2026 City of Wolverhampton Council election

2026 City of Wolverhampton Council election
7 May 2026 (2026-05-07)
21 out of 60 seats to City of Wolverhampton Council
(including 1 by-election)
31 seats needed for a majority
  First party Second party
 
Leader Stephen Simkins None
Party Labour Reform
Leader since September 2023
Leader's seat Bilston East
Last election 47 seats, 56.1% Did not stand
Seats before 45 2
Seats won 6 12
Seats after 35 13
Seat change Decrease 10 Increase 11
Popular vote 19,174 23,035
Percentage 28.6% 34.4%
Swing Decrease 27.5% N/A
  Third party Fourth party
 
Leader Simon Bennett None
Party Conservative Independent
Last election 12 seats, 32.7% 1 seat, 1.2%
Seats before 11 2
Seats won 3 0
Seats after 10 2
Seat change Decrease 1 Steady
Popular vote 12,130 501
Percentage 18.1% 0.7%
Swing Decrease 14.6% Decrease 0.5%
Winner of each seat at the 2026 City of Wolverhampton Council election.
Leader before election

Stephen Simkins
Labour

 Leader after election

Stephen Simkins
Labour

The 2026 City of Wolverhampton Council election took place on Thursday 7 May 2026, alongside other local elections in the United Kingdom. There were 21 of the 60 seats on City of Wolverhampton Council in the West Midlands up for election, being the usual third of the council and a by-election.

The council remained under Labour control, but their majority was significantly reduced. Reform UK overtook the Conservatives to become the second largest party on the council.[1]

Council composition

After 2024 election Before 2026 election After 2026 election
Party Seats Party Seats Party Seats
Labour 47 Labour 44 Labour 35
Reform 0 Reform 2 Reform 13
Conservative 12 Conservative 11 Conservative 10
Independent 1 Independent 2 Independent 2
Vacant N/A Vacant 1 Vacant N/A

Changes 2024–2026:

  • June 2024: Claire Darke (Labour) leaves party to sit as an independent[2]
  • August 2024: Susan Roberts (Labour) dies – by-election held October 2024[3]
  • October 2024: Anita Stanley (Reform) gains by-election from Labour[4]
  • July 2025: Greg Brackenridge (Labour) suspended from party[5]
  • October 2025: Celia Hibbert (Independent, elected as Labour) joins Reform[6]
  • March 2026:
    • Greg Brackenridge (Independent) resigns – seat left vacant until 2026 election[7]
    • Wendy Dalton (Conservative) leaves party to sit as an independent[8]

Summary

Background

Wolverhampton was created in 1974 as a metropolitan borough, gaining city status in 2000. Since its creation, the council has either been controlled by Labour or under no overall control.[9] No party held a majority between 1987 and 1988, between 1992 and 1994, and between 2008 and 2011.[10] Labour have held a majority for the previous 15 years, increasing their majority by 1 in 2024 through gaining a seat from the Conservatives.[11]

The 2023 election took place on a new set of ward boundaries.[12] As such, these elections will be for the councillors elected with the second-highest number of votes. Labour will be defending 16 seats and the Conservatives will be defending 4.

Election result

2026 City of Wolverhampton Council election
Party This election Full council This election
Candidates Seats Net Seats % Other Total Total % Votes Votes % +/−
  Labour {{{candidates}}} 6 Decrease10 30.0 29 35 58.3 19,174 28.6 –27.5
  Reform {{{candidates}}} 12 Increase11 60.0 1 13 21.7 23,035 34.4 N/A
  Conservative {{{candidates}}} 3 Decrease 1 15.0 7 10 16.7 12,130 18.1 –14.6
  Independent {{{candidates}}} 0 Steady 0.0 2 2 3.3 501 0.7 –0.5
  Green {{{candidates}}} 0 Steady 0.0 0 0 0.0 10,840 16.2 +10.1
  Liberal Democrats {{{candidates}}} 0 Steady 0.0 0 0 0.0 1,246 1.9 –1.7

Incumbents

Ward Incumbent councillor Party Re-standing
Bilston North Anita Stanley Reform Yes
Bilston South Gillian Wildman Labour Yes
Blakenhall Tersaim Singh Labour Yes
Bushbury North Andrew McNeil Conservative Yes
Bushbury South & Low Hill Paul Brookfield Labour Yes
East Park Louise Miles Labour Yes
Ettingshall North Jeszemma Howl Labour Yes
Ettingshall South & Spring Vale Jasbinder Dehar Labour Yes
Fallings Park Chris Burden Labour Yes
Graiseley John Reynolds Labour No
Heath Town Milkinderpal Jaspal Labour No
Merry Hill Carol Hyatt Labour Yes
Oxley Jane Francis Labour Yes
Park Craig Collingswood Labour Yes
Penn Stephanie Haynes Conservative Yes
St Peters Qaiser Azeem Labour Yes
Tattenhall Regis Sohail Khan Conservative Yes
Tattenhall Wightwick Jonathan Crofts Conservative Yes
Wednesfield North Rita Potter Labour No
Wednesfield South Ciaran Brackenridge Labour No

Ward results

An asterisk (*) denotes an incumbent councillor seeking re-election.

Bilston North

Bilston North[13]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Reform Anita Stanley* 1,439 42.4 N/A
Green Harry Singh 962 28.4 N/A
Labour Luke Guy 690 20.3 –51.0
Conservative Audrey Okere 301 8.9 –19.8
Majority 477 14.1 N/A
Turnout 3,392 35.6 +9.1
Registered electors 9,601
Reform hold

Bilston South

Bilston South[13]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Reform Micky Thomas 1,369 45.8 N/A
Labour Jilly Wildman* 823 27.5 −42.6
Green Tajinder Singh 495 16.6 N/A
Conservative Dawn McNeil 302 10.1 −19.8
Majority 546 18.3 −21.9
Turnout 2,989 29.1 +7.2
Registered electors 10,319
Reform gain from Labour

Blakenhall

Blakenhall[13]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Co-op Tersaim Singh* 1,278 46.5 −28.6
Green Vikas Chopra 541 19.7 +15.5
Conservative Adam Ansari 412 15.0 −0.2
Reform Adrian Perry 397 14.3 N/A
Liberal Democrats Patrick Bentley 122 4.44 +1.56
Majority 737 26.8 −33.1
Turnout 2,750 31.7 −2.8
Registered electors 8,718
Labour Co-op hold Swing Decrease22.1

Bushbury North

Bushbury North[13]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Reform Susan Lawrence 1,635 45.6 N/A
Conservative Andrew McNeil* 713 19.9 −27.2
Labour Gary Edwards 658 18.3 −26.9
Green Sarabjit Singh 438 12.2 N/A
Liberal Democrats Ann Jenkins 143 4.0 −3.7
Majority 922 25.7 N/A
Turnout 3,587 35.9 +6.5
Registered electors 10,012
Reform gain from Conservative

Bushbury South & Low Hill

Bushbury South & Low Hill[13]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Reform Armin Berenjian 921 39.4 N/A
Labour Paul Brookfield* 756 32.3 −38.1
Green Cade Hatton 362 15.5 N/A
Conservative Anthony Gething 219 9.4 −12.1
Independent Shane Slater 81 3.5 N/A
Majority 165 7.05 N/A
Turnout 2,339 24.3 +4.5
Registered electors 9,654
Reform gain from Labour

East Park

East Park[13]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Reform Dave Evans 1,029 39.8 N/A
Labour Louise Miles* 868 33.6 −29.5
Green Taliesin Edwards 368 14.2 N/A
Conservative Joe Stepien 240 9.3 −13.7
Independent Steve Hall 82 3.2 −10.8
Majority 161 6.2 N/A
Turnout 2,587 28.3 +5.1
Registered electors 9,197
Reform gain from Labour

Ettingshall North

Ettingshall North[13]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Jeszemma Howl* 1,032 37.4 −44.6
Green Manpreet Singh 665 24.1 N/A
Reform Gareth Walker 644 23.3 N/A
Conservative Surrinder Ram 338 12.2 −5.8
Independent Tracy Cooper 82 3.0 N/A
Majority 367 13.3 −50.7
Turnout 2,761 27.5 −0.7
Registered electors 10,084
Labour hold

Ettingshall South & Spring Vale

Ettingshall South & Spring Vale[13]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Reform Rob Greenway 1,632 47.2 N/A
Labour Co-op Jasbinder Dehar* 1,020 29.5 −42.3
Conservative Siân Kumar 423 12.2 −15.9
Green Manish Kumar 382 11.1 N/A
Majority 612 17.7 N/A
Turnout 3,457 35.9 +6.5
Registered electors 9,650
Reform gain from Labour Co-op

Fallings Park

Fallings Park[13]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Reform Stu Goldsmith 1,230 41.8 N/A
Labour Co-op Chris Burden* 842 28.6 −28.1
Conservative Julia Dickens 416 14.2 −17.1
Green Tony Wortley 300 10.2 N/A
Liberal Democrats Peter Nixon 152 5.2 +0.2
Majority 388 13.2 N/A
Turnout 2,940 32.3 +6.6
Registered electors 9,130
Reform gain from Labour Co-op

Graiseley

Graiseley[13]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Gurbax Kaur 1,126 37.6 −21.7
Green Suki Bains 676 22.6 +14.3
Reform Sarp Dayanik 661 22.1 N/A
Conservative Prabhjot Kaur Saini 349 11.7 −7.8
Liberal Democrats Jessica Pringle 185 6.2 +2.8
Majority 450 15.1 −24.7
Turnout 2,997 34.5 +1.2
Registered electors 8,702
Labour hold Swing Decrease18.0

Heath Town

Heath Town[13]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Rob Siarkiewicz 744 33.2 −31.1
Reform Ash Singh 666 29.8 N/A
Green Hardeep Singh 559 25.0 +15.5
Conservative Niall Wood 270 12.1 −9.3
Majority 78 3.5 −39.6
Turnout 2,239 26.1 +2.6
Registered electors 8,655
Labour hold

Merry Hill

Merry Hill[13]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Reform Im Stanley 1,331 34.4 N/A
Labour Co-op Carol Hyatt* 1,147 29.6 −18.0
Conservative Andy Simpkins 888 22.9 −22.2
Green Paul Darke 506 13.1 +5.9
Majority 184 4.8 N/A
Turnout 3,872 42.6 +6.9
Registered electors 9,128
Reform gain from Labour Co-op

Oxley

Oxley[13]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Reform Joe Berg 1,182 33.4 N/A
Labour Co-op Jane Francis* 912 25.8 −24.3
Conservative Adam Collinge 794 22.4 −13.4
Green Marcin Kruczynski 497 14.0 +4.8
Liberal Democrats Ian Jenkins 155 4.4 −0.5
Majority 270 7.6 N/A
Turnout 3,540 33.9 +6.0
Registered electors 10,476
Reform gain from Labour Co-op

Park

Park[13]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Craig Collingswood* 1,089 31.4 −21.6
Green Mohammed Naseem 1,046 30.1 +14.5
Reform Kat Stanley 600 17.3 N/A
Conservative Harpreet Singh Multani 454 13.1 −9.1
Independent Jamie Salvin 144 4.2 N/A
Liberal Democrats Bryan Lewis 141 4.1 −5.3
Majority 43 1.24 −29.6
Turnout 3,474 36.1 −2.8
Registered electors 9,673
Labour hold Swing Decrease18.1

Penn

Penn[13]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Stephanie Haynes* 1,576 35.7 −9.6
Labour Co-op Kashmire Hawker 1,236 28.0 −15.3
Reform Pete Kelly 1,113 25.2 N/A
Green Fareed Enver 492 11.1 +2.5
Majority 340 7.7 +5.7
Turnout 4,420 45.5 +6.0
Registered electors 9,746
Conservative hold Swing Increase2.9

St Peters

St Peters[13]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Qaiser Azeem* 1,133 47.8 −3.6
Green Adetoyese Anifalaje 668 28.1 +3.5
Reform James Taylor 264 11.1 N/A
Conservative Gillian Timms 193 8.1 −3.5
Independent Muhammad Qayyum 112 4.7 N/A
Majority 465 19.6 −7.2
Turnout 2,370 26.7 −1.2
Registered electors 8,973
Labour hold Swing Decrease3.6

Tettenhall Regis

Tettenhall Regis[13]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Sohail Khan* 1,310 32.8 −19.1
Reform Theresa D'Cruze 1,273 31.9 N/A
Labour Kye Barton 642 16.1 −16.7
Green Jenny Hibell 562 14.1 +6.6
Liberal Democrats Julian Donald 204 5.1 −2.7
Majority 37 0.9 −18.2
Turnout 3,991 43.1 +8.1
Registered electors 9,291
Conservative hold

Tettenhall Wightwick

Tettenhall Wightwick[13]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Jonathan Crofts* 1,558 36.9 −26.1
Reform Heather Chell 1,368 32.4 N/A
Labour Co-op Calvin Bissitt 726 17.1 −9.7
Green Don Gwinnett 574 13.6 +6.0
Majority 190 4.5 −31.7
Turnout 4,226 47.4 +7.7
Registered electors 8,933
Conservative hold

Wednesfield North

Wednesfield North[13]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Reform Simon Kelsey 1,607 52.7 N/A
Labour Andrew Foster 583 19.1 −47.0
Conservative Robin Hacking 395 13.0 −20.9
Green Nasia Ijas 318 10.4 N/A
Liberal Democrats David Murray 144 4.7 N/A
Majority 1,024 33.6 +1.4
Turnout 3,047 36.1 +9.8
Registered electors 8,450
Reform gain from Labour

Wednesfield South

Wednesfield South elected two councillors due to the resignation of Greg Brackenridge.[14]

Wednesfield South (2 seats due to by-election)[13]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Reform Christopher Edmunds 1,383 46.5 N/A
Reform Corey Kendrick 1,291 43.4 N/A
Labour Harjinder Kaur 950 31.9 −18.7
Labour Gursharan Singh 919 30.9 −19.7
Conservative Peter Dickens 516 15.9 −19.9
Conservative Andy Randle 463 15.6 −21.6
Green Monika Kapoor 429 14.4 +2.1
Turnout ~3,250 35.7 +7.9
Registered electors 9,101
Reform gain from Labour
Reform gain from Labour

References

  1. ↑ Stacey, Dan; O'Brien, Lisa (8 May 2026). "Wolverhampton local election results 2026: Full list of results as Reform make gains at Labour's expense". Express and Star. Retrieved 29 August 2026.
  2. ↑ "Ex-mayor quits Labour party in damning letter to Starmer". BBC News. 24 June 2024. Retrieved 14 January 2026.
  3. ↑ "Tributes paid to 'passionate' Wolverhampton councillor". BBC News. 9 August 2024. Retrieved 14 January 2026.
  4. ↑ "Local Elections Archive Project — Bilston North Ward". www.andrewteale.me.uk. Retrieved 14 January 2026.
  5. ↑ Andrews, Mark (30 July 2025). "'Stolen valour' Wolverhampton councillor suspended by Labour group as Tories call for his resignation". Express and Star. Retrieved 14 January 2026.
  6. ↑ Boothroyd, David. "Oor Wullie! Your Wullie! A'body's Wullie!". LocalCouncils.co.uk. Retrieved 13 July 2026.
  7. ↑ "Wolverhampton councillor who falsely claimed to have been Royal Marine resigns". BBC News. 18 March 2026. Retrieved 13 July 2026.
  8. ↑ Boothroyd, David. "Going Green on Merseyside". LocalCouncils.co.uk. Retrieved 13 July 2026.
  9. ↑ "BBC News - Election 2011 - England council elections - Wolverhampton". BBC News. Retrieved 14 January 2026.
  10. ↑ "Wolverhampton City Council Election Results 1973-2012" (PDF). Elections Centre. Retrieved 14 January 2026.
  11. ↑ "Tories lose control of Dudley council after three years". BBC News. 3 May 2024. Retrieved 14 January 2026.
  12. ↑ The Wolverhampton (Electoral Changes) Order 2022
  13. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 "Statement of Persons Nominated" (PDF). City of Wolverhampton Council. Retrieved 10 April 2024.
  14. ↑ "Councillor who claimed to have been Royal Marine resigns". BBC News. Retrieved 10 April 2024.
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