Photo: Dave Bevis · CC BY-SA 2.0Labour holds a majority on Amber Valley Borough Council
Somercotes and Swanwick is run by Amber Valley Borough Council and Derbyshire County Council. Labour has a majority on Amber Valley Borough Council. Reform UK has a majority on Derbyshire County Council. Its MP is Linsey Farnsworth (Labour), member for Amber Valley.
£2,412
Band D, a year, the middle band every council sets its tax from.
Where it goes →How Somercotes and Swanwick’s politics has changed since 2021
A majority on Amber Valley Borough Council
Labour holds a majority on Amber Valley Borough Council: 23 of its 42 seats as elected. The Greens hold 7, the Conservatives 7, Reform UK 2, Belper Independents 2 and independents 1. Who’s in charge ↓
Derbyshire changed hands in 2025
Derbyshire County Council, which runs schools, social care and roads, went from a Conservative majority (43 of 64 seats in 2021) to a Reform UK majority at the May 2025 election: Reform UK won 41 of 64 seats. Derbyshire ↓
Council tax
A Band D bill in Somercotes and Swanwick is £2,408 for 2026–27; Amber Valley Borough Council keeps 8% of it. The council area’s Band D has risen 50% in ten years, against England’s 56%. Council money ↓
Written from the data on this page: Democracy Club results since May 2021, the UK Parliament Members API and MHCLG council tax.
Who holds the seats on Somercotes and Swanwick’s councils
Seats by party as elected. A party needs 22 of Amber Valley’s 42 or 33 of Derbyshire’s 64 seats to run the council alone.
- Labour23
- Conservative7
- Green7
- Belper Independents2
- Reform UK2
- Independent1
Latest election: May 2023.
- Reform UK41+41
- Conservative12−31
- Green3+2
- Labour3−13
- Liberal Democrat3−1
- Independent2+2
Change against the council before the 1 May 2025 election.
Seats are counted from election results: each ward’s most recent winners until its seats are filled. Councillors who have since changed party or resigned aren’t reflected, and which parties lead the council, and who is leader, comes from the council itself.
Results: Democracy Club (CC BY 4.0), elections since May 2021; seats per ward from its EveryElection.
Two tiers of council, and a parish tier
Somercotes and Swanwick has two tiers of council: the county runs the big services, the district the local ones.
The parish council for the part of Somercotes and Swanwick inside Somercotes parish.
39% of Somercotes and Swanwick’s residents · Band D precept £147
The parish council for the part of Somercotes and Swanwick inside Swanwick parish.
Who runs Somercotes and Swanwick: same source as Who runs Somercotes and Swanwick, above.
Bins and recycling, planning, housing, environmental health, leisure, and collecting council tax.
Website ↗Schools, social care, roads and transport, libraries and waste disposal.
Website ↗Transport, skills and regeneration across several council areas. It is led by an elected mayor.
Mayor: Claire Ward (Labour and Co-operative), elected May 2024
Who to ask
From GOV.UK’s “Understand how your council works”: in two-tier areas the district or borough runs local services and the county the big ones.
27% of Somercotes and Swanwick’s residents live outside any parish, with no parish council.
Councils from ONS lookups (wards and councils May 2026, parishes 2025), names and websites from GOV.UK’s local council finder; parish councils from MHCLG’s 2026–27 list of precepting parishes.
From the parish to Westminster
Every elected tier that speaks for Somercotes and Swanwick, from the most recent elections.
- 1Town or parish2 parish councilsSomercotes parish councilSwanwick parish council
- 2Amber Valley Borough Council3 wards · 6 councillorsJames Daniel KerryJohn McCabeElaine Stephanie ShermanSteve HayesJonty PowisPhilip RoseKieron CoxRebecca Louise Grundy
- 3Derbyshire County Council1 division · 1 councillorCharlotte Gates
- 4Mayor of East Midlands Combined County AuthorityEast Midlands Combined County Authority · elected May 2024Claire Ward
- 5Police and crime commissionerDerbyshire Constabulary · elected May 2024Nicolle Ndiweni
- 6House of CommonsAmber Valley
Party colours are neutral on purpose: they tell parties apart and aren’t the parties’ own. Tap an MP’s name for their contact page on parliament.uk.
6 councillors for 3 wards
Wards with at least 2% of the town’s residents, or half their own inside it. Each shows who won its most recent elections, newest first, until its seats are filled.
- James Daniel KerryReform UK · June 2025 · by-election
- John McCabeLabour · May 2023
- Elaine Stephanie ShermanLabour · May 2023
- Steve HayesConservative · May 2023
- Jonty PowisConservative · May 2023
- Philip RoseIndependent · May 2025 · by-election
- Kieron CoxLabour · May 2023
- Rebecca Louise GrundyLabour · May 2023
Show as a table, with Derbyshire County Council’s 1 division (1 councillor)
| Ward | Seats | Elected | When |
|---|---|---|---|
| Somercotesall in Somercotes and Swanwick · 5,903 residents2 seats · June 2025, May 2023 | 2 | James Daniel Kerryby-electionJohn McCabeElaine Stephanie Sherman | June 2025, May 2023 |
| Swanwickall in Somercotes and Swanwick · 5,080 residents2 seats · May 2023 | 2 | Steve HayesJonty Powis | May 2023 |
| Ironville & Riddingsmostly in Somercotes and Swanwick · 4,122 residents2 seats · May 2025, May 2023 | 2 | Philip Roseby-electionKieron CoxRebecca Louise Grundy | May 2025, May 2023 |
Derbyshire County Council: county divisions
| Division | Seats | Elected | When |
|---|---|---|---|
| Swanwick & Riddings EDmostly in Somercotes and Swanwick · 15,105 residents1 seat · May 2025 | 1 | Charlotte Gates | May 2025 |
Councillors can resign, change party or sit as independents between elections; a by-election winner replaces someone not named here. Amber Valley Borough Council’s website lists who sits now.
Results from Democracy Club’s candidates database (CC BY 4.0; elections since May 2021) and ward seats from its EveryElection, matched to ONS wards (May 2026) and county divisions (May 2025).
Amber Valley council election, May 2023
Results in the wards that make up Somercotes and Swanwick, as declared. Percentages are of votes cast for candidates in each ward; where a ward elects several councillors, each voter has that many votes.
3 wards voted. Every seat in the town’s wards was up.
No election is scheduled yet for Somercotes and Swanwick’s wards in Democracy Club’s list. Councils publish a notice of election about five weeks before polling day.
Who can I vote for? ↗1,933 votes for candidates · 2 seats, so 2 votes each
3,062 votes for candidates · 2 seats, so 2 votes each
2,741 votes for candidates · 2 seats, so 2 votes each
Candidates and results: Democracy Club (CC BY 4.0), from councils’ declared results; polling dates from Democracy Club’s EveryElection.
Somercotes and Swanwick is in Amber Valley constituency
The constituency’s MP and the 4 July 2024 general election, the whole constituency’s result (it reaches beyond Somercotes and Swanwick).
42,531 votes for candidates · majority 3,554
Labour, MP since 4 July 2024.
turnout in July 2024: 42,531 votes from 71,546 registered voters. England: 60%.
Majority 3,554 of 42,531 votes (8.4%): the 154th-narrowest of 543 in England.
MPs and results: UK Parliament Members API (Open Parliament Licence v3.0); constituencies from ONS (2024 boundaries). Percentages are of valid votes; turnout is votes cast over the electorate.
Somercotes and Swanwick’s Band D council tax is £2,408 a year
Where a Band D bill goes, what it has cost over the years, and what the councils plan to spend per resident.
Amber Valley Borough Council keeps £203.77 of a Band D bill (8%); the rest goes to the Parish councils, Derbyshire County Council, the Derbyshire police and crime commissioner and the Derbyshire Fire and Rescue Authority.
Across the whole town the average Band D is £2,412 (parishes differ; weighted by residents).
Band D since 1993
Amber Valley’s Band D bill has risen 50% in ten years, from £1,609.30 in 2016–17, against England’s average (56%). It was £597.38 in 1993–94.
Your bill by band
A Band D home in Amber Valley, 2026–27, before discounts. The Valuation Office Agency’s band search gives any home’s band.
Derbyshire’s councils
Average Band D in each council area, 2026–27, parish precepts included. Bars start at £2,200.
Council budgets per resident, 2026–27
Show as a table, with Derbyshire
| Amber Valley + Derbyshire | Somercotes and Swanwick’s councils | Derbyshire | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Adult social care | £477 | £450 | £487 |
| Children’s social care | £228 | £260 | £290 |
| Roads and transport | £34 | £30 | £41 |
| Housing (not council homes’ rents) | £14 | £24 | £61 |
| Bins, street cleaning, environment | £122 | £125 | £119 |
| Libraries, leisure, culture | £57 | £43 | £44 |
| Planning and development | £17 | £22 | £26 |
| Public health | £72 | £79 | £78 |
| Running the council | £57 | £60 | £59 |
| Other | £20 | £28 | £19 |
| Total, schools apart | £1,097 | £1,120 | £1,234 |
Net budgeted service spending, MHCLG Revenue Account budget 2026–27, per resident (ONS mid-2025 estimates). Both tiers added: Amber Valley per its residents plus Derbyshire per the county’s. Schools are left out: academies are paid for directly by government, so council school budgets depend on how many schools have converted. Derbyshire and England: all their councils together. Police, fire and transport authorities aren’t included.
Band D: MHCLG Band D council tax 2026–27 (each authority’s own figure, excluding parish precepts) and Council Tax statistics for town and parish councils 2026–27; since 1993–94, MHCLG’s area averages including parishes.
Having a say in how Somercotes and Swanwick is run
It takes about five minutes online; the deadline is 12 working days before a poll.
gov.uk ↗Type a postcode to write to each of its councillors and its MP.
WriteToThem ↗GOV.UK sends the report to the council that looks after the road.
gov.uk ↗Council and committee meetings are open to the public, with agendas and minutes online.
ambervalley.gov.uk ↗Anyone can comment while an application is open for consultation.
ambervalley.gov.uk ↗The rules, nomination papers and guidance for council candidates.
Electoral Commission ↗Questions about how Somercotes and Swanwick is run
Which council runs Somercotes and Swanwick?
The county council runs schools, social care and roads; the district runs bins, planning and housing.
Does Somercotes and Swanwick have a town council?
Parts of it do: Somercotes parish council and Swanwick parish council.
Who is the MP for Somercotes and Swanwick?
Linsey Farnsworth (Labour) is the MP for Amber Valley, which covers Somercotes and Swanwick.
How many councillors does Somercotes and Swanwick have?
6 ward councillors represent Somercotes and Swanwick’s 3 wards, and 1 county councillors its county divisions.
When are the next elections in Somercotes and Swanwick?
No election is scheduled yet in Democracy Club’s list for Somercotes and Swanwick’s wards. The next UK general election must be held by August 2029.
How much is council tax in Somercotes and Swanwick?
Band D council tax in Somercotes and Swanwick is £2,412 for 2026–27. Your bill depends on your home’s band, from A (6/9 of Band D) to H (18/9).
Who controls Amber Valley Borough Council?
Labour has a majority: 23 of 42 seats as elected. The council’s website lists who leads it now.
Who controls Derbyshire County Council?
Reform UK has a majority: 41 of 64 seats as elected.
Who won the 2023 council election in Somercotes and Swanwick?
In Somercotes and Swanwick’s wards on 4 May 2023, Labour 4 · Conservative 2 of the 6 seats up. Labour had the largest share of votes, 45.9%.
Sources: ONS ward, county division, parish, constituency lookups (Census 2021 output areas; Open Government Licence v3.0) · GOV.UK local council finder · Democracy Club candidates (CC BY 4.0) and EveryElection · UK Parliament Members API (Open Parliament Licence v3.0) · MHCLG Band D council tax, parish precepts and Revenue Account budgets 2026–27 (OGL v3.0) · ONS mid-2025 population estimates. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0.
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Contains HM Land Registry data © Crown copyright and database right 2026. Contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right 2026 (ONS boundaries). Northern Ireland: Source: NISRA; contains Land & Property Services data and Ordnance Survey of Northern Ireland information, © Crown copyright, licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Scotland: contains National Records of Scotland data, Registers of Scotland data and SEPA data, © Crown copyright / © SEPA 2025, licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.