2026 Wokingham Borough Council election
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7 May 2026
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18 out of 54 seats to Wokingham Borough Council 28 seats needed for a majority | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The 2026 Wokingham Borough Council election will be held on 7 May 2026, alongside the other local elections across the United Kingdom being held on the same day, to elect 18 of 54 members of Wokingham Borough Council.[2]
Due to ongoing local government reorganisation, this will be the final election to Wokingham 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.
Council composition
| After 2024 election | Before 2026 election | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Seats | Party | Seats | ||
| Liberal Democrats | 27 | Liberal Democrats | 28 | ||
| Conservative | 19 | Conservative | 19 | ||
| Labour | 8 | Labour | 5 | ||
| Independent | 0 | Independent | 2 | ||
Changes 2024–2026:
- October 2024: Sarah Bell (Labour) resigns – by-election held December 2024[3]
- November 2024: Paul Fishwick (Liberal Democrats) dies – by-election held February 2025[4]
- December 2024: Jackie Rance (Conservative) gains by-election from Labour[5]
- Alex Freeney (Labour) suspended from party[6]
- February 2025: Chetna Jamthe (Liberal Democrats) wins by-election[7]
- March 2025: Norman Jorgensen (Conservative) dies – by-election held June 2025[8]
- June 2025: Mike Smith (Liberal Democrats) gains by-election from Conservatives[9]
- September 2025: Majid Nagra (Labour) leaves party to sit as an independent[10]
Summary
Background
In 2024, the council remained under no overall control.[11] After several by-elections and defections, the Liberal Democrats took mid-term control of the council and currently lead a majority administration going into the 2026 election.
Election result
| 2026 Wokingham Borough Council election[1] | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | This election | Full council | This election | |||||||
| Seats | Net | Seats % | Other | Total | Total % | Votes | Votes % | +/− | ||
| Liberal Democrats | 18 | |||||||||
| Conservative | 13 | |||||||||
| Labour | 4 | |||||||||
| Independent | 1 | |||||||||
| Green | 0 | |||||||||
| Reform | 0 | |||||||||
Incumbents
| Ward | Incumbent councillor |
Party | Re-standing | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Barkham & Arborfield | George Evans | Conservative | ||
| Bulmershe & Coronation | Yusra Salman | Conservative | ||
| Emmbrook | Basit Alvi | Liberal Democrats | ||
| Evendons | Adrian Mather | Liberal Democrats | ||
| Finchampstead | Peter Harper | Conservative | ||
| Hawkedon | Melanie De Jong | Liberal Democrats | ||
| Hillside | Caroline Smith | Liberal Democrats | ||
| Loddon | Alex Freeney[a] | Independent | ||
| Maiden Erlegh & Whitegates | Andy Siu-Hong Ng | Liberal Democrats | ||
| Norreys | Nagi Nagella | Labour | ||
| Shinfield | Vishal Srinivasan | Conservative | ||
| South Lake | Carol Jewell | Liberal Democrats | ||
| Spencers Wood & Swallowfield | Stuart Munro | Conservative | ||
| Thames | Katrin Harding | Liberal Democrats | ||
| Twyford, Ruscombe & Hurst | Martijn Andrea | Liberal Democrats | ||
| Wescott | Chris Cooke | Liberal Democrats | ||
| Winnersh | Chetna Jamthe[b] | Liberal Democrats | ||
| Wokingham Without | Séona Turtle | Conservative | ||
Results
References
- ^ a b "Wokingham Council Composition: Latest". opencouncildata.co.uk. Open Council Data UK. Archived from the original on 7 February 2026. Retrieved 7 February 2026.
- ^ "Current elections". www.wokingham.gov.uk. 7 October 2023. Retrieved 28 January 2026.
- ^ Lucas, Ruth (16 October 2024). "Shinfield Councillor resigns Wokingham Borough Council over 'personal reasons'". Bracknell News. Retrieved 3 February 2026.
- ^ Mowl, Olivia (15 November 2024). "Councillor, 65, dies after a short illness". Bracknell News. Retrieved 3 February 2026.
- ^ "Local Elections Archive Project — Shinfield Ward". www.andrewteale.me.uk. Retrieved 3 February 2026.
- ^ Batt, Andrew (30 January 2025). "Wokingham Borough councillor suspended from Labour pending investigation". Wokingham.Today. Retrieved 3 February 2026.
- ^ "Local Elections Archive Project — Winnersh Ward". www.andrewteale.me.uk. Retrieved 3 February 2026.
- ^ Aldridge, James (28 March 2025). "Tributes paid to sitting Earley Conservative councillor, dad and husband". Reading Chronicle. Retrieved 3 February 2026.
- ^ "Local Elections Archive Project — Maiden Erlegh and Whitegates Ward". www.andrewteale.me.uk. Retrieved 3 February 2026.
- ^ Aldridge, James (17 September 2025). "Woodley councillor quits Labour over 'genocide' and mass killing of children in Gaza". Reading Chronicle. Retrieved 3 February 2026.
- ^ "Wokingham result - Local Elections 2024". BBC News. Retrieved 28 January 2026.
| Council elections in Berkshire | |
|---|---|
| Bracknell Forest Borough Council | |
| Reading Borough Council | |
| Slough Borough Council | |
| West Berkshire Council | |
| Windsor and Maidenhead Borough Council | |
| Wokingham Borough Council | |
| Berkshire County Council |
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