2026 Welwyn Hatfield Borough Council election
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7 May 2026
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17 out of 48 seats to Welwyn Hatfield Borough Council 25 seats needed for a majority | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The 2026 Welwyn Hatfield Borough Council election will be held on 7 May 2026 to elect members to Welwyn Hatfield Borough Council in Hertfordshire, England.[1][2] It will take place on the same day as other local elections.[3] 16 of the council's 48 seats are up for election, with an additional 17th seat being contested in Welwyn East due to a by-election.[1] In January 2026, the election was cancelled in preparation for structural changes to local government, however, the government reversed its decision the following month.[3][4] This election will be the last held in Welwyn Hatfield before local government reorganisation.
Prior to the election, the Labour Party holds a plurality of seats and runs the council in a coalition with the Liberal Democrats, while the Conservative Party serves as the official opposition.[5][6][7] Additionally, there are two Green Party councillors and two independent councillors, three of whom were elected as Labour councillors and the other who was elected as a Liberal Democrat.[5][8][9][10][11] The seat of Welwyn East, previously held by Conservative councillor Roger Trigg, was left vacant following Trigg's death in January 2026.[12]
Previous council composition
In the 2024 local elections, the Labour Party won 8 seats while the Liberal Democrats and Conservative Party won 4 seats each, maintaining no overall control of the council.[13] The Liberal Democrats and Labour had formed a coalition after the 2023 election, though, following the 2024 election, Labour overtook the Liberal Democrats and became the main party in the coalition, with Labour councillor Max Holloway of Howlands being appointed leader of the council.[14] In the 2024 general election, the constituency of Welwyn Hatfield was won by the Labour Party candidate Andrew Lewin, who unseated defence secretary and 19-year Conservative incumbent Grant Shapps, while the Hertsmere constituency (which includes the Northaw and Cuffley ward of Welwyn Hatfield borough) was held by Conservative Oliver Dowden, the former deputy prime minister under Rishi Sunak.[15][16]
There were two by-elections held between the 2024 and 2026 elections, both held in conjunction with the 2025 Hertfordshire County Council election:
| Ward | Date | Incumbent | Winner | Cause | Ref. | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Councillor | Party | Candidate | ||||||
| Brookmans Park and Little Heath | 1 May 2025 | Conservative | Jonathan Boulton | Conservative | Fiona Thomson | Resignation | [17][18] | ||
| Peartree | 1 May 2025 | Liberal Democrats | Simon Goldwater | Liberal Democrats | Fauzia Haider | Resignation | [19][20] | ||
In January 2025, councillor Sunny Thusu of Welwyn West was suspended from the Conservative Party after it was revealed that he had cheated on his medical school exams in 2023.[21] He subsequently sat as an independent, though his suspension was lifted in June 2025.[22] In May 2025, councillor Larry Crofton of Hatfield East left the Labour Party and joined the Green Party, citing disagreements with the national Labour government.[8] In August 2025, councillor Jill Weston of Howlands left Labour to sit as an independent after disagreements over the Labour government's position on the Gaza war.[9] In January 2026, councillor Lucy Musk of Haldens left Labour and joined the Green Party over disagreements with Keir Starmer's Labour government.[10] That month, Conservative councillor Roger Trigg of Welwyn East died, leaving the seat vacant.[12]
On 15 January 2026, the council held a non-binding vote on whether to cancel the 2026 elections in preparation for local government reorganisaton, with a binding cabinet vote after the full council meeting.[23] The full council voted 24–15 against cancellation, but the cabinet voted 4–3 for cancellation, with the Labour councillors in the cabinet voting for and the Liberal Democrat councillors voting against.[2][24][25] Following the cabinet vote, the Liberal Democrats withdrew from their coalition agreement with Labour, with Liberal Democrat leader Jane Quinton accusing Labour of a "betrayal of democracy".[26][27] The election was formally cancelled by Steve Reed, the secretary of state for local government, on 22 January.[28] On 29 January, following criticism from other parties, Labour leader of the council Max Holloway of Howlands announced he would be standing down as leader on 6 February, when a new leader would be elected.[29][30] In February 2026, Labour councillor Rose Grewal of Hatfield Villages was elected as the new leader of the council to replace Holloway, with a tentative new coalition agreement with the Liberal Democrats in the final stages of negotiation.[6] That same month, the government announced that all cancelled elections in England, including Welwyn Hatfield, were to go ahead following a legal challenge by Reform UK.[2][3] On 16 February, councillor Jane Quinton of Panshanger announced that she would be standing down as deputy leader of the council and leader of the council's Liberal Democrat group.[31] She was replaced in both roles by councillor Sandreni Bonfante of Welham Green and Hatfield South.[31][32] In March 2026, councillor Russ Platt of Peartree left the Liberal Democrats to sit as an independent, stating that he could not "sit comfortably" in a joint administration with Labour following their attempted cancellation of the May elections.[11]
| After 2024 election[13] | Before 2026 election[5] | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Seats | Party | Seats | ||
| Labour | 20 | Labour | 17 | ||
| Liberal Democrats | 16 | Liberal Democrats | 15 | ||
| Conservative | 12 | Conservative | 11 | ||
| Green | 0 | Green | 2 | ||
| Independent | 0 | Independent | 2 | ||
| Vacant | N/a | Vacant | 1 | ||
Changes
- January 2025: Sunny Thusu (Conservative, Welwyn West) was suspended from the Conservatives after it was revealed that he cheated on his medical school exams in 2023.[21]
- May 2025: Larry Crofton (Labour, Hatfield East) left Labour and joined the Green Party.[8]
- June 2025: Sunny Thusu (Independent, Welwyn West) had his suspension lifted and was readmitted to the Conservative group on the council.[22]
- August 2025: Jill Weston (Labour, Howlands) left Labour to sit as an independent after disagreements over the Labour government's position on the Gaza war.[9]
- January 2026: Lucy Musk (Labour, Haldens) left Labour and joined the Green Party;[10] Roger Trigg (Conservative, Welwyn East) died.[12]
- March 2026: Russ Platt (Liberal Democrat, Peartree) left the Liberal Democrats to sit as an independent after disagreements over the Labour and Liberal Democrat joint administration's position on cancelling the May local elections.[11]
Election result
| 2026 Welwyn Hatfield Borough Council election | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | This election | Full council | This election | |||||||
| Seats | Net | Seats % | Other | Total | Total % | Votes | Votes % | +/− | ||
| Labour | 13 | |||||||||
| Liberal Democrats | 9 | |||||||||
| Conservative | 7 | |||||||||
| Green | 0 | |||||||||
| Independent | 0 |  |
0.0 | 2 | 2 | 4.2 | N/A[b] | N/A | N/A | |
| Reform | 0 | |||||||||
| Heritage | 0 | |||||||||
