A by-election in Nottinghamshire is expected to take place shortly following the departure of a district councillor who had participated in just two meetings since the start of this year.
This potential election precedes another by-election in Nottingham city, prompted by poor attendance from a different councillor.
Bassetlaw District Council has announced that Councillor Gary Dinsdale has stepped down from his position representing the East Markham ward as a Conservative representative.
Attempts by the Nottingham Post to obtain a statement from Mr Dinsdale regarding his departure were unsuccessful, though official records indicate he had been present at only two of nine scheduled meetings in 2026.
Elected members who do not attend any meetings over a six-month period risk losing their position on the council, however Mr Dinsdale had not reached this threshold and the motivation behind his resignation remains unknown.
His departure means a by-election may now proceed, provided two eligible voters from the East Markham ward submit a formal request to Bassetlaw’s monitoring officer.
The village of East Markham falls within Bassetlaw district and the Newark parliamentary constituency, and has historically returned Conservative candidates for district council positions.
However, Reform UK has announced its intention to field a candidate in this ward for the first time, with a party representative confirming the group would certainly be participating in the contest.
The representative added that from fiscal policies affecting baked goods to renewable energy developments, rural residents in East Markham had been underserved by the Labour-controlled Bassetlaw administration, and that only Reform could defeat them and scrutinise the council’s performance.
The by-election has not yet received formal approval but should one be called, all political groups would have a limited period to confirm whether they will put forward candidates.