2026 Sheffield City Council election

Main article: Sheffield City Council elections

2026 Sheffield City Council election
7 May 2026 (2026-05-07)
28 out of 84 seats to Sheffield City Council
43 seats needed for a majority
 
Leader Tom Hunt Martin Smith Angela Argenzio
Party Labour Liberal Democrats Green
Last election 36 seats, 39.8% 27 seats, 21.7% 14 seats, 22.0%
Current seats 36[1] 28 14
 
Leader Dianne Hurst[a]
Party Independent Reform UK
Last election 7 seats, 4.1% 0 seats, 0.4%
Current seats 6[b] 1
Incumbent Leader

Tom Hunt
Labour
No overall control[c]



The 2026 Sheffield City Council election will take place on Thursday 7 May 2026, alongside other local elections in the United Kingdom. One third of the 84 members of Sheffield City Council in South Yorkshire will be elected.

Council composition

After 2024 election Before 2026 election
Party Seats Party Seats
Labour 36 Labour 36
Liberal Democrats 27 Liberal Democrats 28
Green 14 Green 14
Reform UK 0 Reform UK 1
Independent 7[d] Independent 5[d]

Changes 2024–2026:

  • September 2024: Paul Wood (Independent, elected as Labour) dies – by-election held November 2024[2]
  • November 2024: Willis Marshall (Liberal Democrats) nominally gains by-election from Labour[3]
  • May 2025:
    • Julie Grocutt (Independent, elected as Labour) resigns – by-election held June 2025[4]
    • Willis Marshall (Liberal Democrats) suspended from party[5]
  • June 2025: John Booker (Reform) nominally gains by-election from Labour[6]
  • August 2025: Ruth Milsom (Labour) loses whip[7]
  • November 2025: Ruth Milsom (Independent) regains whip[7]
  • February 2026: Willis Marshall (Independent) regains whip[8]

Summary

Background

Sheffield City Council was created in 1974 as a metropolitan borough. Labour saw early success, controlling the council from its creation until 1999 when the Liberal Democrats took control.[9] This lasted until 2002, when the council fell into no overall control.[10] Labour regained the council in 2004, but the Liberal Democrats formed their second majority administration in 2008.[11]

Labour have been the largest party on the council since 2011.[12] However, following a loss of eight seats in 2021, the party have been unable to form a majority administration. Labour initially formed a coalition with the Green Party;[13] from 2022 onwards, though, both the Greens and the Liberal Democrats have joined with Labour to form a coalition.[14][15] In 2023, eight ex-Labour councillors formed an independent group, known as the Sheffield Community Councillors Group, thus forming the principal opposition on the council.[16] Four councillors remain a part of this group.

The seats up for election this year were last contested in 2022. In that election, Labour won 15 seats (down 1), the Liberal Democrats won 9 seats (steady), and the Greens won 4 seats (up 1).[17]

Election result

2026 Sheffield City Council election
Party This election Full council This election
Seats Net Seats % Other Total Total % Votes Votes % +/−
  Labour 23
  Liberal Democrats 18
  Green 10
  Independent 4
  Reform UK 1
  Conservative 0

Incumbents

Ward Incumbent councillor Party Re-standing
Beauchief & Greenhill Simon Clement-Jones Liberal Democrats
Beighton Kurtis Crossthorn Liberal Democrats
Birley Karen McGowan Labour
Broomhill & Sharrow Vale Maleiki Haybe Green
Burngreave Mark Jones Labour
City Martin Phipps Green
Crookes & Crosspool Minesh Parekh Labour Co-op
Darnall Zahira Naz Labour
Dore & Totley Martin Smith Liberal Democrats
East Ecclesfield Craig Gamble-Pugh Labour Co-op
Ecclesall Shaffaq Mohammed Liberal Democrats
Firth Park Fran Belbin[e] Labour Co-op
Fulwood Cliff Woodcraft Liberal Democrats
Gleadless Valley Marieanne Elliot Green
Graves Park Steve Ayris Liberal Democrats
Hillsborough Henry Nottage Green
Manor Castle Terry Fox[f] Independent
Mosborough Gail Smith Liberal Democrats
Nether Edge & Sharrow Nighat Basharat Labour
Park & Arbourthorne Nabeela Mowlana Labour Co-op
Richmond Mike Drabble Labour
Shiregreen & Brightside Garry Weatherall Independent
Southey Jayne Dunn Labour
Stannington William Sapwell[g] Liberal Democrats
Stocksbridge & Upper Don Janet Ridler Labour
Walkley Tom Hunt Labour
West Ecclesfield Mike Levery Liberal Democrats
Woodhouse Willis Marshall[h] Liberal Democrats

Notes

  1. ^ Spokesperson for the Sheffield Community Councillors Group.
  2. ^ Of the 6 Independent councillors before the election, 4 sat in the Sheffield Community Councillors Group and 2 were non-aligned.
  3. ^ Labour–Liberal Democrat–Green coalition.
  4. ^ a b Denise Fox, Terry Fox, Dianne Hurst, and Garry Weatherall sit as part of the Sheffield Community Councillors Group.
  5. ^ Elected at the 2024 Firth Park by-election.
  6. ^ Originally elected as Labour, but left the party to sit as an Independent.
  7. ^ Elected at the 2024 Stannington by-election.
  8. ^ Originally elected at the 2024 Woodhouse by-election as a Liberal Democrat, but was suspended from the party in May 2025.

References

  1. ^ "Sheffield Council Composition: Latest". opencouncildata.co.uk. Open Council Data UK. Archived from the original on 9 February 2026. Retrieved 9 February 2026.
  2. ^ Constable, Oli (17 September 2024). "Tributes paid to Sheffield councillor and 'true gentleman' Paul Wood". BBC News. Retrieved 11 January 2026.
  3. ^ "Local Elections Archive Project — Woodhouse Ward". www.andrewteale.me.uk. Retrieved 11 January 2026.
  4. ^ Sebestyen, Roland (8 May 2025). "Sheffield Community councillor resigns after six years in town hall". The Star. Retrieved 11 January 2026.
  5. ^ "Sheffield's youngest councillor has been suspended". BBC News. 13 May 2025. Retrieved 11 January 2026.
  6. ^ "Local Elections Archive Project — Stocksbridge and Upper Don Ward". www.andrewteale.me.uk. Retrieved 11 January 2026.
  7. ^ a b Sebestyen, Roland (8 August 2025). "Sheffield councillor loses whip after getting caught anonymously commenting on social media". Rayo. Retrieved 11 January 2026.
  8. ^ "Complaint against youngest councillor dismissed". BBC News. 24 February 2025. Retrieved 11 March 2026.
  9. ^ "BBC News - Election 2011 - England council elections - Sheffield". BBC News. Retrieved 12 January 2026.
  10. ^ "Sheffield City Council Election Results 1973-2012" (PDF). Elections Centre. Retrieved 12 January 2026.
  11. ^ "Lib Dems take power in Sheffield". 2 May 2008. Retrieved 12 January 2026.
  12. ^ "Labour takes control of Sheffield City Council". BBC News. 5 May 2011. Retrieved 12 January 2026.
  13. ^ "Sheffield City Council: Labour and Green coalition to run authority". BBC News. 19 May 2021. Retrieved 12 January 2026.
  14. ^ "Labour, Greens and the Liberal Democrats agree collaborative way forward". SheffNews. Archived from the original on 18 May 2022. Retrieved 12 January 2026.
  15. ^ "Three parties to lead Sheffield City Council for third year". Sheffield City Council. Retrieved 12 January 2026.
  16. ^ "Sheffield local elections: Fighting on locals' behalf – what to expect from the Community Councillors Group?". The Star. 18 April 2024. Retrieved 12 January 2026.
  17. ^ "Sheffield result - Local Elections 2022". BBC News. Retrieved 12 January 2026.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 unless otherwise noted. Additional terms may apply for the media files.