2026 Harlow District Council election

2026 Harlow District Council election

7 May 2026 (2026-05-07)

11 out of 33 seats to Harlow District Council
17 seats needed for a majority
 
Leader Dan Swords James Griggs
Party Conservative Labour Reform UK
Last election 17 seats, 51.5% 16 seats, 43.8% Did not stand
Current seats 17[1] 15 1

Incumbent Leader

Dan Swords
Conservative



The 2026 Harlow District Council election will take place on 7 May 2026 to elect members of Harlow District Council in Essex, England.[2] This was on the same day as other local elections.

Summary

Council composition

After 2024 election Before 2026 election
Party Seats Party Seats
Conservative 17 Conservative 17
Labour 16 Labour 15
Reform UK 0 Reform UK 1

Changes 2024–2026:

  • August 2024: Chris Vince (Labour) resigns – by-election held October 2024[3]
  • October 2024: Linda Clark (Labour) wins by-election[4]
  • March 2025: Aiden O'Dell (Labour) resigns – by-election held May 2025[5]
  • May 2025: Paul Jago (Reform) gains by-election from Labour[6]

Election result

2026 Harlow District Council election
Party This election Full council This election
Seats Net Seats % Other Total Total % Votes Votes % +/−
  Conservative 11
  Labour 10
  Reform UK 1
  Green 0
  Liberal Democrats 0
  Independent 0
  Harlow Alliance 0

Incumbents

Ward Incumbent councillor Party Re-standing
Bush Fair Mark Ingall Labour
Church Langley North &
Newhall
Michael Hardware Conservative
Church Langley South &
Potter Street
James Leppard Conservative
Great Parndon Matthew Saggers Conservative
Latton Bush & Stewards Stacy Seales Conservative
Little Parndon & Town Centre Maggie Hulcoop[a] Labour
Mark Hall Lanie Shears Labour
Netteswell Stafan Mullard-Toal Labour
Old Harlow Sue Livings Conservative
Passmores Jake Shepherd Labour Co-op
Sumners & Kingsmoor Emma Ghaffari Conservative

Candidates

References

  1. ^ Elected at the 2024 Little Parndon & Town Centre by-election.
  1. ^ "Harlow Council Composition: Latest". opencouncildata.co.uk. Open Council Data UK. Archived from the original on 17 February 2026. Retrieved 17 February 2026.
  2. ^ "Update on May 2026 local authority elections". mhclgmedia.blog.gov.uk. Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG). 16 February 2026. Archived from the original on 16 February 2026. Retrieved 16 February 2026.
  3. ^ Boothroyd, David. "Kamala not with the liberal Democrats". Localcouncils.co.uk. Retrieved 12 March 2026.
  4. ^ "Local Elections Archive Project — Little Parndon and Town Centre Ward". www.andrewteale.me.uk. Retrieved 12 March 2026.
  5. ^ Casey, Michael (14 March 2025). "By-election in Mark Hall set to be held as Labour councillor steps down". Your Harlow. Retrieved 12 March 2026.
  6. ^ "Local Elections Archive Project — Mark Hall Ward". www.andrewteale.me.uk. Retrieved 12 March 2026.