2026 Rugby Borough Council election

2026 Rugby Borough Council election
7 May 2026 (2026-05-07)
15 out of 42 seats to Rugby Borough Council
(including 1 by-election)
22 seats needed for a majority
  First party Second party
 
Leader Derek Poole Jerry Roodhouse
Party Conservative Liberal Democrats
Last election 17 seats, 32.0% 10 seats, 20.7%
Seats before 17[1] 10
Seats won 4 6
Seats after 15 12
Seat change Decrease 2 Increase 2
Popular vote 9,417 7,375
Percentage 25.7% 20.1%
Swing Decrease 6.3% Decrease 0.6%
  Third party Fourth party
 
Leader Michael Moran
(retiring)		 None
Party Labour Reform
Last election 15 seats, 36.2% 0 seats, 4.1%
Seats before 15 0
Seats won 2 3
Seats after 12 3
Seat change Decrease 3 Increase 3
Popular vote 5,444 10,375
Percentage 14.9% 28.3%
Swing Decrease 21.3% Increase 24.2%
Winner of each seat at the 2026 Rugby Borough Council election.
Leader before election

Michael Moran
Labour
No overall control[a]

 Leader after election

Louise Robinson
Labour
No overall control[b]

The 2026 Rugby 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 14 of 42 members of Rugby Borough Council in Warwickshire, England.[2]

Prior to the election, the council was under no overall control. The Conservatives were the largest party, but the council was being run by a Labour minority administration with informal support from the Liberal Democrats.[3]

The council remained under no overall control at this election. The Conservatives lost seats but remained the largest party. The Liberal Democrats made net gains, winning six of the fifteen seats being contested at this election, whilst Labour lost seats, leaving Labour and the Liberal Democrats each with twelve seats. Reform UK also won three seats, having not held any seats prior to the election. The incumbent Labour leader of the council, Michael Moran, did not stand for re-election. After the election, Labour chose Louise Robinson to be its new group leader.[4] Labour and the Liberal Democrats subsequently formed a coalition to run the council, led by the new Labour group leader Louise Robinson. She was formally confirmed as the new leader of the council at the subsequent annual council meeting on 21 May 2026.[5][6]

Summary

Background

In 2024, the council remained under no overall control but Labour overtook the Conservatives as the largest party.[7][8] In January 2026, the council asked for the election to be postponed pending local government reorganisation.[9][10] However it was rescheduled on 16 February 2026.[11]

Election result

2026 Rugby Borough Council election
Party This election Full council This election
Seats Net Seats % Other Total Total % Votes Votes % +/−
  Conservative 4 Decrease 2 26.7 11 15 35.7 9,417 25.7 –6.3
  Liberal Democrats 6 Increase 2 40.0 6 12 28.6 7,375 20.1 –0.6
  Labour 2 Decrease 3 13.3 10 12 28.6 5,444 14.9 –21.3
  Reform 3 Increase 3 20.0 0 3 7.1 10,375 28.3 +24.2
  Green 0 Steady 0.0 0 0 0.0 4,044 11.0 +4.1

Incumbents

Ward Incumbent councillor Party Re-standing
Admirals & Cawston Michael Moran Labour No
Benn Richard Harrington Labour Yes
Bilton Toby Lawrence Conservative Yes
Coton & Boughton Alison Livesey Labour Yes
Dunsmore Jon Bennett Liberal Democrats No
Eastlands Sam Edwards Liberal Democrats Yes
Hillmorton Ian Picker Conservative No
New Bilton Angela Thompson Labour Yes
Newbold & Brownsover Ramesh Srivastava Labour No
Paddox Noreen New Liberal Democrats Yes
Revel & Binley Woods Belinda Garcia Conservative Yes
Rokeby & Overslade Bill Lewis Liberal Democrats No
Wolston & The Lawfords Simon Ward Conservative Yes
Wolvey & Shilton Becky Maoudis Conservative No

Ward results

Admirals & Cawston

Admirals & Cawston[12]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Reform Andrew Glowacki 856 30.0 +18.9
Conservative Robert Jerams 673 23.6 –2.8
Labour Chris Lee 542 19.0 –28.6
Liberal Democrats Lee Chase 484 17.0 +7.9
Green Frank Green 298 10.4 +4.6
Majority 183 6.4 N/A
Turnout 2,865 41.6 +8.8
Registered electors 6,888
Reform gain from Labour Swing Increase8.9

Benn

Benn[13]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Richard Harrington* 786 40.2 –24.5
Green Angela Dunne 398 20.4 +8.8
Reform Les Northey 391 20.0 N/A
Conservative Sarah Downes 257 13.1 –3.2
Liberal Democrats Rebecca Moran 123 6.3 –1.2
Majority 388 19.8 –28.6
Turnout 1,963 31.8 +5.7
Registered electors 6,172
Labour hold Swing Decrease16.7

Bilton

Bilton (2 seats due to by-election)[14]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Stephen Pimm 811 31.1 +0.3
Liberal Democrats Nicky Bainbridge 802 30.8 ±0.0
Reform John Partridge 701 26.9 N/A
Reform Gareth Keeley 677 26.0 N/A
Conservative Toby Lawrence* 621 23.8 –13.5
Conservative Dapo Awotunde 540 20.7 –16.7
Green Phil Bates 242 9.3 +4.2
Labour Robert Bevin 223 8.6 –15.6
Labour Philip Burns 209 8.0 –16.2
Green Harriet Hart 204 7.8 +2.7
Turnout 2,605 52.0 +9.0
Registered electors 5,009
Liberal Democrats gain from Conservative
Liberal Democrats gain from Conservative

Coton & Boughton

Coton & Boughton[15]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Reform Jamie Pullin 733 30.6 +22.0
Labour Alison Livesey* 584 24.3 –24.0
Conservative Karolina Lipowska 567 23.6 –7.9
Green Rowan Wooding 314 13.1 +7.7
Liberal Democrats Kay Taylor 201 8.4 +2.1
Majority 149 6.3 N/A
Turnout 2,404 40.5 +6.8
Registered electors 5,930
Reform gain from Labour Swing Increase23.0

Dunsmore

Dunsmore[16]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Umesh Mistry 1,147 30.3 –7.4
Reform Tom Costello 1,108 29.3 N/A
Conservative Claude Hogea 954 25.2 –13.3
Green Helen Ford 314 8.3 +1.4
Labour Elly Brown 264 7.0 –10.0
Majority 39 1.0 N/A
Turnout 3,797 49.4 +14.3
Registered electors 7,693
Liberal Democrats hold

Eastlands

Eastlands[17]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Sam Edwards* 930 39.3 +3.0
Reform Francis Holden 604 25.5 +17.9
Green Rachel Granger 312 13.2 +6.7
Conservative Carolyn Watson-Merret 262 11.1 –8.1
Labour Adewale Adewumi 260 11.0 –19.5
Majority 326 13.8 +8.0
Turnout 2,371 40.5 +7.0
Registered electors 5,823
Liberal Democrats hold Swing Decrease7.5

Hillmorton

Hillmorton[18]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Devenne Kedward 1,120 38.0 –5.8
Reform Liam Taverner 825 28.0 N/A
Labour Vanya Yankova 382 13.0 –28.8
Green Alexander Linden 334 11.3 +6.5
Liberal Democrats Julie Douglas 283 9.6 +0.1
Majority 295 10.0 +8.0
Turnout 2,949 39.9 +7.8
Registered electors 7,400
Conservative hold

New Bilton

New Bilton[19]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labour Angela Thompson* 571 34.8 –27.0
Reform Anne-Marie Sonko 495 30.2 N/A
Conservative Andrew Bearne 254 15.5 –7.7
Green Roy Sandison 226 13.8 +5.2
Liberal Democrats James Moran 94 5.7 –0.7
Majority 76 4.6 –34.0
Turnout 1,645 30.8 +7.2
Registered electors 5,345
Labour hold

Newbold & Brownsover

Newbold & Brownsover[20]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Reform Kyle Stewart 644 30.3 +20.5
Conservative Wayne Rabin 565 26.6 –3.6
Labour Alan Pavis 521 24.5 –23.4
Green Julian Cresswell 283 13.3 +5.9
Liberal Democrats Victoria Saxby-Edwards 114 5.4 +0.7
Majority 79 3.7 N/A
Turnout 2,135 34.2 +8.2
Registered electors 6,251
Reform gain from Labour Swing Increase12.1

Paddox

Paddox[21]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Noreen New* 1,045 40.7 –5.8
Reform Coreena Glover 635 24.7 +17.5
Conservative Joel Baldwin 392 15.3 –0.4
Green Bob Beggs 264 10.3 +5.8
Labour Mark Gore 233 9.1 –16.9
Majority 410 16.0 –4.5
Turnout 2,574 46.2 +8.5
Registered electors 5,571
Liberal Democrats hold Swing Decrease11.7

Revel & Binley Woods

Revel & Binley Woods[22]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Belinda Garcia* 1,072 39.2 –22.2
Reform Pat Ruck 983 35.9 N/A
Labour Sarah Feeney 323 11.8 –17.1
Green Maralyn Pickup 236 8.6 +2.7
Liberal Democrats Sean Hannigan 124 4.5 +0.7
Majority 89 3.3 –29.2
Turnout 2,746 52.9 +16.2
Registered electors 5,187
Conservative hold

Rokeby & Overslade

Rokeby & Overslade[23]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Democrats Corissa Davis 1,061 44.0 –15.8
Reform Dan Glover 682 28.3 N/A
Conservative Heidi Thomas 270 11.2 –7.1
Green Kirsty Denyer 212 8.8 +3.3
Labour Ara Anbarasu 184 7.6 –8.9
Majority 379 15.7 –25.8
Turnout 2,413 42.5 +6.9
Registered electors 5,672
Liberal Democrats hold

Wolston & The Lawfords

Wolston & The Lawfords[24]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative Simon Ward* 1,333 48.6 +8.1
Reform Sat Bhamra 692 25.2 +15.2
Green Becca Stevenson 319 11.6 +2.0
Labour Adam Wright 276 10.1 –26.0
Liberal Democrats Wayne Broad 125 4.6 +0.9
Majority 641 23.4 +19.0
Turnout 2,749 44.0 +10.5
Registered electors 6,246
Conservative hold Swing Decrease3.6

Wolvey & Shilton

Wolvey & Shilton[25]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Conservative JP Downes 537 49.2 –25.6
Reform Aidan O'Brien 349 32.0 N/A
Green Liam Newsome 88 8.1 N/A
Labour Deborah Leedham 86 7.9 –17.3
Liberal Democrats Hossain Tafazzal 31 2.8 N/A
Majority 188 17.2 –32.4
Turnout 1,093 53.0 +15.0
Registered electors 2,063
Conservative hold

References

  1. ↑ Labour minority.
  2. ↑ Labour–Liberal Democrat coalition.
  1. ↑ "Rugby Council Composition: Latest". opencouncildata.co.uk. Open Council Data UK. Archived from the original on 18 February 2026. Retrieved 18 February 2026.
  2. ↑ mhclgpress (16 February 2026). "Update on May 2026 local authority elections – MHCLG in the Media". mhclgmedia.blog.gov.uk. Retrieved 17 February 2026.
  3. ↑ Morris, Andy (29 May 2024). "Labour set to lead Rugby Borough Council under new pact with Lib Dems". Rugby Observer. Retrieved 20 August 2026.
  4. ↑ "Rugby's Labour Group appoints new leader, as discussions continue over leadership of the council". Warwickshire World. 12 May 2026. Retrieved 20 August 2026.
  5. ↑ Morris, Andy (22 May 2026). "New Labour-Lib Dem coalition to jointly run Rugby Borough Council". Rugby Observer. Retrieved 20 August 2026.
  6. ↑ "Council minutes, 21 May 2026". Rugby Borough Council. Retrieved 20 August 2026.
  7. ↑ "ELECTION RESULTS: Labour close gap on Tories at Rugby Borough Council". Rugby Observer. Retrieved 17 February 2026.
  8. ↑ "Rugby result - Local Elections 2024". BBC News. Retrieved 17 February 2026.
  9. ↑ "Rugby Borough Council to ask for local election to be scrapped". BBC News. 10 January 2026. Retrieved 17 February 2026.
  10. ↑ Stretton, Rachel; McKeon, Nina Lloyd Christopher; James, Rhiannon; Taylor, George Thompson and Harry; Association, Press (17 February 2026). "Rugby's May 2026 council elections will go ahead after Government U-turn". Coventry Live. Retrieved 17 February 2026.
  11. ↑ "Government abandons plans to delay 30 council elections". BBC News. 16 February 2026. Retrieved 17 February 2026.
  12. ↑ https://www.rugby.gov.uk/w/2026-elections#admirals-and-cawston-ward
  13. ↑ https://www.rugby.gov.uk/w/2026-elections#benn-ward
  14. ↑ https://www.rugby.gov.uk/w/2026-elections#bilton-ward
  15. ↑ https://www.rugby.gov.uk/w/2026-elections#coton-and-boughton-ward
  16. ↑ https://www.rugby.gov.uk/w/2026-elections#dunsmore-ward
  17. ↑ https://www.rugby.gov.uk/w/2026-elections#eastlands-ward
  18. ↑ https://www.rugby.gov.uk/w/2026-elections#hillmorton-ward
  19. ↑ https://www.rugby.gov.uk/w/2026-elections#new-bilton-ward
  20. ↑ https://www.rugby.gov.uk/w/2026-elections#newbold-and-brownsover-ward
  21. ↑ https://www.rugby.gov.uk/w/2026-elections#paddox-ward
  22. ↑ https://www.rugby.gov.uk/w/2026-elections#revel-and-binley-woods-ward
  23. ↑ https://www.rugby.gov.uk/w/2026-elections#rokeby-and-overslade-ward
  24. ↑ https://www.rugby.gov.uk/w/2026-elections#wolston-and-the-lawfords-ward
  25. ↑ https://www.rugby.gov.uk/w/2026-elections#wolvey-and-shilton-ward
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