2026 Suffolk County Council election
7 May 2026
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All 70 seats to Suffolk County Council 36 seats needed for a majority | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Map showing the new pattern of electoral divisions to be used in the 2026 Suffolk County Council election. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The 2026 Suffolk County Council election is a local government election for Suffolk County Council in England, United Kingdom. It will take place on 7 May 2026 as part of the 2026 local elections.
Overview
The 2026 election for new councillors for Suffolk County Council will take place on 7 May 2026 as part of the 2026 local elections in the United Kingdom.[2]
This election will be first taken after the implementation of a review by Local Government Boundary Commission for England which will reduce the number of councillors from 75 to 70.[3] All 70 councillors are elected from 69 electoral divisions, which return either one or two county councillors each, by first-past-the-post voting.
Beccles and Kessingland is the only two-member ward, with all other wards being one-member. Voters who live in the two-member division are entitled to cast a maximum of two votes, while those living in the divisions only electing one councillor are only entitled to cast one vote.
The election was postponed from 2025 due to the 2024–present structural changes to local government in England.[2]
The government announced plans to further delay the election to 2027, following support from the Conservative administration, but reversed the decision following a legal challenge.[4]
Previous composition
2021 election
| Party | Seats | |
|---|---|---|
| Conservative | 55 | |
| Green | 9 | |
| Labour | 5 | |
| Liberal Democrats | 4 | |
| Independent | 1 | |
| West Suffolk Independents | 1 | |
| Total | 75 | |
Composition of council seats before election
| Party | Seats | |
|---|---|---|
| Conservative | ||
| Labour | ||
| Liberal Democrats | ||
| Green | ||
| Independent | ||
| West Suffolk Independents | ||
| Reform UK | ||
| Vacant | ||
| Total | 75 | |
Changes between elections
In between the 2021 election and the 2026 election, the following council seats changed hands:
| Division | Date | Previous party | New party | Cause | Resulting council composition | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Con | Grn | Lab | LD | Ind | WSI | Ref | |||||||
| 2021 Suffolk County Council election | 55 | 9 | 5 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | ||||||
| Felixstowe Coastal[5] | 4 May 2023 | Conservative | Liberal Democrats | Sitting councillor died. Liberal Democrats won by-election. | 54 | 9 | 5 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 0 | ||
| Whitehouse & Whitton | 6 February 2024 | Conservative | Independent | Councillor quit party to sit as an independent member. | 53 | 9 | 5 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 0 | ||
| Pakefield | 4 July 2024 | Conservative | Labour | Won by-election. | 52 | 9 | 6 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 0 | ||
| Belstead Brook[6] | 6 September 2024 | Conservative | Reform UK | Councillor defected to Reform UK. | 51 | 9 | 6 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 1 | ||
| Eastgate & Moreton Hall[7] | 21 April 2025 | Conservative | Independent | Councillor quit party to sit as an independent member. | 51 | 9 | 6 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 1 | ||
| Whitehouse & Whitton | Independent | Conservative | Councillor rejoined party. | ||||||||||
| Tower | 3 July 2025 | Conservative | Reform UK | Won by-election. | 50 | 9 | 6 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 2 | ||
| Tower | 18 September 2025 | Conservative | Independent | Councillor quit party to sit as an independent member. | 48 | 9 | 6 | 5 | 3 | 1 | 3 | ||
| Sudbury East and Waldingfield | Conservative | Reform UK | Councillor defected. | ||||||||||
| Whitehouse & Whitton | 30 September 2025 | Conservative | Independent | Councillor quit party to sit as an independent member. | 47 | 9 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 1 | 3 | ||
| Haverhill Cangle | 7 October 2025 | Conservative | Reform UK | Councillor defected. | 46 | 9 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 1 | 4 | ||
| Pakefield | 23 October 2025 | Conservative | Reform UK | Councillor died. | 45 | 9 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 1 | 5 | ||
| Martlesham | 14 January 2026 | Conservative | Reform UK | Councillor defected. | 44 | 9 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 1 | 6 | ||
Summary
Election result
| 2026 Suffolk County Council election | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidates | Seats | Gains | Losses | Net gain/loss | Seats % | Votes % | Votes | +/− | |
| Conservative | ||||||||||
| Green | ||||||||||
| Labour | ||||||||||
| Reform UK | ||||||||||
| Liberal Democrats | ||||||||||
| Independent | ||||||||||
| WSI | ||||||||||
Incumbents by local authority
Babergh
| Ward | Incumbent councillor | Party | Re-standing | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Belstead Brook | Christopher Hudson[a] | Reform UK | ||
| Cosford | Robert Lindsay | Green | ||
| Great Cornard | Peter Beer | Conservative | ||
| Hadleigh | Mick Fraser | Conservative | ||
| Melford | Richard Kemp | Independent | No[8] | |
| Peninsula | Simon Harley | Green | ||
| Samford | Georgia Hall | Conservative | ||
| Stour Valley | James Finch | Conservative | ||
| Sudbury | Jessie Carter | Green | ||
| Sudbury East & Waldingfield | Philip Faircloth-Mutton[a] | Reform UK | ||
East Suffolk
| Division | Incumbent councillor | Party | Re-standing | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aldeburgh & Leiston | TJ Haworth-Cuff | Conservative | ||
| Beccles | Caroline Topping | Green | ||
| Beccles | Ash Lever[b] | Green | ||
| Blything | Richard Smith | Conservative | No[9] | |
| Bungay | Judy Cloke | Conservative | ||
| Carlford | Elaine Bryce | Conservative | ||
| Felixstowe Coastal | Seamus Bennett[c] | Liberal Democrats | ||
| Felixstowe Coastal | Steve Wiles | Conservative | ||
| Felixstowe North & Trimley | Stuart Bird | Conservative | ||
| Framlingham | Stephen Burroughes | Conservative | ||
| Gunton | Ryan Harvey | Conservative | ||
| Gunton | James Reader | Conservative | ||
| Halesworth | Annette Dunning | Green | ||
| Kesgrave & Rushmere St Andrew | Stuart Lawson | Conservative | ||
| Kesgrave & Rushmere St Andrew | Debbie McCallum | Conservative | ||
| Kessingland & Southwold | Michael Ladd | Conservative | ||
| Lowestoft South | Jenny Ceresa | Conservative | ||
| Lowestoft South | Jamie Starling | Conservative | ||
| Martlesham | Patti Mulcahy[a] | Reform UK | ||
| Oulton | Keith Robinson | Conservative | ||
| Oulton | Edward Back | Conservative | ||
| Pakefield | Peter Byatt[d] | Labour | ||
| Pakefield | June Mummery[e] | Reform UK | ||
| Wickham | Alexander Nicoll | Conservative | ||
| Wilford | Andrew Reid | Conservative | ||
| Woodbridge | Ruth Leach[f] | Liberal Democrats | ||
Ipswich
| Ward | Incumbent councillor | Party | Re-standing | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bixley | Paul West | Conservative | ||
| Bridge | Rob Bridgeman | Labour | ||
| Chantry | Nadia Cenci | Conservative | ||
| Chantry | Nathan Wilson | Conservative | ||
| Gainsborough | Liz Harsant | Conservative | ||
| Priory Heath | Lucy Smith[g] | Labour | ||
| Rushmere | Sandy Martin | Labour Co-op | ||
| St Helen's | Elizabeth Farrow | Labour | ||
| St John's | Adele Cook[h] | Labour Co-op | ||
| St Margaret's & Westgate | Inga Lockington | Liberal Democrats | ||
| St Margaret's & Westgate | Debbie Richards | Conservative | ||
| Whitehouse & Whitton | Sam Murray[i] | Independent | ||
| Whitehouse & Whitton | David Goldsmith | Conservative | ||
Mid Suffolk
| Ward | Incumbent councillor | Party | Re-standing | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bosmere | Kay Oakes | Conservative | ||
| Gipping Valley | Chris Chambers | Conservative | ||
| Hartismere | Jessica Fleming | Conservative | ||
| Hoxne & Eye | Henry Lloyd | Conservative | ||
| Stowmarket North & Stowupland | Keith Welham | Green | ||
| Stowmarket South | Keith Scarff | Liberal Democrats | ||
| Thedwastre North | Andy Mellan | Green | ||
| Thedwastre South | Penny Otton | Liberal Democrats | ||
| Thredling | Matthew Hicks | Conservative | ||
| Upper Gipping | Andrew Stringer | Green | ||
West Suffolk
| Ward | Incumbent councillor | Party | Re-standing | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blackbourn | Joanna Spicer | Conservative | No[10] | |
| Brandon | Victor Lukaniuk | WSI | ||
| Clare | Bobby Bennett | Conservative | ||
| Eastgate & Moreton Hall | Peter Thompson | Independent | ||
| Exning & Newmarket | Rachel Hood | Conservative | ||
| Hardwick | Richard Rout | Conservative | ||
| Haverhill Cangle | Joe Mason | Conservative | ||
| Haverhill Cangle | Heike Sowa[a] | Reform UK | ||
| Haverhill East & Kedlington | David Roach | Conservative | ||
| Mildenhall | Lance Stanbury | Conservative | ||
| Newmarket & Red Lodge | Andy Drummond | Conservative | ||
| Row Heath | Colin Noble | Conservative | ||
| Thingoe North | Beccy Hopfensperger | Conservative | ||
| Thingoe South | Karen Soons | Conservative | ||
| Tower | David Nettleton[i] | Independent | ||
| Tower | Martin Robinson[j] | Reform UK | ||
Footnotes
- ^ a b c d Originally elected as a Conservative, but later defected to Reform.
- ^ Elected at the 2022 Beccles by-election.
- ^ Elected at the 2023 Felixstowe Coastal by-election.
- ^ Elected at the 2024 Pakefield by-election.
- ^ Elected at the 2025 Pakefield by-election.
- ^ Elected at the 2023 Woodbridge by-election.
- ^ Elected at the 2023 Priory Heath by-election.
- ^ Elected at the 2025 St John's by-election.
- ^ a b Originally elected as a Conservative, but left the party to sit as an Independent.
- ^ Elected at the 2025 Tower by-election.
References
- ^ "Suffolk Council Composition: Latest". opencouncildata.co.uk. Open Council Data UK. Archived from the original on 19 February 2026. Retrieved 19 February 2026.
- ^ a b Irwin, Vikki (5 November 2025). "Local elections 'should go ahead in May'". BBC News.
- ^ "LGBCE | Suffolk County Council | LGBCE Site". www.lgbce.org.uk. Archived from the original on 24 May 2021. Retrieved 24 May 2021.
- ^ "Government abandons plans to delay 30 council elections". BBC News. 16 February 2026.
- ^ "Suffolk County Council councillor of 17 years dies after short illness". bbc.co.uk. BBC. 31 December 2022. Retrieved 6 May 2024.
- ^ "Suffolk councillor Christopher Hudson joins Reform". eadt.co.uk. East Anglian Daily Times. 6 September 2024. Retrieved 27 September 2024.
- ^ Derrick, Paul (19 May 2023). "Former Bury St Edmunds mayor Peter Thompson quits Conservative Party but will carry on as Independent as "there's still work that needs to be done"". Suffolk News. Retrieved 2 January 2024.
- ^ "Long-serving councillor announces retirement after 52 years in local government". Suffolk News. 21 February 2026. Retrieved 12 March 2026.
- ^ "'Suffolk is a very special place': Top councillor to retire at election after 15 years". Suffolk News. 6 March 2026. Retrieved 12 March 2026.
- ^ "'I've been very privileged': Joanna's public service career drawing to a close after 37 years". Suffolk News. 24 March 2026. Retrieved 24 March 2026.