2026 Preston City Council election

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2026 Preston City Council election
7 May 2026 (2026-05-07)
16 out of 48 seats to Preston City Council
25 seats needed for a majority
Turnout33.7%
  First party Second party Third party
 
Leader Matthew Brown John Potter Stephen Thompson
Party Labour Liberal Democrats Reform
Last election 30 seats, 40.3% 12 seats, 29.1% 0 seats, 0.8%
Seats before 26[1] 14 1
Seats won 4 5 5
Seats after 22 14 5
Seat change Decrease 4 Steady Increase 4
Popular vote 7,859 8,582 10,235
Percentage 21.1% 22.7% 27.4%
Swing Decrease 19.2% Decrease 6.4% Increase 26.6%
  Fourth party Fifth party Sixth party
 
Leader Harry Landless Avery Greatorex
Party Conservative Green Independent
Last election 6 seats, 21.4% Did not stand 0 seats, 1.7%
Seats before 5 0 2[a]
Seats won 0 2 0
Seats after 3 2 2
Seat change Decrease 2 Increase 2 Steady
Popular vote 4,053 6,170 460
Percentage 10.9% 16.7% 1.2%
Swing Decrease 10.5% N/A Decrease 0.5%
Results of the 2026 Preston City Council Election
Leader before election

Matthew Brown
Labour Co-op

 Leader after election

Matthew Brown
Labour Co-op
No overall control[b]

The 2026 Preston City Council election was held on 7 May 2026, alongside the other local elections across the United Kingdom being held on the same day, to elect 16 of 48 members of Preston City Council in Lancashire, England.[2]

Background

In 2024, the Labour Party retained majority control of the council.[3][4] In January 2026, the council asked for the election to be postponed pending local government reorganisation.[5] However it was rescheduled on 16 February 2026.[6]

Council composition

After 2024 election Before 2026 election
Party Seats Party Seats
Labour 30 Labour 26
Liberal Democrats 12 Liberal Democrats 14
Conservative 6 Conservative 5
Reform 0 Reform 1
Independent 0 Independent 3

Changes 2024–2026:

  • May 2024: David Borrow (Labour) resigns – by-election held July 2024[7]
  • July 2024: Sean Little (Liberal Democrats) gains by-election from Labour[8]
  • March 2025: Carol Henshaw (Labour) suspended from party[a][9]
  • September 2025:
    • Robert Boswell (Labour) resigns – by-election held October 2025[10]
    • Stephen Thompson (Conservative) joins Reform[11]
  • October 2025:
    • Ronan Hodgson (Liberal Democrats) gains by-election from Labour[12]
    • Liz Atkins (Labour) leaves party to sit as an independent[13]
  • May 2026: Freddie Bailey (Labour) suspended from party[14]

Election result

Preston City Council's composition following the 2026 elections.
2026 Preston City Council election
Party This election Full council This election
Seats Net Seats % Other Total Total % Votes Votes % +/−
  Labour 4 Decrease 4 21.0 18 22 45.8 7,859 21.1 –19.2
  Liberal Democrats 5 Steady 31.3 9 14 29.2 8,582 22.7 –6.4
  Reform 5 Increase 4 31.3 0 5 10.4 10,235 27.4 +26.6
  Conservative 0 Decrease 2 0.0 0 3 6.3 4,053 10.9 –10.5
  Green 2 Increase 2 12.5 0 2 4.2 6,170 16.7 N/A
  Independent 0 Steady 0.0 2 2 4.2 460 1.2 –0.5
  TUSC 0 Steady 0.0 0 0 0.0 22 0.1 –2.4

Ward results

Ashton

Ashton
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Ronan Hodgson* 836 33.5 +12.0
Reform Lee Slater 723 29.0 N/A
Labour Andrw Maclaren 428 17.1 −41.7
Green Rachel Gill 373 14.9 N/A
Conservative Keith Sedgewick 136 5.4 −14.3
Majority 113 4.5 N/A
Turnout 2,503 38.6 +11.4
Registered electors 6,481
Liberal Democrats gain from Labour

Brookfield

Brookfield
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Reform Rob Walsh 665 42.5 N/A
Labour Mel Close* 437 28.0 −38.5
Green Robin Weston 237 15.2 N/A
Conservative Daniel Duckworth 118 7.5 −6.4
Liberal Democrats Rebecca Potter 106 6.8 −12.8
Majority 228 14.5 N/A
Turnout 1,565 27.4 +8.6
Registered electors 5,721
Reform gain from Labour

Cadley

Cadley
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Daniel Gregg* 1,037 40.2 −8.1
Reform Flo Emmanuel 762 29.6 N/A
Labour Isaac Omopariola 304 11.8 −14.6
Green Jono Grisdale 282 10.9 N/A
Conservative Lakwinder Singh 192 7.5 −9.5
Majority 275 10.6 –11.3
Turnout 2,584 38.4 +8.6
Registered electors 6,728
Liberal Democrats hold

City Centre

City Centre
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Green Tina Balmer 821 39.7 N/A
Labour Mark Routledge 572 27.7 Decrease30.7
Reform Lorenzo More 357 17.3 N/A
Conservative Andy Pratt 199 9.6 Decrease11.5
Liberal Democrats Sam Zhang-Peak 119 5.8 Decrease14.7
Majority 249 12.0 N/A
Turnout 2,080 24.0 Increase5.0
Registered electors 8,655
Green gain from Labour

Deepdale

Deepdale
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Zafar Coupland* 1,219 54.1 +3.2
Green Kevin Rigotti 636 28.2 N/A
Reform John Knight 231 10.2 N/A
Liberal Democrats Nathalie Cain 87 3.9 −6.7
Conservative Nigel Lister 82 3.6 −3.6
Majority 583 25.9 +6.0
Turnout 2,260 33.8 +5.7
Registered electors 6,682
Labour hold

Fishwick & Frenchwood

Fishwick & Frenchwood
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Co-op Valerie Wise* 846 43.9 −17.2
Green Christopher Soames 594 30.8 N/A
Reform Stephen Gregson 298 15.5 N/A
Conservative Ash Jariwala 115 6.0 −7.3
Liberal Democrats Joanne Joyner 73 3.8 −21.8
Majority 252 13.1 N/A
Turnout 1,932 31.4 +3.9
Registered electors 6,146
Labour Co-op hold

Garrison

Garrison
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Amber Afzal* 983 36.8 −17.0
Reform Simon Holmes 774 29.0 N/A
Green Helen Disley 356 13.3 N/A
Conservative Al-Yasa Khan 254 9.5 −10.8
Liberal Democrats Claire Craven 239 9.0 −16.9
Independent Aran Bailey 64 2.4 N/A
Majority 209 7.8 –20.1
Turnout 2,674 39.8 +9.8
Registered electors 6,716
Labour hold

Greyfriars

Greyfriars
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Fiona Duke* 1,258 45.1 −2.3
Reform Simon Crowe 622 22.3 N/A
Labour Joanne Black 309 11.1 −12.8
Conservative Andrew Bielas-Barnes 309 11.1 −17.6
Green Jacon Bilsborrow 294 10.5 N/A
Majority 636 22.8 +4.1
Turnout 2,796 44.6 +8.9
Registered electors 6,276
Liberal Democrats hold

Ingol & Cottam

Ingol & Cottam
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Neil Darby* 1,248 45.3 +1.6
Reform David Preston 821 29.8 +19.4
Conservative Sarah Hart 281 10.2 −17.7
Green Toby Worth 239 8.7 N/A
Labour Derek Barton 163 5.9 −12.1
Majority 427 15.5 –0.3
Turnout 2,756 35.1 +8.8
Registered electors 7,853
Liberal Democrats hold Swing Decrease8.9

Lea & Larches

Lea & Larches
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Reform Jemma Rushe 829 39.2 N/A
Liberal Democrats Sean Little* 823 38.9 +2.7
Labour Bill Adams 222 10.5 −24.9
Green Keith Berry 162 7.7 N/A
Conservative Javaris Maharaj 79 3.7 −5.5
Majority 6 0.3 N/A
Turnout 2,122 32.8 +7.8
Registered electors 6,480
Reform gain from Labour

Plungington

Plungington
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Green Gabie Lowe 641 37.3 N/A
Labour Pav Akhtar* 538 31.3 Decrease30.8
Reform Susan Brown 438 25.5 N/A
Conservative Frankie Kennedy 81 4.7 Decrease10.3
TUSC Penelope Dawber 22 1.3 Decrease8.8
Majority 103 6.0 N/A
Turnout 1,831 21.8 Increase4.5
Registered electors 8,417
Green gain from Labour

Preston Rural East

Preston Rural East
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Reform Daniel Nuttall 1,172 32.3 N/A
Conservative Steven Whittam* 980 27.0 −21.5
Liberal Democrats Liam Yip 610 16.8 −2.7
Green Karen Kendall 523 14.4 N/A
Labour Beth Moore 345 9.5 −22.5
Majority 192 5.3 N/A
Turnout 3,634 39.4 +11.4
Registered electors 9,222
Reform gain from Conservative

Preston Rural North

Preston Rural North
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Reform Stephen Thompson* 983 34.1 N/A
Liberal Democrats Rene van Mierlo 932 32.3 −15.6
Conservative Fay Whittam 515 17.8 −17.5
Green Daniel Bennett 244 8.5 N/A
Labour Lynne Brooks 212 7.3 −9.5
Majority 51 1.8 N/A
Turnout 2,892 39.4 +11.9
Registered electors 7,339
Reform gain from Conservative

Ribbleton

Ribbleton
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Reform Vasile Alecu 625 47.1 N/A
Labour Michael McGowan 340 25.6 −39.6
Green Daniel Thompson 200 15.1 N/A
Conservative Tes Slater 89 6.7 −11.2
Liberal Democrats Edward Craven 72 5.4 −11.6
Majority 285 21.5 –25.8
Turnout 1,328 22.7 +6.2
Registered electors 5,846
Reform gain from Labour

Sharoe Green

Sharoe Green
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Jack Singh 975 34.3 −9.3
Reform Brian Ollerton 638 22.5 N/A
Conservative Maxwell Green* 552 19.4 −2.3
Green Amy Strettle 351 12.4 N/A
Labour Rick Seymour 323 11.4 −23.2
Majority 337 11.8 N/A
Turnout 2,847 45.0 +5.7
Registered electors 6,324
Liberal Democrats gain from Conservative

St Matthew's

St Matthew's
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Takhsin Akhtar 618 36.1 −28.2
Independent Waqas Ahmed 396 23.1 N/A
Reform Charlie Fitzpatrick 297 17.4 N/A
Green Gareth Basterfield 270 15.8 N/A
Conservative Tayo Korede 71 4.1 −9.6
Liberal Democrats Anita Murray 59 3.4 −18.6
Majority 222 13.0 –29.3
Turnout 1,713 26.7 +6.5
Registered electors 6,408
Labour hold

Notes

  1. Some sources report that Carol Henshaw has joined Your Party. However, she is listed by Preston City Council as an independent.
  2. Labour minority.

References

  1. "Preston Council Composition: Latest". opencouncildata.co.uk. Open Council Data UK. Archived from the original on 17 February 2026. Retrieved 17 February 2026.
  2. mhclgpress (16 February 2026). "Update on May 2026 local authority elections – MHCLG in the Media". mhclgmedia.blog.gov.uk. Retrieved 17 February 2026.
  3. "Preston result - Local Elections 2024". BBC News. Retrieved 17 February 2026.
  4. Coyle, Simon (2 May 2024). "Preston local council election 2024 results in full". Manchester Evening News. Retrieved 17 February 2026.
  5. "Lancashire local elections 2026: where and why they have been cancelled - and when you can now vote". Lancashire Evening Post. 31 January 2026. Retrieved 17 February 2026.
  6. "Elections 2026". Preston City Council. Retrieved 17 February 2026.
  7. Beardsworth, Luke (24 May 2024). "Prominent Preston City Council Labour councillor David Borrow resigns triggering by-election for Lea and Larches". Blog Preston. Retrieved 25 March 2026.
  8. "Local Elections Archive Project — Lea and Larches Ward". www.andrewteale.me.uk. Retrieved 25 March 2026.
  9. Faulkner, Paul (11 March 2025). "Preston Labour councillor suspended after 'antisemitism' complaint". BBC News. Retrieved 25 March 2026.
  10. Faulkner, Paul (5 September 2025). "Veteran Preston councillor steps down for 'personal reasons' prompting by-election". Lancashire Evening Post. Retrieved 25 March 2026.
  11. Faulkner, Paul (2 September 2025). "Preston City Coucil's Conservative group leader defects to Reform". BBC News. Retrieved 25 March 2026.
  12. "Local Elections Archive Project — Ashton Ward". www.andrewteale.me.uk. Retrieved 25 March 2026.
  13. Walker, Ed (23 October 2025). "Ashton councillor Liz Atkins quits Preston Labour to sit as independent". Blog Preston. Retrieved 25 March 2026.
  14. Faulkner, Paul (7 May 2026). "Preston city councillor and cabinet member suspended by Labour Party". Lancashire Evening Post. Retrieved 19 May 2026.