2026 Havant Borough Council election

2026 Havant Borough Council election
7 May 2026 (2026-05-07)
12 out of 36 seats to Havant Borough Council
19 seats needed for a majority
  First party Second party Third party
  Blank
Leader Sharon Collings[1] Philip Munday[1] Netty Shepherd
Party Reform Labour Green
Last election 2 seats, 2.8% 10 seats, 18.5% 4 seats, 19.6%
Seats before 5 9[2] 6
Seats won 9 1 2
Seats after 10 7 6
Seat change Increase 5 Decrease 2 Steady
Popular vote 16,513 3,446 5,180
Percentage 41.6% 8.7% 13.1%
Swing Increase 38.8% Decrease 9.8% Decrease 6.5%
  Fourth party Fifth party Sixth party
 
Blank
Leader Ryan Brent Philippa Gray[1]
Party Conservative Liberal Democrats Independent
Last election 13 seats, 37.8% 7 seats, 20.7% 0 seats, 0.6%
Seats before 8 5 3
Seats won 0 0 0
Seats after 5 5 3
Seat change Decrease 3 Steady Steady
Popular vote 10,273 4,244 Did not stand
Percentage 25.9% 10.7% Did not stand
Swing Decrease 11.9% Decrease 10.0% Decrease 0.6%
Winner of each seat at the 2026 Havant Borough Council election.
Leader before election

Philip Munday
Labour
No overall control[a]

 Leader after election

Gillian Harris
Labour
No overall control[b]

The 2026 Havant Borough 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 12 of 36 members of Havant Borough Council in Hampshire, England.[3]

Prior to the election, the council was under no overall control, being run by a coalition of Labour, the Liberal Democrats, the Green Party, and an independent councillor, led by Labour councillor Philip Munday.[1] The council remained under no overall control after the election. Reform UK won nine of the twelve seats being contested, and overtook Labour to become the largest party on the council. At the subsequent annual council meeting on 20 May 2026, the Reform group leader, Sharon Collings, was nominated for the role of leader of the council, but was defeated. Instead, Labour councillor Gillian Harris was appointed leader of the council, continuing a Labour, Liberal Democrat and Green coalition.[4][5]

Due to ongoing local government reorganisation, this will be the final election to Havant Borough Council before it is abolished and replaced by a successor unitary authority. Elections to the successor authority are due to take place in 2027.

Summary

Background

In 2024, the Conservative Party lost the council to no overall control.[6][7]

Council composition

After 2024 election Before 2026 election
Party Seats Party Seats
Labour 10 Labour 9
Conservative 13 Conservative 8
Green 4 Green 6
Liberal Democrats 7 Liberal Democrats 5
Reform 2 Reform 5
Independent 0 Independent 3

Changes 2024–2026:

  • October 2024: Elizabeth Lloyd (Conservative) leaves party to sit as an independent[8]
  • January 2025: Jonathan Hulls (Liberal Democrats) joins Greens[9]
  • May 2025: Paul Gray (Liberal Democrats) leaves party to sit as an independent[10]
  • July 2025: Elaine Shimbart (Conservative) leaves party to sit as an independent[11]
  • November 2025: Mark Coates (Labour) joins Greens[12]
  • December 2025: Caren Diamond (Conservative) and Gwen Robinson (Conservative) join Reform[13]
  • January 2026: Sarah Milne (Conservative) joins Reform[14]

Election result

2026 Havant Borough Council election[2]
Party This election Full council This election
Candidates Seats Net Seats % Other Total Total % Votes Votes % +/−
  Reform {{{candidates}}} 9 Increase 5 75.0 1 10 27.8 16,513 41.6 +38.8
  Labour {{{candidates}}} 1 Decrease 2 8.3 6 7 19.4 3,446 8.7 –9.8
  Green {{{candidates}}} 2 Steady 16.7 4 6 16.7 5,180 13.1 –6.5
  Conservative {{{candidates}}} 0 Decrease 3 0.0 5 5 13.9 10,273 25.9 –11.9
  Liberal Democrats {{{candidates}}} 0 Steady 0.0 5 5 13.9 4,244 10.7 –10.0
  Independent {{{candidates}}} 0 Steady 0.0 3 3 8.3 N/A[c] N/A –0.6

Incumbents

Below are a list of the incumbent councillors whose seats are due for election in 2026.[2]

Ward Incumbent councillor Party Re-standing
Bedhampton Liz Fairhurst Conservative No
Cowplain Andrew Briggs Conservative Yes
Emsworth Charles Robert Green Yes
Hart Plain James Blades Conservative No
Havant St Faith's Daniel Berwick Labour Yes
Hayling East Peter Oliver Labour No
Hayling West Jonathan Hulls[d] Green Yes
Leigh Park Central & West Leigh Sharon Collings Reform Yes
Leigh Park Hermitage Vicky Rhodes Reform Yes
Purbrook Caren Diamond[e] Reform Yes
Stakes Simon Hagan Labour Yes
Waterloo Gwen Robinson[e] Reform Yes

Ward results

Bedhampton

Bedhampton
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Reform Jason Beal 1,490 41.8 +26.5
Liberal Democrats Isabel Harrison 1,178 33.1 –2.9
Conservative Mark Inkster 893 25.1 +1.3
Majority 312 8.7 N/A
Turnout 3,561 40.2 +12.2
Registered electors ~8,869
Reform gain from Conservative Swing Increase14.7

Cowplain

Cowplain
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Reform Kev Parsons 1,569 45.6 N/A
Liberal Democrats Christian Notley 994 28.9 +8.4
Conservative Andy Briggs* 880 25.6 –8.7
Majority 575 16.7 N/A
Turnout 3,443 45.6 +18.1
Registered electors ~7,550
Reform gain from Conservative

Emsworth

Emsworth
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Green Charles Robert* 2,185 49.2 –4.4
Conservative Andrew Proctor 1,261 28.4 –1.3
Reform Allan Darby 992 22.4 +16.1
Majority 924 20.8 N/A
Turnout 4,438 53.5 +8.3
Registered electors ~8,289
Green hold Swing Decrease1.6

Hart Plain

Hart Plain
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Reform Jason Gillen 1,628 52.3 +38.8
Conservative Branda Linger 853 27.4 –1.3
Labour John Colman 629 20.2 –0.6
Majority 775 24.9 N/A
Turnout 3,110 39.9 +15.0
Registered electors ~7,791
Reform gain from Conservative Swing Increase20.1

Havant St Faith's

Havant St Faith's
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Dan Berwick* 1,570 37.1 –8.8
Reform Lucy Lawrence 1,349 31.9 +19.1
Conservative Tim Pike 1,315 31.1 +10.0
Majority 221 5.2 N/A
Turnout 4,234 48.1 +11.6
Registered electors ~8,808
Labour hold Swing Decrease14.0

Hayling East

Hayling East
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Reform Michael Rennie 1,486 42.9 N/A
Green Katharine Hulls 1,161 33.5 +3.0
Conservative Paul Weller 820 23.7 –1.0
Majority 325 9.4 N/A
Turnout 3,467 48.4 +11.2
Registered electors ~7,159
Reform gain from Labour

Hayling West

Hayling West
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Green Jonathan Hulls* 1,264 36.6 +24.2
Reform Lisa Field 1,152 33.4 N/A
Conservative Julie Richardson 1,038 30.1 +3.7
Majority 112 3.2 N/A
Turnout 3,454 50.1 +8.3
Registered electors 6,898
Green hold

Leigh Park Central & West Leigh

Leigh Park Central & West Leigh
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Reform Sharon Collings* 1,418 57.9 +39.7
Labour Peter Oliver 591 24.1 –3.7
Conservative Barrie Mann 440 18.0 +0.2
Majority 827 33.8 N/A
Turnout 2,449 29.1 +10.4
Registered electors ~8,424
Reform hold Swing Increase21.7

Leigh Park Hermitage

Leigh Park Hermitage
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Reform Vicky Rhodes* 1,283 57.8 +35.6
Green Dan Goulding 570 25.7 +11.0
Conservative Lulu Bowerman 366 16.5 –4.4
Majority 713 32.1 N/A
Turnout 2,219 26.0 +10.8
Registered electors ~8,528
Reform hold Swing Increase12.3

Purbrook

Purbrook
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Reform Caren Diamond* 1,393 43.5 N/A
Liberal Democrats George Kneller 1,157 36.1 –7.9
Conservative Husky Patel 652 20.4 –15.6
Majority 236 7.4 N/A
Turnout 3,202 43.8 +15.9
Registered electors ~7,312
Reform hold

Stakes

Stakes
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Reform Terry Norton 1,267 45.8 N/A
Conservative Diana Patrick 843 30.5 –3.5
Labour Simon Hagan* 656 23.7 –4.9
Majority 424 15.3 N/A
Turnout 2,766 37.4 +15.8
Registered electors ~7,400
Reform gain from Labour

Waterloo

Waterloo
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Reform Gwen Robinson* 1,486 44.9 N/A
Liberal Democrats Jane Briggs 915 27.6 +6.8
Conservative Edward Rees 912 27.5 –12.8
Majority 571 17.3 N/A
Turnout 3,313 44.6 +16.3
Registered electors ~7,435
Reform hold

References

  1. ↑ Labour/Green/Liberal Democrats coalition.
  2. ↑ Labour/Green/Liberal Democrats coalition.
  3. ↑ Did not stand candidates.
  4. ↑ Originally elected as a Liberal Democrat, but later defected to the Green Party.
  5. 1 2 Originally elected as a Conservative, but later defected to Reform.
  1. 1 2 3 4 Hudson, Emily (22 April 2026). "Voters 'denied democracy' with candidates choice". BBC News. Retrieved 11 August 2026.
  2. 1 2 3 "Havant Council Composition: Latest". opencouncildata.co.uk. Open Council Data UK. Archived from the original on 5 February 2026. Retrieved 5 February 2026.
  3. ↑ "Current and Future Elections | Havant Borough Council". www.havant.gov.uk. Retrieved 30 January 2026.
  4. ↑ Hudson, Emily (21 May 2026). "Who is in charge of the councils now?". BBC News. Retrieved 11 August 2026.
  5. ↑ "First female leader appointed at Havant Borough Council". Havant Borough Council. 5 June 2026. Retrieved 11 August 2026.
  6. ↑ "Havant result - Local Elections 2024". BBC News. Retrieved 30 January 2026.
  7. ↑ "Massive shock as Conservatives lose Havant Borough Council - full list of results". The News. 3 May 2024. Retrieved 30 January 2026.
  8. ↑ Boothroyd, David. "Tories take off in Woodford". LocalCouncils.co.uk. Retrieved 17 March 2026.
  9. ↑ Boothroyd, David. "North Devon Liberals get Instow". LocalCouncils.co.uk. Retrieved 17 March 2026.
  10. ↑ Boothroyd, David. "Post-election roundup". LocalCouncils.co.uk. Retrieved 17 March 2026.
  11. ↑ Boothroyd, David. "Reform bank key win". LocalCouncils.co.uk. Retrieved 17 March 2026.
  12. ↑ Boothroyd, David. "Shalom aleichem, Natalie". LocalCouncils.co.uk. Retrieved 17 March 2026.
  13. ↑ Brown, Kelly (9 December 2025). "Two councillors defect to Reform UK in yet another blow for the Conservatives". The News. Retrieved 17 March 2026.
  14. ↑ Brown, Kelly (14 January 2026). "Councillor defects to Reform UK in another blow for borough's Conservatives". The News. Retrieved 17 March 2026.
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