Council by-election · Tuesday, 13 October 2026

Stroud District: Rodborough ward

5 candidates. Same page for each, in ballot-paper order.

5candidates for one seat

2sourced positions

1with something published

1named sources

1. John Bloxsom
Labour Party CJ2. Christopher John Easton
Conservative and Unionist Party

3. George William James
Liberal Democrats

4. Robin Layfield
Green Party

5. Gerald Michael O'Brien
Reform UK

At the election of Thursday, 2 May 2024, this seat was won by 26 votes (0.8% of votes cast); turnout was 49%. Past results describe the past; each election is a new contest.

See the 5 candidates In a hurry? Two-minute guide →

In this ward 5 candidates from 5 parties or independent slots are standing. Parties do not stand everywhere; here is how to find out whether yours stands nearby.

This is a council seat. A councillor's win changes what the council decides: council tax, housing repairs and allocations, planning, social care, schools admissions, parking, bins, libraries. It does not change national tax, benefits or NHS policy, so this page shows only positions published for this council election, and no national party pledges are implied.

Sourced positions found for 1 of 5 candidates

Compare candidates side by side

You're voting for

Your local councillor

Councillors sit on the council that runs services where you live. They set the council's budget and council tax, and decide local planning applications. Here, for Stroud District: Rodborough ward.

What this office decides

Planning. Whether new homes, extensions and developments get permission.
Waste and streets. Bins, recycling, street cleaning, fly-tipping.
Council tax. The level you pay, within limits set nationally.
Social care. In county and unitary councils, care for older and disabled people.
Parks and libraries. Opening, funding, closing.
Council housing. Repairs, allocations and, in many areas, homelessness.

What it does not

NHS policy and waiting times. Parliament and the NHS.
Income tax and benefits. Parliament.
Immigration. Parliament.
Policing policy. The Home Office and your Police and Crime Commissioner or mayor.
Schools' curriculum. Government and, for academies, their trusts.

Candidates often campaign on things their office cannot change. That is not dishonest in itself — an MP can press a council, a councillor can lobby government — but it is worth knowing which is which. Summarised from the Local Government Association and UK Parliament descriptions of each role.

How this vote is counted: first past the post. One cross; the candidate with the most votes wins.Worked example

Every ballot with one cross is counted for that candidate. The one with the most votes wins, even without a majority. Example: A 4,000, B 3,900, C 2,100. A wins with 40% of the vote; the 60% cast for others elect nobody. There are no second preferences; a vote for a candidate who does not win has no further effect.

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TopicSearch every position on this ballot

Showing 5 of 5 candidates. Everyone on the ballot, in ballot-paper order.

Numbered as on the ballot paper. Open a candidate to see their positions on the nine topics, with sources. Until a household is described, only positions that apply to everyone are counted.

1John Bloxsom

Labour Party

ShowHide

Money —Housing —Health —Education 1Environment 1Immigration —Crime —Defence & EU —Equality —2 in total

Democracy Club profile Party site

In their own words

John is committed to being a accountable and accessible councillor who reports back to you. John will strive to make our communities better, greener and more sustainable - great places to live and work. John pledges: * to work with you and support our communities to make a difference at Shire Hall * to challenge the years of Conservative neglect, from children's services to roads * to support public transport, cycle routes and sustainable investment to respond to the climate emergency

Statement to voters supplied by the candidate to Democracy Club, retrieved 2026-09-19. Reproduced unedited.

Stood before

Gloucestershire council, Rodborough ward, May 2025 (Labour and Co-operative Party) — not elected
Stroud council, Wotton Under Edge ward, May 2024 (Labour Party) — not elected
Gloucestershire council, Rodborough ward, May 2021 (Labour and Co-operative Party) — elected
Gloucestershire council, Quedgeley ward, May 2017 (Labour and Co-operative Party) — not elected
Stroud council, Randwick Whiteshill Ruscombe ward, May 2016 (Labour Party) — not elected

Previous candidacies from Democracy Club. A record of standing, not a judgement.

Open John's page →

Where this information comes from

Positions are quoted from the candidate's or party's own published material and official records, each with its source. Candidates and their agents can also submit sourced statements, published as written once we confirm they appear at the cited address. Not yet invited to submit a statement: we have no contact address. If you are this candidate, use the link below. Submit a statement.

Published positions on the nine topics

Candidate statements and leaflets are published as written; we check they are real, not that they are true. Switch between summaries and exact quotations with the control above the list.

Money and cost of living

Nothing published on this yet.

Housing and property

Nothing published on this yet.

Healthcare and social care

Nothing published on this yet.

Education and universities

What this candidate says

Candidate's own words · John Bloxsom (candidate), via Democracy Club · Statement to voters: John Bloxsom

Their position

* to challenge the years of Conservative neglect, from children's services to roads

What that means

Pledges to challenge what he calls years of Conservative neglect, from children's services to roads.

Retrieved 2026-09-19.

Environment, climate and energy

What this candidate says

Candidate's own words · John Bloxsom (candidate), via Democracy Club · Statement to voters: John Bloxsom

Their position

* to support public transport, cycle routes and sustainable investment to respond to the climate emergency

What that means

Pledges to support public transport, cycle routes and sustainable investment in response to the climate emergency.

Retrieved 2026-09-19.

Immigration and borders

Nothing published on this yet.

1John Bloxsom

Labour Party

2Christopher John Easton

Local Conservatives

ShowHide

Money —Housing —Health —Education —Environment —Immigration —Crime —Defence & EU —Equality —0 in total

Democracy Club profile Party site

In their own words

No statement to voters supplied to Democracy Club.

Stood before

Gloucestershire council, Stonehouse ward, May 2025 (Conservative and Unionist Party) — not elected
Stroud council, Stonehouse ward, May 2021 (Conservative and Unionist Party) — not elected

Previous candidacies from Democracy Club. A record of standing, not a judgement.

Open Christopher's page →

Where this information comes from

Published positions on the nine topics

Nothing published that we could source, yet. A councillor sits on the council that sets council tax and decides planning, housing repairs and allocations, social care, bins, parking, libraries and, in most areas, school admissions. It cannot change national tax, benefits or NHS policy.

Are you this candidate, or their agent? Send us a sourced statement; it is published as written.
Look yourself: the council's election notices · the party's site · leaflets archived for this area (electionleaflets.org, a Democracy Club project).

2Christopher John Easton

Conservative and Unionist Party

3George William James

Liberal Democrats

ShowHide

Money —Housing —Health —Education —Environment —Immigration —Crime —Defence & EU —Equality —0 in total

Democracy Club profile Party site

In their own words

No statement to voters supplied to Democracy Club.

Stood before

Gloucestershire council, Stroud Central ward, May 2025 (Liberal Democrats) — not elected
UK Parliament, Stroud, July 2024 (Liberal Democrats) — not elected
Stroud council, Stroud Uplands ward, May 2024 (Liberal Democrats) — not elected
Stroud council, Wotton Under Edge ward, May 2021 (Liberal Democrats) — elected
Gloucestershire council, Stroud Central ward, May 2021 (Liberal Democrats) — not elected
Gloucestershire council, Dursley ward, May 2017 (Liberal Democrats)
and 1 more; full history on their Democracy Club profile

Previous candidacies from Democracy Club. A record of standing, not a judgement.

Campaign leaflets archived

None archived yet for this campaign.

1 from this candidate's earlier campaigns

Earlier campaign · 2024-07-06

From electionleaflets.org (Democracy Club). Leaflets are the party's own material, published as delivered; we check they are real, not that they are true. Earlier leaflets are from previous contests and may not reflect current positions.

Open George's page →

Where this information comes from

Published positions on the nine topics

Are you this candidate, or their agent? Send us a sourced statement; it is published as written.
Look yourself: the council's election notices · the party's site · leaflets archived for this area (electionleaflets.org, a Democracy Club project).

3George William James

Liberal Democrats

4Robin Layfield

Green Party

ShowHide

Money —Housing —Health —Education —Environment —Immigration —Crime —Defence & EU —Equality —0 in total

Democracy Club profile Party site

In their own words

I have been a Parish Councillor for Rodborough since 2018 and I was a District Councillor for the Ward from 2021 — 2024.

I have lived and worked in Rodborough for the best part of my life and I can often been seen around the Parish. Stop me and say hi, I'm always available for a chat.

I am a member of the Stroud District Green Party, where I serve as the Trade Union Liaison Officer (TULO). I am a member of Unite Community and the Communication Workers Union (United Tech and Allied Workers). I have and will always stand up for the rights of workers.

I have worked with charity fundraisers, Stroud District Foodbank, Rodborough Sunday Social, Rodborough Youth and Rodborough CAN (Climate Action Network), to help meet the needs of our most vulnerable, young and elderly residents and to begin the work of building a sustainable and resilient community in Rodborough.

Right now, with so much uncertainty around Local Government Reorganisation, Rodborough needs someone who can step in and hit the ground running. I am that person - I have years of District Council experience at the most senior levels, I understand what the council is going through and I am determined to give the community a stronger voice in local government.

My council roles have included:

* Alliance Leadership Team * Vice Chair Environment Committee * Equality, Diversity & Inclusion Member Champion * Equality, Diversity, Inclusion & Equity Working Group * Chair, Members Development Working Group * Board Director, Stroud Valleys Canal Company * SDC Regeneration Board * 2030 Community Engagement Board * Stroud Town Council Regeneration Committee

I work as a web developer for agencies across the country. In my spare time I write for the Rodborough Commoner, Amplify Stroud and Good on Paper. I am an event organiser and host with For Your Information and have received 3 awards for community leadership.

I am fiercely committed to honesty, representation, advocacy and being a clear voice for our community.

“I am putting myself forward to represent Rodborough on the District Council so that I can play my part in achieving our climate goals for 2030. The Climate and Nature Emergency is the biggest threat to us all now and in the future.”

Statement to voters supplied by the candidate to Democracy Club, retrieved 2026-09-19. Reproduced unedited.

Stood before

Stroud council, Rodborough ward, May 2024 (Independent) — not elected
Stroud council, Rodborough ward, May 2021 (Labour and Co-operative Party) — elected
Gloucestershire council, Cirencester Park ward, May 2021 (Labour Party) — not elected

Previous candidacies from Democracy Club. A record of standing, not a judgement.

Open Robin's page →

Where this information comes from

Published positions on the nine topics

Are you this candidate, or their agent? Send us a sourced statement; it is published as written.
Look yourself: the council's election notices · the party's site · leaflets archived for this area (electionleaflets.org, a Democracy Club project).

4Robin Layfield

Green Party

5Gerald Michael O'Brien

Reform UK

ShowHide

Money —Housing —Health —Education —Environment —Immigration —Crime —Defence & EU —Equality —0 in total

Democracy Club profile Candidate's own site Party site

In their own words

No statement to voters supplied to Democracy Club.

Stood before

UK Parliament, Ashford, June 2017 (UK Independence Party (UKIP)) — not elected
Kent council, Sevenoaks Town ward, May 2017 (UK Independence Party (UKIP)) — not elected
UK Parliament, Ashford, May 2015 (UK Independence Party (UKIP)) — not elected

Previous candidacies from Democracy Club. A record of standing, not a judgement.

Open Gerald's page →

Where this information comes from

Published positions on the nine topics

Are you this candidate, or their agent? Send us a sourced statement; it is published as written.
Look yourself: the council's election notices · the party's site · leaflets archived for this area (electionleaflets.org, a Democracy Club project).

5Gerald Michael O'Brien

Reform UK

Photos: shown where one exists on Democracy Club (4 of 5 here); initials otherwise. A missing photo says nothing about the candidate. · How much sourced material we found per party · Why isn't my party standing here?

Last time in this seat: election of Thursday, 2 May 2024

Candidate	Party	Votes	Share
Nigel Andrew Prenter (elected)	Labour Party	602	18%
Katy Hofmann (elected)	Labour Party	576	17.3%
Liz Hillary	Green Party	539	16.2%
Phil Blomberg	Green Party	505	15.1%
Robin Layfield	Independent	450	13.5%
Helen Elliott-Boult	Independent	303	9.1%
Sarah Jones	Conservative and Unionist Party	193	5.8%
Tom Whittaker	Conservative and Unionist Party	169	5.1%

3,337 valid votes, turnout 49%. Result data from Democracy Club (source). Past results describe the past; each election is a new contest.

Stroud District: Rodborough ward in numbers

Official open data about the area. It describes the place, not you, and it favours no candidate.

House prices in Stroud

Average price £351,736, up 2.9% on a year earlier (July 2026).

Flats and maisonettes: £164,299
Detached houses: £555,216

Source: HM Land Registry UK House Price Index for the local authority (Open Government Licence). A local-authority average; prices within it vary widely.

Recorded crime nearby, July 2026

0 street-level crimes recorded within about a mile of the area's centre.

Source: data.police.uk (Open Government Licence). Centroid of the ONS 2024 boundary. Statistics near this point describe the area, not any household. Recorded crime reflects reporting and policing as well as offending; see the ONS guidance in further reading.

Stroud District: Rodborough ward in numbers

Loading official figures for the area…

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Go deeper: independent sources

None of these is affiliated with a party. Where a source campaigns for a position, the label says so. Links open the original site.

Cross-cutting: polling, fact-checking, parliamentary research

Commons Library: constituency data dashboards — House of Commons Library. Parliamentary research service, impartial by statute.
electionleaflets.org: archive of election leaflets, searchable by area — Democracy Club. Civic-technology archive; leaflets are the parties' own material.
Electoral Commission: political finance register (donations, loans, spending) — Electoral Commission. Official register.
Full Fact — Full Fact. Independent fact-checking charity.
House of Commons Library research briefings — House of Commons Library. Parliamentary research service, impartial by statute.
Institute for Government — Institute for Government. Independent think tank on how government works.
Ipsos Issues Index: what the public says matters most — Ipsos. Polling company (monthly, unprompted survey).
LG Inform: council performance and finance data — Local Government Association. Sector body for councils.
Local Elections Archive Project: every council result since 2002 — Andrew Teale. Independent archive from Returning Officers' data, CC BY-SA.
mySociety Local Intelligence Hub: data by constituency — mySociety. Civic-technology charity; non-partisan.
UK Parliament: Commons votes (every division, how each MP voted) — UK Parliament. Official record, Open Parliament Licence.
UK Parliament: petitions, with signatures by constituency — UK Parliament. Official record.

Sources used on this page

Statement to voters: John Bloxsom — John Bloxsom (candidate), via Democracy Club, undated. Retrieved 2026-09-19. 2 quotations.

Candidate lists and nominations: Democracy Club (CC BY 4.0). Tax and benefit figures: PolicyEngine UK, open source.

Stroud District: Rodborough ward

Your local councillor

What this office decides

What it does not

The ballot paper

1John Bloxsom

In their own words

Stood before

Where this information comes from

Published positions on the nine topics

Money and cost of living

Housing and property

Healthcare and social care

Education and universities

Environment, climate and energy

Immigration and borders

1John Bloxsom

2Christopher John Easton

In their own words

Stood before

Where this information comes from

Published positions on the nine topics

2Christopher John Easton

3George William James

In their own words

Stood before

Campaign leaflets archived

Where this information comes from

Published positions on the nine topics

3George William James

4Robin Layfield

In their own words

Stood before

Where this information comes from

Published positions on the nine topics

4Robin Layfield

5Gerald Michael O'Brien

In their own words

Stood before

Where this information comes from

Published positions on the nine topics

5Gerald Michael O'Brien

Stroud District: Rodborough ward in numbers

House prices in Stroud

Recorded crime nearby, July 2026

Stroud District: Rodborough ward in numbers

Go deeper: independent sources

Sources used on this page

2Christopher John Easton

In their own words

Stood before

Where this information comes from

Published positions on the nine topics

3George William James

In their own words

Stood before

Campaign leaflets archived

Where this information comes from

Published positions on the nine topics

4Robin Layfield

In their own words

Stood before

Where this information comes from

Published positions on the nine topics

5Gerald Michael O'Brien

In their own words

Stood before

Where this information comes from

Published positions on the nine topics

1John Bloxsom

In their own words

Stood before

Where this information comes from

Published positions on the nine topics

Money and cost of living

Housing and property

Healthcare and social care

Education and universities

Environment, climate and energy

Immigration and borders