2026 Burnley Borough Council election

2026 Burnley Borough Council election
7 May 2026 (2026-05-07)
15 out of 45 seats to Burnley Borough Council
23 seats needed for a majority
Registered67,774
Turnout26,491
39.1%
 
Leader Mark Townsend Afrasiab Anwar Jamie McGowan
Party Labour Independent Conservative
Last election 15 seats, 32.4% 10 seats, 21.9% 8 seats, 26.3%
Current seats 13[1] 11[a] 7
 
Leader Howard Baker Jack Launer Alan Hosker
Party Liberal Democrats Green Reform
Last election 7 seats, 9.2% 5 seats, 10.1% Did not stand
Current seats 7 5 2
Results by ward
Incumbent Leader

Afrasiab Anwar
Independent
No overall control[b]


The 2026 Burnley Borough Council election will take place on 7 May 2026 to elect members of Burnley Borough Council in Lancashire, 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
Labour 15 Labour 13
Conservative 8 Conservative 7
Liberal Democrats 7 Liberal Democrats 7
Green 5 Green 5
Reform 0 Reform 2
Independent 10 Independent 11

Changes 2024–2026:

  • February 2025: Charlie Briggs (Labour, elected as BAPIP) leaves party to sit as an independent[3]
  • June 2025: Alan Hosker (Conservative) leaves party to sit as an independent[4]
  • August 2025:
    • Fiona Wild (Labour) leaves party to sit as an independent[5]
    • Alan Hosker (Independent) and Jeff Sumner (Liberal Democrats) join Reform[6][7]
    • Charlie Briggs (Independent) joins Liberal Democrats[8]
  • September 2025: Fiona Wild (Independent) and Syeda Kazmi (Independent, elected as Labour) resign – by-elections held November 2025[9][10]
  • November 2025: Shiraz Ahmed (Independent) and Musharaf Parvez (Independent) gain by-elections from Labour[11][12]

Incumbents

Ward Incumbent councillor Party Re-standing
Bank Hall Afrasiab Anwar[c] Independent Yes
Briercliffe Gordon Lishman Liberal Democrats No
Brunshaw Christine Sollis[c] Independent No
Cliviger with Worsthorne Jack Launer Green Yes[d]
Coalclough with Deerplay Gordon Birtwistle Liberal Democrats Yes
Daneshouse with Stoneyholme Shah Hussain[c] Independent Yes
Gannow Neil Mottershead[e] Conservative Yes
Gawthorpe Alun Lewis Labour Yes
Hapton with Park Jamie McGowan Conservative Yes
Lanehead Sue Graham Labour Yes
Queensgate Musharaf Parvez[f] Independent No
Rosegrove with Lowerhouse Gail Barton Labour No
Rosehill with Burnley Wood Jeff Sumner[g] Reform Yes
Trinity Alex Hall[h] Green No
Whittlefield with Ightenhall Mike Steel Conservative Yes

Election result

2026 Burnley Borough Council election[13]
Party This election Full council This election
Candidates Seats Net Seats % Other Total Total % Votes Votes % +/−
  Reform {{{candidates}}} 11 Increase 11 73.33 1 12 26.67 11,440 43.27
  Independent {{{candidates}}} 3 Increase 3 20.00 7 10 22.22 3,575 13.52
  Liberal Democrats {{{candidates}}} 1 Decrease 2 6.67 5 6 13.33 3,126 11.83
  Labour {{{candidates}}} 0 Decrease 7 0.00 10 10 22.22 3,242 12.26
  Conservative {{{candidates}}} 0 Decrease 2 0.00 4 4 8.89 2,792 10.56
  Green {{{candidates}}} 0 Decrease 2 0.00 3 3 6.67 2,264 8.56
  BAPIP {{{candidates}}} 0 Decrease 1 0.00 0 0 0.00 0 0.00

Ward results

Bank Hall

Bank Hall
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Independent Afrasiab Anwar* 906 56.2
Reform Trevor Williams 500 31.0
Labour Mohammed Ali 206 12.8
Majority 406 25.2
Rejected ballots 12
Turnout 1,624 37.6
Registered electors 4,316
Independent gain from Labour Swing

Briercliffe

Briercliffe
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Reform Mark Poulton 1,003 51.0
Liberal Democrats Pippa Lishman 788 40.1
Labour Pete Coles 122 6.2
Conservative Susan Nutter 54 2.7
Majority 215 10.9
Rejected ballots 4
Turnout 1,971 45.8
Registered electors 4,305
Reform gain from Liberal Democrats Swing

Brunshaw

Brunshaw
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Reform Josh Graham 901 57.4
Green Jack Launer* 306 19.5
Labour Millie Towers 257 16.4
Conservative Maison McGowan-Doe 107 6.8
Majority 595 37.9
Rejected ballots 4
Turnout 1,575 34.9
Registered electors 4,513
Reform gain from Labour Swing

Cliviger with Worsthorne

Cliviger with Worsthorne
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Reform Gavin Theaker 1,215 51.6
Conservative Simon Bonney 514 21.8
Green Affan Burki 263 11.2
Liberal Democrats Frank Bartram 187 7.9
Labour Gail Barton 176 7.5
Majority 701 29.8
Rejected ballots 5
Turnout 2,361 52.6
Registered electors 4,486
Reform gain from Green Swing

Coalclough with Deerplay

Coalclough with Deerplay
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Gordon Birtwistle* 751 44.6
Reform Tom Pickup 669 39.8
Labour Jeffrey Slee 161 9.6
Conservative Abbey Hartley 101 6.0
Majority 82 4.8
Rejected ballots 2
Turnout 1,684 41.3
Registered electors 4,082
Liberal Democrats hold Swing

Daneshouse with Stoneyholme

Daneshouse with Stoneyholme
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Independent Shah Hussain* 1,092 57.1
Liberal Democrats Muhammad Shahid Mahmood 564 29.5
Labour James Harrison 157 8.2
Reform Eddie Kutavicius 99 5.2
Majority 528
Rejected ballots 9
Turnout 1,921 38.1
Registered electors 5,045
Independent gain from Labour Swing

Gannow

Gannow
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Reform Angela Radcliffe 782 50.7
Conservative Neil Mottershead* 382 24.8
Labour Daniel Armitage 193 12.5
Green Alex Hall 186 12.1
Majority 400 25.9
Rejected ballots 3
Turnout 1,546 34.0
Registered electors 4,541
Reform gain from BAPIP Swing

Gawthorpe

Gawthorpe
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Reform Victoria Taylor 856 54.9
Labour Alun Lewis* 422 27.1
Conservative Rhys Williams 142 9.1
Green Edward Swift 139 8.9
Majority 434 27.8
Rejected ballots 3
Turnout 1,562 35.9
Registered electors 4,346
Reform gain from Labour Swing

Hapton with Park

Hapton with Park
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Reform Steve Keogh 883 46.0
Conservative Jamie McGowan* 659 34.4
Labour Elaine Cotterell 195 10.2
Green Sue Price 181 9.4
Majority 224 31.6
Rejected ballots 14
Turnout 1,932 39.7
Registered electors 4,867
Reform gain from Conservative Swing

Lanehead

Lanehead
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Reform James Halstead 681 32.1
Independent Raf Ali 513 24.2
Liberal Democrats Asif Raja 495 23.4
Labour Sue Graham* 285 13.4
Green Andrew Newhouse 145 6.8
Majority 168 7.9
Rejected ballots 15
Turnout 2,134 45.1
Registered electors 4,736
Reform gain from Labour Swing

Queensgate

Queensgate
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Independent Zulkernehn Hayat 936 54.9
Reform Felix Nowell 415 24.4
Labour Carol Lukey 239 14.0
Liberal Democrats Javad Mokhammad 114 6.7
Majority 521 30.5
Rejected ballots 11
Turnout 1,715 37.5
Registered electors 4,572
Independent gain from Labour Swing

Rosegrove with Lowerhouse

Rosegrove with Lowerhouse
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Reform Liam Thomson 907 56.9
Labour Daniel Tierney 302 18.9
Green Christopher Bridges 159 10.0
Conservative Kate Mottershead 146 9.2
Liberal Democrats Arthur Lishman 81 5.1
Majority 605 38.0
Rejected ballots 0
Turnout 1,595 32.5
Registered electors 4,907
Reform gain from Labour Swing

Rosehill with Burnley Wood

Rosehill with Burnley Wood
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Reform Jeff Sumner* 902 57.0
Green Fin Hewitt 242 15.3
Labour Laura Coles 189 11.9
Liberal Democrats Kathryn Haworth 146 9.2
Conservative Dale Ferrier 104 6.6
Majority 660 41.7
Rejected ballots 4
Turnout 1,587 35.3
Registered electors 4,495
Reform gain from Liberal Democrats Swing

Trinity

Trinity
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Reform Kev Shackell 610 51.3
Green Julie Hurt 428 36.0
Labour Dylan Rea 152 12.8
Majority 182 15.3
Rejected ballots 9
Turnout 1,199 29.8
Registered electors 4,028
Reform gain from Green Swing

Whittlefield with Ightenhill

Whittlefield with Ightenhill
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Reform Chris Weekes 1,017 47.8
Conservative Mike Steel* 583 27.4
Green Janet Hall 215 10.1
Labour Charlie Hindle 186 8.7
Independent Helen Heap 128 6.0
Majority 434 20.4
Rejected ballots 6
Turnout 2,085 46.0
Registered electors 4,535
Reform gain from Conservative Swing

References

  1. ↑ The 11 Independent councillors sat in the Independent Group.
  2. ↑ Independent–Liberal Democrat–Green coalition.
  3. 1 2 3 Originally elected as Labour, but left the party to sit as an Independent.
  4. ↑ Standing in Brunshaw ward.
  5. ↑ Originally elected as Burnley & Padiham Independent Party (BAPIP); joined the Conservatives when BAPIP dissolved.
  6. ↑ Elected at the 2025 Queensgate by-election.
  7. ↑ Originally elected as a Liberal Democrat, but later defected to Reform.
  8. ↑ Elected at the 2023 Trinity by-election.
  1. ↑ "Burnley Council Composition: Latest". opencouncildata.co.uk. Open Council Data UK. Archived from the original on 16 February 2026. Retrieved 16 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. "SNP move in for the Killie". LocalCouncils.co.uk. Retrieved 24 February 2026.
  4. ↑ Boothroyd, David. "Booker prize win in Sheffield". LocalCouncils.co.uk.
  5. ↑ Boothroyd, David. "Reform trifecta including first ever hold". LocalCouncils.co.uk. Retrieved 24 February 2026.
  6. ↑ Collis, Dominic (4 August 2025). "Former Tory leader defects to Reform UK - fourth party in recent years". Burnley Express. Retrieved 24 February 2026.
  7. ↑ Collis, Dominic (20 August 2025). "Liberal Democrat councillor Jeff Sumner defects to Reform UK on Burnley Borough Council". Burnley Express.
  8. ↑ Jacobs, Bill (19 August 2025). "Another councillor defects to Reform UK in council party merry-go-round". Lancashire Telegraph. Retrieved 24 February 2026.
  9. ↑ Jacobs, Bill (11 September 2025). "Charlie Kirk death: Councillor resigns over 'good riddance' post". BBC News. Retrieved 24 February 2026.
  10. ↑ Boothroyd, David. "Reform's going to Topham". LocalCouncils.co.uk. Retrieved 24 February 2026.
  11. ↑ "Local Elections Archive Project — Lanehead Ward". www.andrewteale.me.uk. Retrieved 24 February 2026.
  12. ↑ "Local Elections Archive Project — Queensgate Ward". www.andrewteale.me.uk. Retrieved 24 February 2026.
  13. ↑ https://burnley.gov.uk/council-democracy/elections-voting/election-results-2026/
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