2026 Southampton City Council election
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7 May 2026
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18 out of 51 seats to Southampton City Council 26 seats needed for a majority | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The 2026 Southampton City Council election will be held on 7 May 2026, alongside the other local elections across the United Kingdom being held on the same day, to elect 17 of 51 members of Southampton City Council.[2]
Due to ongoing local government reorganisation, this will be the final election to Southampton City Council before it is abolished and replaced by a successor unitary authority. Elections to the successor authority are due to take place in 2027.
| After 2024 election | Before 2026 election | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Seats | Party | Seats | ||
| Labour | 36 | Labour | 32 | ||
| Conservative | 10 | Conservative | 9 | ||
| Liberal Democrats | 4 | Liberal Democrats | 7 | ||
| Green | 1 | Green | 2 | ||
| Reform | 0 | Reform | 1 | ||
Changes 2024–2026:
- August 2024: Satvir Kaur (Labour) resigns – by-election held October 2024[3]
- October 2024: George Percival (Liberal Democrats) gains by-election from Labour[4]
- March 2025: Matt Renyard (Labour) joins Greens[5]
- June 2025: Matthew Bunday (Labour) joins Liberal Democrats[6]
- August 2025: Rebecca McCreanor (Labour) joins Liberal Democrats[7]
- January 2026: George Percival (Liberal Democrats) resigns – by-election held February 2026[8]
- February 2026:
Summary
Background
In 2024, Labour retained control of the council.[11]
Election result
| 2026 Southampton City Council election[1] | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | This election | Full council | This election | |||||||
| Seats | Net | Seats % | Other | Total | Total % | Votes | Votes % | +/− | ||
| Labour | 22 | |||||||||
| Conservative | 6 | |||||||||
| Liberal Democrats | 4 | |||||||||
| Green | 2 | |||||||||
| Reform | 0 | |||||||||
| Independent | 0 | |||||||||
Incumbents
| Ward | Incumbent councillor |
Party | Re-standing | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Banister & Polygon | Steve Leggett | Labour | Yes | |
| Bargate | John Noon | Labour | Yes | |
| Bassett | Sam Chapman | Liberal Democrats | Yes | |
| Bevois | Mike Denness | Labour | No | |
| Bitterne Park | Phil Webb | Labour | Yes | |
| Coxford | Rebecca McCreanor | Liberal Democrats | No | |
| Freemantle | Pam Kenny | Labour | Yes | |
| Harefield | Valerie Laurent | Conservative | No | |
| Millbrook | Jeremy Moulton | Conservative | Yes | |
| Peartree | Alex Houghton | Conservative | Yes | |
| Portswood | Marie Finn | Labour | Yes | |
| Redbridge | Lee Whitbread | Labour | No | |
| Shirley | Alexander Winning | Labour | Yes | |
| Sholing | Sarah Powell-Vaughan[b] | Reform | Yes | |
| Swaythling | Matthew Bunday[c] | Liberal Democrats | No | |
| Thornhill | Andy Frampton | Labour | Yes | |
| Woolston | Sue Blatchford | Labour | No | |
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