2026 Hastings Borough Council election

2026 Hastings Borough Council election
7 May 2026 (2026-05-07)
17 out of 32 seats to Hastings Borough Council
(including 1 by-election)
17 seats needed for a majority
Registered66,076
Turnout29,294
44.3%
  First party Second party Third party
 
Leader Glenn Haffenden None Helen Kay
Party Green Reform Labour
Last election 12 seats, 37.7% 0 seats, 1.4% 8 seats, 32.4%
Seats before 12[1] 0 9
Seats won 10 6 0
Seats after 19 6 4
Seat change Increase 7 Increase 6 Decrease 5
Popular vote 12,913 7,901 4,993
Percentage 41.7% 25.5% 16.1%
Swing Increase 4.0% Increase 24.1% Decrease 16.3%
  Fourth party Fifth party
 
Leader Mike Edwards
(defeated)
Party Conservative Independent
Last election 5 seats, 19.1% 7
Seats before 5 6[a]
Seats won 0 1
Seats after 2 1
Seat change Decrease 3 Decrease 5
Popular vote 3,116 1,564
Percentage 10.1% 5.1%
Swing Decrease 9.0% Decrease 2.3%
Winner of each seat at the 2026 Hastings Borough Council election.
Leader before election

Glenn Haffenden
Green
No overall control[b]

 Leader after election

Glenn Haffenden
Green

The 2026 Hastings Borough Council election took place on 7 May 2026 to elect members of Hastings Borough Council in East Sussex, England.[2] This was on the same day as other local elections.

Prior to the election, the council was under no overall control. The Greens were the largest party and ran the council with the support of independent councillors. At this election, the Greens won an additional seven seats, giving them an overall majority on the council for the first time.[3]

Summary

Council composition

After 2024 election Before 2026 election
Party Seats Party Seats
Green 12 Green 12
Labour 8 Labour 9
Conservative 5 Conservative 5
Independent 7 Independent 6[a]

Changes 2024–2026:

  • July 2024: John Rankin (Independent, elected as Conservative) joins Labour[5]

Election result

2026 Hastings Borough Council election
Party This election Full council This election
Candidates Seats Net Seats % Other Total Total % Votes Votes % +/−
  Green {{{candidates}}} 10 Increase 7 58.8 9 19 59.4 12,913 41.7 +4.0
  Reform {{{candidates}}} 6 Increase 6 35.3 0 6 18.8 7,901 25.5 +24.1
  Labour {{{candidates}}} 0 Decrease 5 0.0 4 4 12.5 4,993 16.1 –16.3
  Conservative {{{candidates}}} 0 Decrease 3 0.0 2 2 6.3 3,116 10.1 –9.0
  Independent {{{candidates}}} 1 Decrease 5 5.9 0 1 3.1 1,564 5.1 –2.3
  Liberal Democrats {{{candidates}}} 0 Steady 0.0 0 0 0.0 440 1.4 –0.6
  Libertarian {{{candidates}}} 0 Steady 0.0 0 0 0.0 18 0.1 N/A

Incumbents

Ward Incumbent councillor Party Re-standing
Ashdown Mike Edwards Conservative Yes
Baird Mike Turner[c] Independent Yes
Braybrooke Margi O'Callaghan Labour No
Castle Judy Rogers Labour Yes
Central St Leonards Tony Collins Green No
Conquest John Rankin[d] Labour Yes[e]
Gensing Amanda Jobson Green Yes
Hollington Paul Barnett[c] Independent No
Maze Hill Andy Patmore Conservative No
Old Hastings James Bacon Labour Yes
Ore Simon Willis[c] Independent No
Silverhill Nigel Sinden[c] Independent Yes
St Helens Andy Batsford[c] Independent Yes
Tressell Glenn Haffenden Green Yes
West St Leonards Matthew Beaver Conservative Yes
Wishing Tree John Cannan[c] Independent Yes

Ward results

Ashdown

Ashdown
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Reform Daniel Kendrick 628 37.1 +27.6
Green Marie Parfitt 407 24.0 +10.3
Conservative Michael Edwards* 363 21.4 –17.1
Labour Co-op Louise Chantal 202 11.9 –20.7
Liberal Democrats Robert Wakeford 95 5.6 –0.1
Majority 221 13.1 N/A
Turnout 1,695 40.4
Registered electors 4,193
Reform gain from Conservative Swing Increase8.7

Baird

Baird
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Green Will Rumfitt 492 31.9 +2.9
Reform Jack McCree 438 28.4 N/A
Independent Mike Turner* 335 21.7 +0.1
Conservative Liam Atkins 151 9.8 –13.6
Labour Rick Dillon 128 8.3 –15.1
Majority 54 3.5 –2.1
Turnout 1,544 39.9
Registered electors 3,874
Green gain from Independent

Braybrooke

Braybrooke
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Green Archie Lauchlan 1,232 59.0 +2.7
Labour Josh Matthews 364 17.4 –17.2
Reform Yoong Kam 353 16.9 N/A
Conservative John Waterfall 138 6.6 –2.5
Majority 868 41.6 +19.9
Turnout 2,087 51.9
Registered electors 4,023
Green gain from Labour Swing Increase10.0

Castle

Castle
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Green Steph Fawbert 1,404 63.9 +8.2
Reform Graeme White 336 15.3 N/A
Labour Judy Rogers* 333 15.2 –20.0
Conservative Charlie Cooke 125 5.7 –3.4
Majority 1,068 48.6 +28.1
Turnout 2,212 44.7
Registered electors 4,949
Green gain from Labour

Central St Leonards

Central St Leonards
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Green Solly Solamito 1,303 61.1 +15.7
Reform Alex Dudley 378 17.7 N/A
Labour Co-op Trevor Redmond 344 16.1 –13.8
Conservative Caroline Kerswell 107 5.0 –3.6
Majority 925 43.4 +29.9
Turnout 2,132 40.7
Registered electors 5,238
Green hold

Conquest

Conquest
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Reform Rob Drew 607 34.3 N/A
Green Ian Gillam 444 25.1 +14.3
Conservative Roger Streeten 398 22.5 –14.8
Labour Hugh Nicholson 235 13.3 –16.0
Liberal Democrats Stewart Rayment 87 4.9 –3.2
Majority 163 9.2 N/A
Turnout 1,777 44.6
Registered electors 3,982
Reform gain from Labour

Gensing

Gensing
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Green Amanda Jobson* 1,436 66.2 +8.4
Reform Jet Rankin 365 16.8 N/A
Labour John Williams 274 12.6 –19.8
Conservative Shane Atkins 95 4.4 –5.4
Majority 1,071 49.4 +24.0
Turnout 2,183 47.1
Registered electors 4,636
Green hold

Hollington

Hollington
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Reform Will Chapman 484 38.0 N/A
Labour Co-op Angela Harris 261 20.5 –16.0
Independent Andrea Cowhig 197 15.5 –17.0
Green Justin Wynne 196 15.4 +8.6
Conservative Matthew Ainsworth 135 10.6 –13.5
Majority 223 17.5 N/A
Turnout 1,278 33.4
Registered electors 3,828
Reform gain from Independent

Maze Hill

Maze Hill
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Green Karen Simnett 969 48.4 +10.5
Reform Rosie Murphy 499 24.9 +19.6
Conservative Rob Cooke 268 13.4 –11.0
Labour Co-op Tim Shand 223 11.1 –14.4
Liberal Democrats Lee Grant 44 2.2 –0.4
Majority 470 23.5 +11.1
Turnout 2,003 52.3
Registered electors 3,829
Green gain from Conservative Swing Decrease4.6

Old Hastings

Old Hastings
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Green Mike Frith 1,064 48.0 –12.8
Labour James Bacon* 640 28.9 –0.1
Reform Steve Foot 387 17.5 N/A
Conservative Ray Molloy 124 5.6 –4.6
Majority 424 19.1 –12.7
Turnout 2,219 57.1
Registered electors 3,886
Green gain from Labour Swing Decrease6.4

Ore

Ore
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Green Clem McCulloch 874 51.6 –6.1
Reform Wojciech Duczmal 471 27.8 N/A
Labour Co-op Kim Forward 167 9.9 –14.8
Conservative Brett McClean 113 6.7 –8.1
Independent Vicky Wilson 70 4.1 N/A
Majority 403 23.8 –9.2
Turnout 1,708 43.3
Registered electors 3,945
Green gain from Independent

Silverhill

Silverhill
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Green Dulcie Reynolds 610 32.0 +10.7
Reform Ian Moore 492 25.8 +16.5
Labour Co-op Margi O'Callaghan 327 17.1 –23.8
Independent Nigel Sinden* 265 13.9 N/A
Conservative Craig Andrew 213 11.2 –13.8
Majority 118 6.2 N/A
Turnout 1,917 45.7
Registered electors 4,195
Green gain from Independent Swing Decrease2.9

St Helens

St Helens (2 seats due to by-election)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Reform Peter Clarke 572 30.1 N/A
Independent Andy Batsford* 544 28.6 +10.6
Green Shaun Dowling 490 25.8 +8.2
Green Jessica Townsend 462 24.3 +6.7
Reform Hazel Vanbergen 460 24.2 N/A
Labour Barney Green 320 16.8 –14.1
Labour Co-op Helen Martin 311 16.4 –14.5
Conservative Howard Martin 249 13.1 –14.9
Conservative Stephen Butterton 229 12.0 –16.0
Liberal Democrats Bob Lloyd 164 8.6 +3.0
Turnout ~1,901
Reform gain from Labour
Independent hold

Andy Batsford was elected for the Labour Party in 2022.[6]

Tressell

Tressell
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Green Glenn Haffenden* 921 61.0 –4.6
Reform Ricky Hodges 409 27.1 N/A
Labour Ingrid Allan 129 8.5 –17.5
Conservative Shelley Lee 51 3.4 –5.0
Majority 512 33.9 –5.7
Turnout 1,514 41.4
Registered electors 3,660
Green hold

West St Leonards

West St Leonards
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Reform Derek Lawrence 506 33.9 N/A
Labour Anna Sabin 370 24.8 –13.9
Green Emma Joliffe 346 23.2 +7.2
Conservative Matthew Beaver* 220 14.7 –20.6
Liberal Democrats Eve Montgomery 50 3.4 –0.5
Majority 136 9.1 N/A
Turnout 1,508 39.5
Registered electors 3,818
Reform gain from Conservative

Wishing Tree

Wishing Tree
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Reform Doreena Ross 516 35.5 N/A
Labour John Rankin* 365 25.1 –26.3
Green Melanie Kavanagh 263 18.1 +6.0
Independent John Cannan* 153 10.5 –7.6
Conservative Wendy Cooke 137 9.4 –9.0
Libertarian Mal McDermott 18 1.2 N/A
Majority 151 10.4 N/A
Turnout 1,457 34.9
Registered electors 4,179
Reform gain from Independent

References

  1. 1 2 It has been reported that Paul Barnett, Andy Batsford, John Cannan, Nigel Sinden, Mike Turner and Simon Willis have joined Your Party.[4] However, Hastings Borough Council lists them as independents, comprising the Hastings Independent Group.
  2. ↑ Green–Independent coalition.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Originally elected as Labour, but later defected to Your Party, although the council's website lists them as an Independent.
  4. ↑ Originally elected as a Conservative, but later left the party to sit as an Independent and subsequently joined Labour.
  5. ↑ Standing in Wishing Tree ward.
  1. ↑ "Hastings Council Composition: Latest". opencouncildata.co.uk. Open Council Data UK. Retrieved 16 February 2026.
  2. ↑ "Update on May 2026 local authority elections". mhclgmedia.blog.gov.uk. Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government. 16 February 2026. Archived from the original on 16 February 2026. Retrieved 16 February 2026.
  3. ↑ Blakely, Joseph (8 May 2026). "Green Party wins control of Hastings Borough Council". The Argus. Retrieved 7 August 2026.
  4. ↑ "Hastings Independents join Sultana and Corbyn's Your Party". Hastings Online Times. 30 July 2025. Retrieved 22 February 2026.
  5. ↑ "Councillor John Rankin Defects to Labour". Hastings Independent Press. 17 July 2024. Retrieved 22 February 2026.
  6. ↑ "Local Elections Archive Project — St Helens Ward". www.andrewteale.me.uk. Retrieved 20 July 2026.
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