2026 UK Local Elections Explained
| Term | What it means |
|---|---|
| Council | A local authority responsible for services in your area — refuse collection, social care, planning, roads, libraries, parks and housing support. |
| No Overall Control | When no single party has a majority of seats. Decisions must be reached through negotiation or coalition — which can slow decision-making. |
| Band D Council Tax | The standard reference rate used to compare council tax levels nationally. Your actual bill depends on your property band. |
| National Equivalent Vote | A calculation estimating what local election results would mean if applied to a general election. Illustrative — not a prediction. |
| Climate Emergency Declaration | A commitment adopted by many councils pledging to reduce emissions. Several Reform councils have rescinded theirs since 2025. |
| Section 114 Notice | Issued when a council cannot balance its budget — effectively a declaration of financial distress. Prevents new spending commitments. |
| Unitary Authority | A single-tier council combining county and district functions. Many councils are being reorganised into unitary authorities under devolution plans. |
| Exceptional Financial Support | Emergency government funding for councils that cannot balance their budgets. 29 councils received £1.33bn in 2025–26. |
Elections were held on 7 May 2026 for 5,066 seats across 136 English local authorities. Voter turnout was the highest since 2010.
+1,426 from 2022
4 councils won
34 councils lost
by Reform UK
no overall control
vs Labour 15%
Reform won 1,428 seats and control of 13 councils — including Durham, Nottinghamshire, Lincolnshire, Kent and Staffordshire. Nigel Farage spent over £5 million on the campaign.
The promises: Freeze or cut council tax, scrap net zero, slash bureaucracy, run councils with a “DOGE-style” efficiency focus.
The 2025 reality check: Every Reform council elected in 2025 raised council tax — by an average of 3.94% for 2026-27. Claimed savings of over £700m have been disputed by accountants. Care home closure plans in Derbyshire and Lancashire triggered fierce opposition — including from Reform’s own grassroots members.
The Greens gained 363 seats and won 4 councils. They elected their first ever directly elected mayor — Zoë Garbett in Hackney, ending 55 years of Labour control. They are now the second party on Manchester City Council with 21 councillors.
What drove it: A platform combining climate action with housing affordability — rent controls, warm homes, free retrofits. They won in urban, multicultural, working-class wards Labour had held for decades.
The challenge ahead: Running councils is different from campaigning. Green administrations face the same financial constraints as every other authority — ballooning social care demand, limited central funding and the complexities of local government reorganisation.
Labour lost 1,375 seats and 34 councils — including Hackney, Gateshead and Southwark, which it had controlled for generations. Losses came from both directions: Reform took traditional working-class heartlands in the North and Midlands; the Greens took urban progressive voters in London and major cities.
The Conservatives lost 552 seats and 6 councils — including collapse in county council strongholds like Norfolk, West Sussex and Essex. Reform is now the dominant force across much of rural and suburban England. Whether the two right-of-centre parties reach a formal arrangement will define Conservative politics ahead of the next general election.
Regardless of which party controls your council, the financial pressure on local government is severe. The government allows councils to raise Band D council tax by up to 5% per year without a referendum. Most are raising it close to the maximum.
| Council type | What to expect |
|---|---|
| Reform councils | All raised council tax in 2025 despite promises to freeze or cut it. Average rise: 3.94% for 2026-27. Residents should expect further rises as councils confront structural funding shortfalls. |
| Green councils | Green policy supports fairer national funding but councils have limited powers. Council tax rises are likely given the same structural pressures every council faces. |
| No overall control | 29 councils received £1.33bn in Exceptional Financial Support from government in 2025-26. No overall control increases uncertainty and risk of service disruption. |
Adult social care and children’s SEND services account for up to 78% of some councils’ annual budgets. This is where the financial pressure falls hardest.
- In Derbyshire, Reform planned to close 8 care homes — described as a “betrayal of local people”
- In Lancashire, plans to close 5 care homes and 5 day centres were abandoned after grassroots opposition — including from Reform’s own members
- Your right to a social care needs assessment is statutory — it applies regardless of who controls your council
- SEND services are in crisis across all councils regardless of party — the election changes who is in charge, not the underlying funding gap
The 2026 results create a stark geographical divide on climate policy. What your council does — or stops doing — on net zero and home energy efficiency has direct financial implications for households.
- Electric vehicle upgrade projects and heat pump installations — Durham
- Solar investment on council buildings — Durham (£25m saving claimed; disputed)
- Climate Change, Biodiversity and Carbon Reduction Committee — Derbyshire (scrapped the week Reform took power)
- Net zero carbon targets — West Northamptonshire, North Northamptonshire and others
- Free home retrofit assessment schemes in Reform-controlled areas
| Council | Climate action |
|---|---|
| Mid Suffolk (Green since 2023) | Running the Cosy Homes scheme — free retrofit assessments and grant-backed support for home insulation and energy efficiency. |
| Lewes (Green-Lib Dem coalition) | Cabinet backed retrofit finance schemes for low-income households. |
| Wealden (coalition) | Adopted a 2025 climate strategy centred on fabric-first home decarbonisation. |
| Hackney (Green mayor from 2026) | Mayor Zoë Garbett campaigned on warm homes, cleaner air and better transport. 2026-27 programmes to be confirmed. |
The 2026 results accelerate a growing divide. Where you live will increasingly determine what local services look like and what support is available to you.
- Council tax rises despite pre-election promises of cuts
- Climate targets scrapped or weakened
- Risk of care home closures and privatisation
- Net zero language removed from planning documents
- Claimed savings figures disputed by independent analysts
- Free or subsidised home retrofit assessments
- Rent control advocacy and affordable housing priority
- Enhanced climate emergency policies
- More favourable planning for low-carbon development
- Same financial pressures as every council — tax rises likely
- Go to gov.uk/find-local-council — enter your postcode to find your council
- Check your council’s website to see which party is now in administration
- Sign up to council newsletters or attend public cabinet meetings
- Check whether you qualify for Council Tax Support — up to 100% discount for low-income households
- Apply through your council’s website — criteria vary by area
- Use turn2us.org.uk to check your full benefit entitlement
- Check the Great British Insulation Scheme — available nationally regardless of your council’s political stance
- Contact your energy supplier about the Warm Home Discount (£150 off winter bills)
- Use simpleenergyadvice.org.uk to find retrofit grants in your area
- Your right to a social care needs assessment is statutory — it applies regardless of which party controls your council
- Contact your council’s adult social care team directly
- If a care home near you is threatened with closure, attend council meetings and contact your local councillor
