Orange wave carries Lib Dems to historic Shropshire election victory

In a day of fascinating developments the biggest news was the Liberal Democrats moving from the Council opposition, upending the incumbent Conservatives and ending with 42 councillors out of 74, and a commanding majority.

A Reform surge followed the national scene with the party finishing with 16 councillors amid a complete collapse in Conservative and Labour support.

The Tories limped to a total of seven councillors - down from their pre-election total of 37.

Labour scraped to four seats, the Greens also secured four seats and one independent was elected. 

On a day packed with narrative former Conservative leader Lezley Picton's seat in Tern was taken by Reform, in result emblematic of the party's problems.

As if to illustrate the scale of the catastrophe for the Tories, not one of their former cabinet members was even re-elected.

The newly formed Shropshire First also failed to make an impact, with none of its candidates winning a seat.

There was also an unusual moment amid the tension, when the Bridgnorth South and Alveley ward was decided by an election official having to draw one of two ballots from a box after a dead-heat between two candidates.

The move saw Lib Dem Colin Taylor's name plucked from the box, to the pains of Reform's Karen Webb-James - after a tie of 508 votes each.

The Lib Dems will decide their leader in due course but current joint leader Roger Evans hailed a seismic result for his party.

He said: "It is a huge day that we have been waiting for for many, many years, and we can now show the residents of Shropshire what hard-working councillors can achieve - and how residents will benefit when councillors listen to them."

Asked what he felt about the victory Councillor Evans said: "Looking at the national picture and what is happening in other areas, they recognise hard work, which the Lib Dems have done.

"Following Helen Morgan's election in North Shropshire it shows what councillors and MPs can achieve working together with the local population."

Councillor Evans did remain circumspect over his party's pre-election pledge to cancel the North West Relief Road, saying they would need to consider the financial implications of such a move.

He said: "We need to know the position. We cannot afford to find £39m that has already been spent on the North West Relief Road. We need to talk to the government and the council officers to understand the present position."

Richard Leppington, chairman of Wrekin Reform, hailed his party's success, saying: "I am very pleased, I think we would have settled for this at the start of the day."

Asked why they had seen a surge in support he said: "I think people have had enough frankly and want a genuine alternative."

Thomas Clayton, who won for the party in Shifnal North said: "Everyone is fed up of managed decline. People are not idiots, they can see things are getting worse and now it is our job to make things better."

South Shropshire Conservative MP Stuart Anderson was present at the count and said it was a tough day for the party, with local councillors paying the price for national sentiment.

He said: "It is a really hard day."

The MP said he did not believe there was anything more local candidates could have done to change the outcome, adding that they had faced a national move against the party up and down the country.