Local elections in England on May 7 saw about 5,000 seats contested across 134 councils, including all 32 boroughs of London. Elections also included county councils and six directly elected mayors.
Key points
Local elections in England on May 7, 2026
5,000 seats contested across 134 councils
Elections included London's 32 boroughs
County councils are responsible for high-cost services
Six directly elected mayors were elected
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England
On 7 May, about 5,000 seats were up for election on 134 councils. Local elections took place in London's 32 boroughs as well as in a mix of northern metropolitan districts, county councils and unitary authorities.
In two-tier areas, county councils are the upper tier of local government, responsible for high-cost services such as education and social care. In addition, there were elections for six directly elected mayors.
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Q&A
What were the results of the local elections in England on May 7, 2026?
The local elections resulted in approximately 5,000 seats being contested across 134 councils, but specific results are not detailed in the excerpt.
Which areas in England held local elections on May 7, 2026?
Local elections were held in London's 32 boroughs, northern metropolitan districts, county councils, and unitary authorities.
How many directly elected mayors were elected in the 2026 local elections?
There were elections for six directly elected mayors during the local elections on May 7, 2026.
What is the role of county councils in England's local government?
County councils are the upper tier of local government responsible for high-cost services such as education and social care.
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Full council results
*Councils with ward boundary changes and/or seat number changes
0/136 councils declared
Elected mayors
There were six mayoral elections
Awaiting result
Croydon
The list of candidates is:
Rowenna Davis (Labour)
Ben Flook (Reform)
Ben Goldstone (TUSC)
Richard Howard (Lib Dem)
Jose Joseph (ND)
Jason Perry (Conservative)
Michael Pusey (TTIP)
Peter Underwood (Green)
Awaiting result
Hackney
The list of candidates is:
Vahid Almasi (Reform)
Zoe Garbett (Green)
Tareke Gregg (Conservative)
Eva Steinhardt (Lib Dem)
Caroline Woodley (Labour)
Awaiting result
Lewisham
The list of candidates is:
Jay Coward (TUSC)
Kayode Damali (Independent)
Amanda De Ryk (Labour)
Josh Matthews (Lib Dem)
Roger Mighton (Independent)
Pete Newman (Reform)
Liam Shrivastava (Green)
Sylbourne Sydial (Conservative)
Awaiting result
Newham
The list of candidates is:
Terri Bloore (Conservative)
Areeq Chowdhury (Green)
Clive Furness (Reform)
Forhad Hussain (Labour)
Kamran Malik (Communities)
Mehmood Mirza (Newham)
Bharath Swamy (CPA)
Laura Willoughby (Lib Dem)
Awaiting result
Tower Hamlets
The list of candidates is:
Zami Ali (THI)
John Bullard (Reform)
Abdul Hannan (Lib Dem)
Sirajul Islam (Labour)
Hirra Khan Adeogun (Green)
Terence McGrenera (Independent)
Dominic Nolan (Conservative)
Hugo Pierre (TUSC)
Lutfur Rahman (Aspire)
Awaiting result
Watford
The list of candidates is:
Ryan Bonar (Independent)
Mark Dixon (Reform)
Abdul Laskar (Conservative)
Jake Mitchell (Green)
Keith Morgan (Labour)
Ketankumar Pipaliya (Voice)
Peter Taylor (Lib Dem)
Scotland
Members of the Scottish parliament are elected using the additional member system. People cast two votes: one for a local MSP chosen by first past the post; and another for a party list in their region.
Extra MSPs are then added from these lists to bring the total number of seats won by each party closer to its vote share across Scotland’s eight parliamentary regions.
Parliament results
0/73 constituencies declared
0/8 regions declared
0/129 total seats declared
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Wales
Members of the Senedd are elected under a new system this year using a closed proportional list in 16 six-seat constituencies. Voters have one vote to back either a party or an independent.
Parties win seats in the Senedd based on how many votes they receive, so their share of seats closely matches their share of the vote. Before the election, each party makes a ranked list of candidates for every constituency; any seats won go to those at the top of the list.
Senedd results
0/16 constituencies declared
0/96 total seats declared
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About these results
These results are provided by the Press Association (PA). Numbers for change in seats are calculated against the state of the council or parliament just before this election. Other organisations calculate using the previous election, and this can lead to discrepancies. In Wales, the electoral system is sufficently different to previous elections that comparison is not given.
Other outlets may also announce individual ward councillor results as they become known, while PA release results for each council only when its full count is complete. PA collates results only for elections that were due in this electoral cycle, meaning there may be council byelection results in other parts of the country that are not included. There are frequent changes in ward boundaries, sometimes accompanied by changes in the number of councillors overall. "Shadow elections" were also held for two new unitary authorities due to be created in Surrey in 2027.
