The politics of Three Rivers, a district in England, are played out at local, Hertfordshire-wide, and parliamentary levels. Three Rivers is a non-metropolitan district governed locally by a district council composed of 48 councillors that is responsible for such services as housing, waste disposal, and local planning. The district is represented by six members on the 77-councillor Hertfordshire County Council, which is responsible for such services as education, transport, and social services.
Contents
The three major parties are all competitive in different parts of Three Rivers and at different levels of representation. Three Rivers district council is under Liberal Democrat control, with the Lib Dems holding 65% of district councillors. The Conservatives are second-largest, have most votes in the last election, and hold three of the district's six county councillors. Labour, whilst a distant third at both district and county level in Three Rivers, hold sway in South Oxhey. However, Labour lost two of their district council seats there in 2008, including one to the British National Party.
Three Rivers is represented in Parliament by three Members of Parliament. Most of the district is within the South West Hertfordshire constituency, represented by Conservative David Gauke. Smaller parts of the district are represented by Anne Main (St Albans, Conservative) and Claire Ward (Watford, Labour).
District council
Three Rivers is a non-metropolitan district that elects one-third of its councillors at any one time: three times every four years, with the fourth for elections to Hertfordshire County Council). In the 2008 election, the council remained under Liberal Democrat control, having been first won by the Lib Dems from no overall control in 1999. The Conservatives are second strongest, whilst Labour have been reduced to a small contingent over the past ten years. The British National Party won its first seat in Three Rivers in 2008.
As of the 2008 elections, the composition of the council is:
County council
For elections to Hertfordshire County Council, the district is divided into six divisions, three of which are held by the Conservatives, two by the Liberal Democrats, and one by the BNP:
Parliament
For parliamentary elections, the district is divided across three constituencies. Most of the district is within the South West Hertfordshire constituency, which is considered a safe Conservative seat and held by a Conservative MP (currently David Gauke) since its creation in 1950. The eastern parts of the constituency, to the north and south of Watford, are part of that borough's constituency, which is a three-way marginal currently held by Labour's Claire Ward, having fluctuated between Labour and the Conservatives. Most of the north-eastern ward of Bedmond and Primrose Hill is in the St Albans constituency, which is currently held by the Conservative Anne Main.