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  "description": "Reform UK's Jonathan Pyke has been elected as the new Staffordshire County Councillor for the Stretton division following Thursday's by-election.\n\nThe 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\".\n\nJonathan Pyke secured 902 votes (37%), narrowly defeating Conservative candidate Bernard Peters, who received 871 votes (36%). Labour & Co-operative candida",
  "path": "/stretton-by-election-reform-uk-win-county-council-seat/",
  "publishedAt": "2026-06-30T17:27:17.000Z",
  "site": "https://www.thestaffordshiresignal.co.uk",
  "tags": [
    "Stretton By-Election: Meet the Candidates",
    "Get Instant Updates"
  ],
  "textContent": "Reform UK's Jonathan Pyke has been elected as the new Staffordshire County Councillor for the Stretton division following Thursday's by-election.\n\nThe 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\".\n\nJonathan 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%)**.\n\nThe 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.\n\nThe 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.\n\nBefore 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.\n\n## Results in full:\n\nYou can read our pre-election feature, Stretton By-Election: Meet the Candidates, to learn more about each candidate's priorities for the division.\n\n### Join The Staffordshire Signal on WhatsApp\n\nNever miss a single breaking update, local news story, community event, or deep dive. See everything happening in Staffordshire first, straight to your phone!\n\n\nGet Instant Updates\n\n\n\n####  Enjoyed this story?\n\nThe Staffordshire Signal is a not-for-profit, community-funded publication. Every tip helps keep local journalism free, independent, and focused on the stories that matter across Staffordshire.\n\nEvery contribution supports reporting, photography, and storytelling across the county.\n\nSupport independent local journalism by selecting ****The Staffordshire Signal**** as a ‘Preferred Source’ on Google. Help us stay front-and-centre in your news feed.",
  "title": "Stretton By-Election: Reform UK Win County Council Seat",
  "updatedAt": "2026-06-30T17:27:18.461Z"
}