Understand
Labour wins Leicestershire County Council seat from Reform UK in Shepshed by-election
Overview
Labour candidate Jane Lennie has won the Shepshed division by-election on Leicestershire County Council, taking the seat from Reform UK by a margin of 53 votes following a recount. Lennie secured 1,163 votes (a 32.7% vote share) compared to Reform candidate Stuart Wood's 1,110 votes. The by-election was triggered by the August resignation of former Reform councillor Helen Butler.
Key points
- Labour candidate Jane Lennie won the Shepshed by-election with 1,163 votes, beating Reform UK's Stuart Wood by 53 votes.
- A recount was requested and conducted due to the extremely narrow margin between the top two candidates.
- The by-election was triggered following the resignation of former Reform UK councillor Helen Butler in August.
- Labour's vote share increased to 32.7%, up from 17.9% in May 2025, while Reform's share fell from 44.9% to 31.2%.
- Turnout for the by-election was 29.65%.
- Reform UK remains the largest party at County Hall with 23 seats, running the council as a minority administration.