2026 Ipswich Borough Council election

2026 Ipswich Borough Council election
7 May 2026 (2026-05-07)
16 out of 48 seats to Ipswich Borough Council
25 seats needed for a majority
  First party Second party Third party
 
Leader Neil MacDonald Ian Fisher
Party Labour Reform Conservative
Last election 38 seats, 46.6% 0 seats, 3.0% 7 seats, 29.5%
Seats before 38[1] 0 7
Seats won 4 10 0
Seats after 29 10 5
Seat change Decrease 9 Increase 10 Decrease 2
Popular vote 10,940 12,949 5,846
Percentage 26.8% 31.7% 14.3%
Swing Decrease 19.8% Increase 28.7% Decrease 15.2%
  Fourth party Fifth party
 
Party Liberal Democrats Green
Last election 3 seats, 9.9% 0 seats, 10.8%
Seats before 3 0
Seats won 1 1
Seats after 3 1
Seat change Steady Increase 1
Popular vote 3,370 7,772
Percentage 8.2% 19.0%
Swing Decrease 1.7% Increase 8.2%
Winner of each seat at the 2026 Ipswich Borough Council election.
Leader before election

Neil MacDonald
Labour

 Leader after election

Neil MacDonald
Labour

The 2026 Ipswich Borough Council election will take place on 7 May 2026 to elect members of Ipswich Borough Council in Suffolk, England.[2] This was on the same day as other local elections.

The council was under Labour majority control prior to the election. Reform UK won ten of the sixteen seats contested at this election, but Labour retained its majority.[3]

Summary

Election result

2026 Ipswich Borough Council election
Party This election Full council This election
Candidates Seats Net Seats % Other Total Total % Votes Votes % +/−
  Labour {{{candidates}}} 4 Decrease 9 25.0 25 29 60.4 10,940 26.8 –19.8
  Reform {{{candidates}}} 10 Increase10 62.5 0 10 20.8 12,949 31.7 +28.7
  Conservative {{{candidates}}} 0 Decrease 2 0.0 5 5 10.4 5,846 14.3 –15.2
  Liberal Democrats {{{candidates}}} 1 Steady 6.3 2 3 6.3 3,370 8.2 –1.7
  Green {{{candidates}}} 1 Increase 1 6.3 0 1 2.1 7,772 19.0 +8.2

Incumbents

Ward Incumbent councillor Party Re-standing
Alexandra John Cook Labour Co-op Yes
Bixley Edward Phillips Conservative Yes
Bridge Stephen Connelly Labour Co-op Yes[a]
Castle Hill Sam Murray Conservative No
Gainsborough Lynne Mortimer Labour No
Gipping Elizabeth Hughes Labour No
Holywells George Lankester Labour Yes
Priory Heath Owen Batholomew Labour Yes
Rushmere Stefan Long Labour Yes
Sprites Colin Smart Labour Yes
St John's Neil MacDonald Labour Co-op Yes
St Margaret's Inga Lockington Liberal Democrats Yes
Stoke Park Tony Blacker Labour No
Westgate Colin Kreidewolf Labour Yes
Whitehouse Colin Wright Labour Yes
Whitton Christine Shaw Labour Co-op No

Ward results

Alexandra

Alexandra
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Green David Plowman 1,047 34.4 +7.8
Labour Co-op John Cook* 1,006 33.1 −16.9
Reform Jeffrey Ciobanu 589 19.4 N/A
Conservative John Downie 250 8.2 −9.6
Liberal Democrats Giles Turner 150 4.9 −0.6
Majority 41 1.3 N/A
Turnout 3,060 40.3 +11.2
Registered electors 7,588
Green gain from Labour Co-op Swing Increase12.4

Bixley

Bixley
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Reform David Hill 934 31.1 N/A
Conservative Edward Phillips* 899 29.9 −17.7
Labour Paul Anderson 612 20.4 −15.2
Green Stephanie Cullen 398 13.2 +2.4
Liberal Democrats Lisa Weichert 161 5.4 −0.6
Majority 35 1.2 N/A
Turnout 3,011 52.8 +14.1
Registered electors 5,706
Reform gain from Conservative

Bridge

Bridge
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Reform Rupert Tonkin-Galvin 780 33.5 +22.6
Labour Polly Ford 686 29.5 −16.7
Green Jamie Allenden 437 18.8 +9.0
Conservative Katherine West 291 12.5 −14.2
Liberal Democrats Henry Williams 133 5.7 −0.7
Majority 94 4.0 N/A
Turnout 2,335 36.2 +10.8
Registered electors 6,503
Reform gain from Labour Co-op Swing Increase19.7

Castle Hill

Castle Hill
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Reform William Patrick 948 35.7 N/A
Conservative Stephen Ion 581 21.9 −18.1
Labour Dawn Allum 446 16.8 −19.5
Green Jennifer McCarthy 423 15.9 +9.0
Liberal Democrats Martin Pakes 261 9.8 −6.9
Majority 367 13.8 N/A
Turnout 2,676 46.6 +10.5
Registered electors 5,742
Reform gain from Conservative

Gainsborough

Gainsborough
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Reform Ryan Proctor 952 42.2 +30.6
Labour Saffeen Yamulki 530 23.5 −24.2
Conservative Liz Harsant 402 17.8 −7.9
Green Juliet Garside 373 16.5 +10.3
Majority 422 18.7 N/A
Turnout 2,269 36.5 +10.5
Registered electors 6,214
Reform gain from Labour Swing Increase27.4

Gipping

Gipping
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Reform Leslie Foster 755 33.9 N/A
Labour Simona Lazar 692 31.1 −24.7
Green Dalian Haynes 411 18.4 +8.3
Conservative Bbosa Kiyingi 234 10.5 −17.6
Liberal Democrats Daniel Davey 136 6.1 +0.1
Majority 63 2.8 N/A
Turnout 2,238 34.6 +10.1
Registered electors 6,476
Reform gain from Labour

Holywells

Holywells
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour George Lankester* 990 36.9 −12.3
Reform Robin Wilkinson 676 25.2 N/A
Green Rory Richardson-Todd 547 20.4 +10.7
Conservative Angelina Klein 470 17.5 −15.8
Majority 314 11.7 –4.2
Turnout 2,700 46.9 +10.9
Registered electors 5,755
Labour hold

Priory Heath

Priory Heath
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Reform Tim Buttle 876 34.5 N/A
Labour Owen Bartholomew* 761 29.9 −17.1
Green Paul Daley 442 17.4 +6.2
Conservative Albert Demaj 315 12.4 −15.9
Liberal Democrats Nigel Fox 148 5.8 −0.1
Majority 115 4.6 N/A
Turnout 2,549 37.5 +12.0
Registered electors 6,796
Reform gain from Labour

Rushmere

Rushmere
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Stefan Long* 1,031 33.9 −15.7
Reform Vicky Hill 790 26.0 +18.0
Green Susan Hagley 536 17.6 +8.2
Conservative Chijioke Philip 433 14.3 −12.4
Liberal Democrats Lucy Drake 248 8.2 +2.0
Majority 241 7.9 –15.0
Turnout 3,051 48.8 +10.6
Registered electors 6,247
Labour hold Swing Decrease16.9

Sprites

Sprites
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Reform Stuart Allen 894 45.5 N/A
Labour Colin Smart* 424 21.6 −27.2
Conservative Michael Scanes 359 18.3 −20.9
Green Martin Hynes 191 9.7 +1.8
Liberal Democrats Robin Whitmore 96 4.9 +0.8
Majority 470 23.9 N/A
Turnout 1,972 38.9 +7.9
Registered electors 5,072
Reform gain from Labour

St John's

St John's
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Co-op Neil MacDonald* 983 31.6 −18.8
Reform Joshua Owens 866 27.9 N/A
Green Leon Paternoster 728 23.4 +8.9
Conservative Oliver Lee-Pearson 348 11.2 −19.1
Liberal Democrats Kelly Turner 182 5.9 −5.9
Majority 117 3.7 N/A
Turnout 3,118 44.8 +12.0
Registered electors 6,965
Labour Co-op hold

St Margaret's

St Margaret's
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Inga Lockington* 1,633 49.2 −1.8
Reform Graham Knight 546 16.4 N/A
Green Kirsty Wilmot 410 12.3 +0.2
Conservative Laura Allenby 379 11.4 −5.6
Labour Steven Reynolds 353 10.6 −9.3
Majority 1,087 32.8 +1.7
Turnout 3,331 52.2 +8.6
Registered electors 6,382
Liberal Democrats hold

Stoke Park

Stoke Park
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Reform Morgan Brobyn 842 41.4 N/A
Conservative Sian Gubb 443 21.8 −19.1
Labour Mika Berculean 418 20.6 −24.0
Green Barry Broom 330 16.2 +6.2
Majority 399 19.6 N/A
Turnout 2,047 40.0 +6.5
Registered electors 5,116
Reform gain from Labour

Westgate

Westgate
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Colin Kreidewolf* 805 36.2 −19.2
Green John Mann 519 23.4 +9.5
Reform James Hollins 508 22.9 N/A
Conservative Stephen Kirby 253 11.4 −10.5
Liberal Democrats Martin Hore 137 6.2 −2.5
Majority 286 12.8 –20.7
Turnout 2,227 35.6 +9.1
Registered electors 6,264
Labour hold Swing Decrease14.4

Whitehouse

Whitehouse
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Reform David Hurlbut 880 39.7 +26.8
Green Julie Shooter 580 26.1 +15.3
Labour Colin Wright* 485 21.9 −29.1
Conservative Mark Phillips 189 8.5 −12.0
Liberal Democrats Trevor Powell 85 3.8 −0.9
Majority 300 13.6 N/A
Turnout 2,230 35.1 +11.9
Registered electors 6,353
Reform gain from Labour Swing Increase5.8

Whitton

Whitton
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Reform Tony Gould 1,113 49.9 +35.2
Labour Co-op Stephen Connelly* 718 32.2 −12.9
Green Groovy Scott 400 17.9 +12.1
Majority 395 17.7 N/A
Turnout 2,267 36.0 +6.3
Registered electors 6,302
Reform gain from Labour Co-op Swing Increase24.1

2026 nominees

Notice of Persons Nominated and Notice of Poll - Ipswich Borough Council.pdf

References

  1. ↑ Standing in Whitton ward.
  1. ↑ "Ipswich Council Composition: Latest". opencouncildata.co.uk. Open Council Data UK. Archived from the original on 17 February 2026. Retrieved 17 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. ↑ Rouane-Williams, Oliver (8 May 2026). "MacDonald survives Reform surge as Labour lose nine Ipswich seats". Ipswich.co.uk. Retrieved 16 July 2026.
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