Lancashire County Council elections 2021: Preston results

The party captured 48 seats - two more than at the last county poll in 2017 - comfortably surpassing the 43-seat threshold needed for it to remain in power.

Labour also gained two seats and the Green Party added a second county councillor to their number on the authority.

It was a disappointing day for the Liberal Democrats, who lost two seats - one of which was previously held by county group leader David Whipp.

Independent representation on the council was also wiped out, with the authority having had four members not aligned to a political party before this week's vote.

In the nine county divisions covering Preston, there was no change, with each party securing the same number as in 2017.

Preston City Council leader Matthew Brown now has a place on the county authority, along with social justice cabinet member Nweeda Khan, representing Preston Central West and Preston South West respectively.

They join city council Lib Dem group leader John Potter - who has also sat at a County Hall since 2017 - and who retained his Preston West seat in the face of Lib Dem losses elsewhere.

The departure of two Conservative stalwarts - former council leader Geoff Driver and long-serving George Wilkins from Preston North and Preston Rural respectively - did no damage to the party's electoral prospects in the two divisions, which it held easily. They are now filled by another two Preston City Council members - Ron Woollam and city Tory group leader Sue Whittam.

The full county results for the Preston area are below:

PRESTON

Lab - 6

Con - 2

Lib Dem - 1

Key

INC - incumbent

CM - cabinet member

GL - party group leader

PRESTON CENTRAL EAST (LAB HOLD)

Jonty Campbell - Conservative Party - 620

Edward Craven - Liberal Democrats - 201

Frank De Molfetta (INC) - Labour Party - 2591

PRESTON CENTRAL WEST (LAB HOLD)

Matthew Brown - Labour and Co-operative Party - 1555

Claire Craven - Liberal Democrats - 539

Becky French - Conservative Party - 742

PRESTON CITY (LAB HOLD)

Taylor Donoughue-Smith - Liberal Democrats - 227

James Elliot - Heritage Party: Free Speech and Liberty - 116

Yousuf Motala (INC) - Labour Party - 2082

Andy Pratt - Conservative Party - 637

PRESTON EAST (LAB HOLD)

Daniel Duckworth - Conservative Party - 1119

Anna Hindle - Labour and Co-operative Party - 1478

Mike Turner - Liberal Democrats - 181

PRESTON NORTH (CON HOLD)

Owen Lambert - Liberal Democrats - 873

Yakub Patel - Labour Party - 1399

Ron Woollam - Conservative Party - 2279

PRESTON RURAL (CON HOLD)

Connor Dwyer - Labour Party - 979

Daniel Guise - Liberal Democrats - 418

Sue Whittam - Conservative Party - 2817

PRESTON SOUTH EAST (LAB HOLD)

Mark Cotterill - Independent - 204

Fiona Duke - Liberal Democrats - 116

Jennifer Mein (INC) - Labour Party - 1585

Luke Walmsley - Conservative Party - 426

PRESTON SOUTH WEST (LAB HOLD)

Michael Balshaw - Independent - 927

Mark Jewell - Liberal Democrats - 372

Nweeda Khan - Labour Party - 1321

Scott Rainford - Conservative Party - 838

PRESTON WEST (LIB DEM HOLD)

Trevor Hart - Conservative Party - 1498

John Potter (INC) - Liberal Democrats - 1634

James Timms - Labour Party - 628