Photo: Jonathan Thacker · CC BY-SA 2.0Labour holds a majority on Bassetlaw District Council
Retford is run by Bassetlaw District Council and Nottinghamshire County Council. Labour has a majority on Bassetlaw District Council. Reform UK has a majority on Nottinghamshire County Council. Its MP is Jo White (Labour), member for Bassetlaw.
£2,595
Band D, a year, the middle band every council sets its tax from.
Where it goes →How Retford’s politics has changed since 2021
A majority on Bassetlaw District Council
Labour holds a majority on Bassetlaw District Council: 37 of its 48 seats as elected. The Conservatives hold 6, Reform UK 4 and independents 1. Who’s in charge ↓
Nottinghamshire changed hands in 2025
Nottinghamshire County Council, which runs schools, social care and roads, went from a Conservative majority (36 of 66 seats in 2021) to a Reform UK majority at the May 2025 election: Reform UK won 41 of 66 seats. Nottinghamshire ↓
Council tax
A Band D bill in Retford is £2,598 for 2026–27; Bassetlaw District Council keeps 8% of it. The council area’s Band D has risen 53% 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 Retford’s councils
Seats by party as elected. A party needs 25 of Bassetlaw’s 48 or 34 of Nottinghamshire’s 66 seats to run the council alone.
- Labour37
- Conservative6
- Reform UK4
- Independent1
Latest election: May 2023.
- Reform UK41+41
- Conservative18−18
- Labour4−11
- Ashfield Independents1−9
- Broxtowe Alliance1+1
- Broxtowe Independent Group1+1
- Independent0−4
- Liberal Democrat0−1
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, no parish tier
Retford has two tiers of council: the county runs the big services, the district the local ones.
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.
All of Retford is unparished: there is no parish or town council, so the council runs local matters itself. Its charter trustees (East Retford Charter Trustees) keep the ceremonial mayoralty and add £2.88 to a Band D bill.
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 council to Westminster
Every elected tier that speaks for Retford, from the most recent elections.
- 1Bassetlaw District Council4 wards · 10 councillorsLabour 9 · Conservative 1 · all 10
- 2Nottinghamshire County Council2 divisions · 2 councillorsMike IntronaDaniel Carl Saban
- 3Mayor of East Midlands Combined County AuthorityEast Midlands Combined County Authority · elected May 2024Claire Ward
- 4Police and crime commissionerNottinghamshire Police · elected May 2024Gary Godden
- 5House of CommonsBassetlaw
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.
10 councillors for 4 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.
- Sue ShawLabour · May 2023
- Daniel James HendersonLabour · May 2023
- John MannersConservative · May 2023
- Nicholas Graham Antony OxbyLabour · May 2023
- David ChallinorLabour · May 2023
- Jonathan SlaterLabour · May 2023
- Carolyn TroopLabour · May 2023
- David NaylorLabour · May 2023
- Harriet DigbyLabour · May 2023
- Malachi CarrollLabour · May 2023
Show as a table, with Nottinghamshire County Council’s 2 divisions (2 councillors)
| Ward | Seats | Elected | When |
|---|---|---|---|
| East Retford Eastall in Retford · 6,932 residents3 seats · May 2023 | 3 | Sue ShawDaniel James HendersonJohn Manners | May 2023 |
| East Retford Northall in Retford · 6,342 residents3 seats · May 2023 | 3 | Nicholas Graham Antony OxbyDavid ChallinorJonathan Slater | May 2023 |
| East Retford Southall in Retford · 5,277 residents2 seats · May 2023 | 2 | Carolyn TroopDavid Naylor | May 2023 |
| East Retford Westall in Retford · 5,184 residents2 seats · May 2023 | 2 | Harriet DigbyMalachi Carroll | May 2023 |
Nottinghamshire County Council: county divisions
| Division | Seats | Elected | When |
|---|---|---|---|
| Retford East EDall in Retford · 12,209 residents1 seat · May 2025 | 1 | Mike Introna | May 2025 |
| Retford West EDmostly in Retford · 11,526 residents1 seat · May 2025 | 1 | Daniel Carl Saban | May 2025 |
Councillors can resign, change party or sit as independents between elections; a by-election winner replaces someone not named here. Bassetlaw District 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).
Bassetlaw council election, May 2023
Results in the wards that make up Retford, as declared. Percentages are of votes cast for candidates in each ward; where a ward elects several councillors, each voter has that many votes.
4 wards voted. Every seat in the town’s wards was up.
No election is scheduled yet for Retford’s wards in Democracy Club’s list. Councils publish a notice of election about five weeks before polling day.
Who can I vote for? ↗5,261 votes for candidates · 3 seats, so 3 votes each
4,662 votes for candidates · 3 seats, so 3 votes each
2,117 votes for candidates · 2 seats, so 2 votes each
Every ward’s result (1 more)
2,254 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.
Retford is in Bassetlaw constituency
The constituency’s MP and the 4 July 2024 general election, the whole constituency’s result (it reaches beyond Retford).
44,878 votes for candidates · majority 5,768
Labour, MP since 4 July 2024.
turnout in July 2024: 44,878 votes from 78,161 registered voters. England: 60%.
Majority 5,768 of 44,878 votes (12.9%): the 249th-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.
Retford’s Band D council tax is £2,598 a year
Where a Band D bill goes, what it has cost over the years, and what the councils plan to spend per resident.
Bassetlaw District Council keeps £212.05 of a Band D bill (8%); the rest goes to East Retford Charter Trustees, Nottinghamshire County Council, the Nottinghamshire police and crime commissioner and the Nottinghamshire Fire and Rescue Authority.
Across the whole town the average Band D is £2,595 (parishes differ; weighted by residents).
Band D since 1993
Bassetlaw’s Band D bill has risen 53% in ten years, from £1,734.36 in 2016–17, against England’s average (56%). It was £601.88 in 1993–94.
Your bill by band
A Band D home in the unparished part of Bassetlaw, 2026–27, before discounts. The Valuation Office Agency’s band search gives any home’s band.
Nottinghamshire’s councils
Average Band D in each council area, 2026–27, parish precepts included. Bars start at £2,500.
Council budgets per resident, 2026–27
Show as a table, with Nottinghamshire
| Bassetlaw + Nottinghamshire | Retford’s councils | Nottinghamshire | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Adult social care | £505 | £510 | £487 |
| Children’s social care | £275 | £310 | £290 |
| Roads and transport | £21 | £65 | £41 |
| Housing (not council homes’ rents) | £23 | £39 | £61 |
| Bins, street cleaning, environment | £111 | £116 | £119 |
| Libraries, leisure, culture | £42 | £38 | £44 |
| Planning and development | £52 | £32 | £26 |
| Public health | £68 | £90 | £78 |
| Running the council | £40 | £49 | £59 |
| Other | £23 | £38 | £19 |
| Total, schools apart | £1,160 | £1,287 | £1,234 |
Net budgeted service spending, MHCLG Revenue Account budget 2026–27, per resident (ONS mid-2025 estimates). Both tiers added: Bassetlaw per its residents plus Nottinghamshire 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. Nottinghamshire 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 Retford 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.
bassetlaw.gov.uk ↗Anyone can comment while an application is open for consultation.
bassetlaw.gov.uk ↗The rules, nomination papers and guidance for council candidates.
Electoral Commission ↗Questions about how Retford is run
Which council runs Retford?
The county council runs schools, social care and roads; the district runs bins, planning and housing.
Does Retford have a town council?
No. Retford is unparished, so there is no town or parish council and no parish precept.
Who is the MP for Retford?
Jo White (Labour) is the MP for Bassetlaw, which covers Retford.
How many councillors does Retford have?
10 ward councillors represent Retford’s 4 wards, and 2 county councillors its county divisions.
When are the next elections in Retford?
No election is scheduled yet in Democracy Club’s list for Retford’s wards. The next UK general election must be held by August 2029.
How much is council tax in Retford?
Band D council tax in Retford is £2,595 for 2026–27. Your bill depends on your home’s band, from A (6/9 of Band D) to H (18/9).
Who controls Bassetlaw District Council?
Labour has a majority: 37 of 48 seats as elected. The council’s website lists who leads it now.
Who controls Nottinghamshire County Council?
Reform UK has a majority: 41 of 66 seats as elected.
Who won the 2023 council election in Retford?
In Retford’s wards on 4 May 2023, Labour 9 · Conservative 1 of the 10 seats up. Labour had the largest share of votes, 49.7%.
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.