The 2025 Hertfordshire County Council election was held on 1 May 2025 to elect members to Hertfordshire County Council in Hertfordshire, England. 78 councillors, one from each ward, were elected using the first-past-the-post voting system. This was on the same day as other local elections. Hertfordshire was one of 14 county councils to hold elections in 2025, after the government delayed several local elections to 2026 as part of a plan to reorganise local government.
Prior to the election, the council was under Conservative control, led by councillor Richard Roberts of King's Langley. Following the election the council went under no overall control, with the Liberal Democrats being the largest party. They subsequently formed a minority administration, with Liberal Democrat councillor Steve Jarvis of Royston West and Rural being appointed the new leader of the council at the subsequent annual council meeting on 20 May 2025.
In the 2021 election, the Conservatives won 46 seats, giving them a majority and control of the council. The Liberal Democrats were the second biggest party with 23 seats, followed by Labour with 7 seats and the Greens with 1 seat. The Hemel Hempstead South East seat was won by Jan Maddern, a former Conservative who ran as an independent. The council leader, Conservative councillor Richard Roberts of King's Langley, was elected on 25 May 2021.
Several by-elections took place between the 2021 and 2025 elections:
In July 2024, councillor Sara Bedford of Abbots Langley left the Liberal Democrats after a dispute with local party leadership and served the rest of her term as an independent. In the 2024 general election, the Labour Party won seven of the Hertfordshire seats from the Conservatives (Hemel Hempstead, Hertford & Stortford, Hitchin, North East Hertfordshire, Stevenage, Watford and Welwyn Hatfield). The Liberal Democrats won the new seat of Harpenden and Berkhamsted and retained St Albans while the Conservatives retained Broxbourne, Hertsmere and South West Hertfordshire. Overall, of the Hertfordshire seats, Labour won seven, the Conservatives won three and the Liberal Democrats won two. That same month, councillor Ron Tindall of Hemel Hempstead St Paul's was the recipient of misconduct allegations, which he denied. An independent report released in October concluded that Tindall had "made various misogynistic remarks which were completely inappropriate and disrespectful to women" as well as "creat[ing] an uncomfortable and intimidating environment for the complainant to such an extent that they didnâÂÂt feel comfortable being left alone in a room with [him]". He was suspended from the Liberal Democrat group on the county council in March 2025.
In October 2024, councillor James Bond of Hatfield North died following a long illness, leaving the seat vacant. No by-election was held. In December, councillor Michelle Vince of Borehamwood North resigned from the Labour Party after being deselected as the candidate for her ward in the upcoming election, serving the rest of her term as an independent. In January 2025, councillor Sunny Thusu of Haldens had the whip removed after it was revealed that he had cheated on his medical school exams in 2023. He was subsequently expelled from the Conservative group on the council and sat the rest of his term as an independent. In March 2025, councillor Graham McAndrew of Bishop's Stortford Rural left the Conservatives and joined Reform UK.
Reflecting national trends, Reform UK experienced a significant increase in representation, winning 14 seats, the party's first-ever elected seats in the county council's elections. The Conservatives lost over half its seats and overall control of the council, bringing an end to 26 years of majority rule. The Liberal Democrats emerged as the largest party on the council for the first time in the council's history. The Green Party won 5 seats, an increase of 4, and Labour made a net loss of 2 seats, despite gaining several seats from the Conservatives. No party achieved a majority, bringing the council into no overall control. After the election, the Liberal Democrats formed a minority administration. On 20 May, they appointed councillor Steve Jarvis of Royston West and Rural as leader of the council and councillor Laurence Brass of Bushey North as chairman of the council.
On 10 May, the Reform UK councillors appointed councillor Doug Bainbridge of Old Stevenage as their group leader on the council, with councillor David Herring of Hemel Hempstead North West being appointed as their deputy leader. The Green Party also appointed a new group leader, councillor Kirsty Taylor-Moran of Ware North, and deputy leader, councillor Matt Fisher of St Albans Central. On 20 May, the day of the council's annual meeting, councillor Tina Bhartwas of Letchworth North left the Labour Party and joined the Liberal Democrats, citing dissatisfaction over the policies of the national Labour government. Councillor Nigel Bell of West Watford, the leader of the council's Labour group, called Bhartwas' move a "blow", while Conservative group leader councillor Richard Roberts of King's Langley criticised Bhartwas, claiming that she had "betrayed" her residents and calling for her to resign and face a by-election.
On 7 October, councillor Caroline Clapper of Watling left the Conservative Party and joined Reform UK. She rejected calls for her to resign and face a by-election, stating it would cause a "significant and unnecessary cost to the taxpayer". In February 2026, councillor Peter Colley of Bedwell left Reform UK and joined Restore Britain. In March 2026, councillor Tony Hill of Flamstead End and Turnford resigned with no reason given, a by-election for his seat will be held on 7 May alongside the elections to Broxbourne Borough Council.
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