected. 

Results in full: 

You can read our pre-election feature, Stretton By-Election: Meet the Candidates, to learn more about each candidate's priorities for the division.