Local elections in the United Kingdom were held on 7 May 2026 for 5,066 English councillors for 136 English local authorities and six directly elected mayors in England. Most of these seats in England were last up for election in 2022. Some of these elections were postponed from 2025.
๐ณ๏ธ Election Background
No local elections were held in the rest of the United Kingdom, other than two by-elections in Wales. The 2026 Scottish Parliament election and 2026 Senedd election were held the same day.
The English Devolution White Paper on 16 December 2024 set out the Labour government’s plans for local government reorganisation. Some of the elections scheduled for May 2025 were delayed by a year in order to allow reorganisation to take place.
โฐ Postponements and Legal Challenges
In December 2025, the Labour government invited 63 councils to raise capacity concerns and request a postponement of their 2026 local elections. This move prompted criticism from the Electoral Commission, which questioned the credibility of the reasoning given.
By February 2026, the government confirmed that 30 of the 63 council elections had been postponed. Following a legal challenge by Reform UK, the government withdrew on 16 February 2026 its plans to delay elections, after receiving legal advice that the delay could be unlawful.
๐๏ธ Party Campaigns and Candidates
Over 25,000 candidates were nominated to stand in the elections. Reform UK, Labour, the Conservatives and the Green party all stood candidates in over 95% of wards, while the Liberal Democrats had candidates in 86%.
On 30 March 2026, Keir Starmer launched Labour’s local election campaign at City of Wolverhampton College. On 19 March 2026, Kemi Badenoch launched the Conservative campaign for the local elections at an event in Westminster, London.
On 24 March 2026, Ed Davey launched the Liberal Democrat campaign for the local elections in East Horsley, Surrey. On 10 March 2026, Nigel Farage launched Reform’s local election campaign in Newport, Isle of Wight.
๐ Election Results
With 131 out of 136 councils being declared, Reform UK has taken 1,443 seats, an increase of 1,441 seats, while Labour took 959 seats, a decrease of 1,395 seats. The Conservatives took 773 seats, a decrease of 555 seats, while Liberal Democrats and Green Party gained, with them increasing their seats by 151 and 370 respectively.
Labour lost control of 35 councils, Reform UK gained 14 councils, Conservatives lost 6 councils, Liberal Democrats gained 1 council, Green gained 4 councils, and 22 councils switched to being in a state of no overall control.
๐ National Equivalent Vote
According to Sky News’ 2026 National Equivalent Vote, Reform UK won 27% of the vote, with Conservatives coming in second place with 20%, while Labour won 15%, Greens with 14%, Liberal Democrats with 14%, and Independents with 10%. If these local election results were applied to the House of Commons, Reform UK would have 284 seats, Labour 110, Conservatives 96, Liberal Democrats 80, SNP 36, Plaid Cymru 13, Green 13, and others at 18.
| Party | Seats Won | Seat Change | Councils Gained/Lost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reform UK | 1,443 | +1,441 | +14 |
| Labour | 959 | -1,395 | -35 |
| Conservatives | 773 | -555 | -6 |
| Liberal Democrats | +151 | +151 | +1 |
| Green Party | +370 | +370 | +4 |
| Independents | 191 | +19 | N/A |