Monday 03-08-2026 - 09:51

Reflecting on the May local elections, what were the results and what do they mean for the future of politics? 

Let's start with an overview of the results...

On the 7th of May 2026, voters across the UK went to the polls to vote in the District Council, Mayor and County Council elections. This year, the local elections were arguably a test for the current Labour government, a chance to gauge the success of their policies and, crucially, their popularity with the electorate. Additionally, it provided insight on the extent to which the trending popularity of Reform UK has spread among voters. Ultimately, this resulted in demonstrating Labour’s decreasing popularity and Reform’s rising support.

Now let’s take a closer look at England... 

In council results, Labour lost control of 38 councils and lost 1,498 councillors, leaving them with only 28 councils and 1,068 councillors. This electoral performance is a stark contrast to the pre-general election gains that Labour made in 2024, which indicated a rise in public popularity for Labour. Perhaps these losses are a sign that Labour’s popularity is falling among the electorate. While, as a party, they still hold majority control over local councils, this may be an indicator of how Labour will perform in the general election.

If we shift our focus to other party performances, the Liberal Democrats gained 1 council, bringing their total up to 15, and gained 155 councillors, leaving them with a total of 844 councillors. These gains could be a sign that the Liberal Democrats are remaining popular on a council level, recovering from the impact that the 2010 Coalition Government had on their public image. Conversely, the Conservatives lost 6 councils, leaving them with only 9 councils and 801 councillors after losing 563 council seats. Just as we saw with Labour, this result demonstrates the decreasing popularity of the two main Westminster parties at a council level, making way for the minor parties to gain seats in this election.

The most successful performance at these elections was Reform UK. They gained 14 councils, up from zero at the previous election, and gained 1,452 councillor seats, with only 2 held previously. This is a significant indicator of the growing support Reform has gained locally; whether this translates into success at a general election is yet to be seen.

The Green Party also saw success during this election, gaining 5 councils, up from zero in the previous election, and gaining 441 councillors, giving them a total of 587 seats. These results demonstrate the increasing popularity of minor parties in local elections and could foreshadow further success for the Greens in the next general election.  

In total, there were 64 councils left with no overall control; this is 23 more than the previous election. This could be an indicator of widening divisions between voters at the local level, with this mix of party preferences being reflected in a split election result.

So, what does this mean for the next general election?

The impact these results will have on the next general election is impossible to gauge at this point. The next general election is set to be in 2029. It’s here that we’ll get a true indicator of the shift in party preference and the issues that are most important to voters.

That being said, trends observed in local elections have a track record of manifesting themselves in general elections, with Labour holding the most councils in 2024 prior to the 2024 general election. This could potentially be an indicator for the direction politics is going presently, with smaller parties having greater electoral success.

 

In Summary:

• This year’s local elections were a test for party popularity, with Labour’s decreasing and Reform’s increasing popularity evident in this election.

• Results in England: Labour lost control of 38 councils and 1,498 councillors; Liberal Democrats gained 1 council and 155 councillors; Conservatives lost 6 councils and 563 councillors; Reform UK gained 14 councils and 1,452 councillors and the Green Party gained 5 councils and 441 councillors. 

• The impact these results will have on the next general election is unknown; however, local election trends have historically manifested in general election results. If this is the case, then the local election results indicate that smaller parties may have greater electoral success in the general election.  

 

Election Reflections: Authored by EHU Alum Ella Weatherburn, Law with Politics LLB (Hons)