2026 City of Wolverhampton Council election
7 May 2026
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20 out of 60 seats to City of Wolverhampton Council 31 seats needed for a majority | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The 2026 City of Wolverhampton Council election will take place on Thursday 7 May 2026, alongside other local elections in the United Kingdom. One third of the 60 members of City of Wolverhampton Council in the West Midlands will be elected.
Council composition
| After 2024 election | Before 2026 election | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Seats | Party | Seats | ||
| Labour | 47 | Labour | 44 | ||
| Conservative | 12 | Conservative | 12 | ||
| Reform UK | 0 | Reform UK | 1 | ||
| Independent | 1 | Independent | 3 | ||
Changes 2024–2026:
- June 2024: Claire Darke (Labour) leaves party to sit as an independent[2]
- August 2024: Susan Roberts (Labour) dies – by-election held October 2024[3]
- October 2024: Anita Stanley (Reform) gains by-election from Labour[4]
- July 2025: Greg Brackenridge (Labour) suspended from party[5]
Summary
Background
Wolverhampton was created in 1974 as a metropolitan borough, gaining city status in 2000. Since its creation, the council has either been controlled by Labour or under no overall control.[6] No party held a majority between 1987 and 1988, between 1992 and 1994, and between 2008 and 2011.[7] Labour have held a majority for the previous 15 years, increasing their majority by 1 in 2024 through gaining a seat from the Conservatives.[8]
The 2023 election took place on a new set of ward boundaries.[9]. As such, these elections will be for the councillors elected with the second-highest number of votes. Labour will be defending 16 seats and the Conservatives will be defending 4.
Election result
| 2026 City of Wolverhampton Council election | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | This election | Full council | This election | |||||||
| Seats | Net | Seats % | Other | Total | Total % | Votes | Votes % | +/− | ||
| Labour | 29 | |||||||||
| Conservative | 8 | |||||||||
| Independent | 2 | |||||||||
| Reform UK | 0 | |||||||||
| Green | 0 | |||||||||
| Liberal Democrats | 0 | |||||||||
Incumbents
| Ward | Incumbent councillor | Party | Re-standing | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bilston North | Anita Stanley[a] | Reform | ||
| Bilston South | Gillian Wildman | Labour | ||
| Blakenhall | Tersaim Singh | Labour | ||
| Bushbury North | Andrew McNeil | Conservative | ||
| Bushbury South & Low Hill | Paul Brookfield | Labour | ||
| East Park | Louise Miles | Labour | ||
| Ettingshall North | Jeszemma Howl | Labour | ||
| Ettingshall South & Spring Vale | Jasbinder Dehar | Labour | ||
| Fallings Park | Chris Burden | Labour | ||
| Graiseley | John Reynolds | Labour | ||
| Heath Town | Milkinderpal Jaspal | Labour | ||
| Merry Hill | Carol Hyatt | Labour | ||
| Oxley | Jane Francis | Labour | ||
| Park | Craig Collingswood | Labour | ||
| Penn | Stephanie Haynes | Conservative | ||
| St Peters | Qaiser Azeem | Labour | ||
| Tettenhall Regis | Sohail Khan | Conservative | ||
| Tettenhall Wightwick | Jonathan Crofts | Conservative | ||
| Wednesfield North | Rita Potter | Labour | ||
| Wednesfield South | Ciaran Brackenridge | Labour | ||
References
- ^ Elected at the 2024 Bilston North by-election.
- ^ "Wolverhampton Council Composition: Latest". opencouncildata.co.uk. Open Council Data UK. Archived from the original on 9 February 2026. Retrieved 9 February 2026.
- ^ "Ex-mayor quits Labour party in damning letter to Starmer". BBC News. 24 June 2024. Retrieved 14 January 2026.
- ^ "Tributes paid to 'passionate' Wolverhampton councillor". BBC News. 9 August 2024. Retrieved 14 January 2026.
- ^ "Local Elections Archive Project — Bilston North Ward". www.andrewteale.me.uk. Retrieved 14 January 2026.
- ^ Andrews, Mark (30 July 2025). "'Stolen valour' Wolverhampton councillor suspended by Labour group as Tories call for his resignation". Express and Star. Retrieved 14 January 2026.
- ^ "BBC News - Election 2011 - England council elections - Wolverhampton". BBC News. Retrieved 14 January 2026.
- ^ "Wolverhampton City Council Election Results 1973-2012" (PDF). Elections Centre. Retrieved 14 January 2026.
- ^ "Tories lose control of Dudley council after three years". BBC News. 3 May 2024. Retrieved 14 January 2026.
- ^ The Wolverhampton (Electoral Changes) Order 2022