2026 Sefton Metropolitan Borough Council election
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7 May 2026
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All 66 seats to Sefton Metropolitan Borough Council 34 seats needed for a majority | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The 2026 Sefton Metropolitan Borough Council election is scheduled to be held on Thursday 7 May 2026, alongside other local elections in the United Kingdom. The whole Council of 66 members of Sefton Metropolitan Borough Council in Merseyside will be elected.
Sefton Metropolitan Borough Council was created in 1974. The Conservatives controlled the council from its creation until 1986, when the council fell into no overall control.[2] Labour became the largest party in 1988 but did not form their first majority administration until 24 years later.[3] The Liberal Democrats briefly became the largest party between 2000 and 2002,[4] and again for the more prolonged period between 2004 and 2011.[5] Labour have formed majority administrations since 2012 with the Liberal Democrats serving as the principal opposition (aside from 2021 which saw the Conservatives hold an equal number of seats).
In the most recent election, Labour made no net gains or losses, winning a seat from the Conservatives but also losing a seat to the Green Party and giving the Greens their first seat on the council.[6] The Liberal Democrats also held a seat gained through a defection from the Conservatives.[7]
The seats up for election this year were last contested in 2022. In that election, Labour won 17 seats (up 1), the Conservatives won 3 seats (down 1), and the Liberal Democrats won 2 seats (steady).
Council composition
| After 2024 election | Before 2026 election[1][a] | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Seats | Party | Seats | ||
| Labour | 49 | Labour | 51 | ||
| Liberal Democrats | 9 | Liberal Democrats | 9 | ||
| Conservative | 4 | Conservative | 3 | ||
| Green | 1 | Green | 1 | ||
| Reform | 0 | Reform | 1 | ||
| Your Party | N/A | Your Party | 1 | ||
| Independent | 2 | Independent | 0 | ||
| Vacant | 1 | Vacant | 0 | ||
Changes 2024–2026:
- March 2024: Paula Spencer (Labour) dies – by-election held June 2024[8]
- May 2024: John Fairclough (Labour) resigns – by-election held July 2024[9]
- June 2024: Helen Duerden (Labour) wins by-election[10]
- July 2024: Jim Conalty (Labour) wins by-election[11]
- October 2024:
- November 2024: Julia Garner (Labour) wins by-election[14]
- May 2025: Natasha Carlin (Independent, elected as Labour) resigns – by-election held June 2025[15]
- June 2025: David Roscoe (Labour) nominally gains by-election from Independent[16]
- August 2025: Mike Morris (Conservative) joins Reform[17]
