The 2026 Suffolk County Council election is a local government election for Suffolk County Council in England, United Kingdom. It took place on 7 May 2026 as part of the 2026 local elections.
Prior to the election, the council was under Conservative majority control. The election saw Reform UK win a majority of the seats. After the election, Reform chose Michael Hadwen to be its new group leader, and he was formally appointed as the new leader of the council at the subsequent annual council meeting on 21 May 2026.
Overview The 2026 election for new councillors for Suffolk County Council took place on 7 May 2026 as part of the 2026 local elections in the United Kingdom.
This election followed a review by Local Government Boundary Commission for England which reduced the number of councillors from 75 to 70. All 70 councillors are elected from 69 electoral divisions, which return either one or two county councillors each, by first-past-the-post voting.
Beccles and Kessingland is the only two-member ward, with all other wards being one-member. Voters who live in the two-member division are entitled to cast a maximum of two votes, while those living in the divisions only electing one councillor are only entitled to cast one vote.
The election was postponed from 2025 due to the 2024–present structural changes to local government in England.
The government announced plans to further delay the election to 2027, following support from the Conservative administration, but reversed the decision following a legal challenge by Reform UK.
Previous composition 2021 election Party Seats 55 9 5 4 1 West Suffolk Independents 1Total75
Composition of council seats before election Party Seats West Suffolk Independents Vacant Total75
Changes between elections
In between the 2021 election and the 2026 election, the following council seats changed hands:
Division Date Previous party New party Cause Resulting council composition Con Grn Lab LD Ind WSI Ref2021 Suffolk County Council election 55 9 5 4 1 1 0 Felixstowe Coastal 4 May 2023 Sitting councillor died. Liberal Democrats won by-election. 54 9 5 5 1 1 0 Whitehouse & Whitton 6 February 2024 Councillor quit party to sit as an independent member. 53 9 5 5 2 1 0 Pakefield 4 July 2024 Won by-election. 52 9 6 5 2 1 0 Belstead Brook 6 September 2024 Councillor defected to Reform UK. 51 9 6 5 2 1 1 Eastgate & Moreton Hall 21 April 2025 Councillor quit party to sit as an independent member. 51 9 6 5 2 1 1 Whitehouse & Whitton Councillor rejoined party. Tower 3 July 2025 Won by-election. 50 9 6 5 2 1 2 Tower 18 September 2025 Councillor quit party to sit as an independent member. 48 9 6 5 3 1 3 Sudbury East and Waldingfield Councillor defected. Whitehouse & Whitton 30 September 2025 Councillor quit party to sit as an independent member. 47 9 6 5 4 1 3 Haverhill Cangle 7 October 2025 Councillor defected. 46 9 6 5 4 1 4 Pakefield 23 October 2025 Councillor died. 45 9 6 5 4 1 5 Martlesham 14 January 2026 Councillor defected. 44 9 6 5 4 1 6
Summary
Election result
Division results by local authority
Babergh
Incumbents
Ward Incumbent councillorParty Re-standing Belstead Brook Christopher Hudson Yes Cosford Robert Lindsay Yes Great Cornard Peter Beer No Hadleigh Mick Fraser No Melford Richard Kemp No Peninsula Simon Harley No Samford Georgia Hall No Stour Valley James Finch No Sudbury Jessie Carter No Sudbury East & Waldingfield Philip Faircloth-Mutton Yes
Authority summary
+Babergh district summaryPartySeats+/-Votes%+/- 4 2 12,146 33.8 N/A 3 9,212 25.6 +2.1 1 3 7,377 20.5 -19.9 1 1,439 4.0 -12.5 0 3,854 10.7 +2.0 0 1,925 5.4 -5.5Total9 134,58346.4+7.7Registered electors74,573–+4.0
Division results
East Suffolk
Authority summary
+East Suffolk district summaryPartySeats+/-Votes+/- 16 14 32,308 34.5 N/A 4 1 23,117 24.7 +10.7 2 16 19,677 21.0 –32.5 1 1 9,083 9.7 –0.4 1 1 1,108 1.2 ±0.0 0 1 8,440 9.0 –12.1 0 25 <0.1 N/ATotal24 287,14644.5+8.1Registered electors195,727–+1.0
Incumbents
Division Incumbent councillorParty Re-standing Aldeburgh & Leiston TJ Haworth-Cuff Beccles Caroline Topping Beccles Ash Lever Blything Richard Smith No Bungay Judy Cloke Carlford Elaine Bryce Felixstowe Coastal Seamus Bennett Felixstowe Coastal Steve Wiles Felixstowe North & Trimley Stuart Bird Framlingham Stephen Burroughes Gunton Ryan Harvey Gunton James Reader Halesworth Annette Dunning Kesgrave & Rushmere St Andrew Stuart Lawson Kesgrave & Rushmere St Andrew Debbie McCallum Kessingland & Southwold Michael Ladd Lowestoft South Jenny Ceresa Lowestoft South Jamie Starling Martlesham Patti Mulcahy Oulton Keith Robinson Oulton Edward Back Pakefield Peter Byatt Pakefield June Mummery Wickham Alexander Nicoll Wilford Andrew Reid Woodbridge Ruth Leach
Division results
Ipswich
Authority summary
+Ipswich district summaryPartySeats+/-Votes%+/- 8 8 12,939 31.3 N/A 3 2 10,358 25.2 -11.9 1 4,032 9.8 -1.5 0 7,667 18.7 +9.3 0 6 5,950 14.5 -27.4 0 1 N/A N/A N/ATotal12 141,05241.3+3.7Registered electors99,481––0.3
Incumbents
Ward Incumbent councillorParty Re-standing Bixley Paul West Yes Bridge Rob Bridgeman No Chantry Nadia Cenci Yes Chantry Nathan Wilson No Gainsborough Liz Harsant Yes Priory Heath Lucy Smith No Rushmere Sandy Martin No St Helen's Elizabeth Farrow No St John's Adele Cook Yes St Margaret's & Westgate Inga Lockington Yes St Margaret's & Westgate Debbie Richards No Whitehouse & Whitton Sam Murray No Whitehouse & Whitton David Goldsmith No
Division results
Mid Suffolk
Authority summary
+Mid Suffolk district summaryPartySeats+/-Votes+/- 5 2 14,116 33.2 +12.6 4 4 13,583 32.0 N/A 1 4 9,540 22.5 –22.4 0 2 3,368 7.9 –9.1 0 1,839 4.3 –7.5Total1041,69047.7+11.0Registered electors87,483–+8.1
Incumbents
Ward Incumbent councillorParty Re-standing Bosmere Kay Oakes Gipping Valley Chris Chambers Hartismere Jessica Fleming Hoxne & Eye Henry Lloyd Stowmarket North & Stowupland Keith Welham Stowmarket South Keith Scarff Thedwastre North Andy Mellan Thedwastre South Penny Otton Thredling Matthew Hicks Upper Gipping Andrew Stringer
Division results
West Suffolk
Authority summary
+West Suffolk district summaryPartySeats+/-Votes+/- 9 7 17,451 32.5 N/A 5 6 15,899 29.6 -22.9 1 1 8,649 16.1 +2.1 0 5,216 9.7 -8.1 0 3,569 6.6 +3.3 0 3 2,936 5.5 -2.4 0 17 <0.1 N/ATotal1553,86842.2+7.7Registered electors127,759–+1.0
Incumbents
Ward Incumbent councillorParty Re-standing Blackbourn Joanna Spicer No Brandon Victor Lukaniuk Clare Bobby Bennett Eastgate & Moreton Hall Peter Thompson Exning & Newmarket Rachel Hood Hardwick Richard Rout Haverhill Cangle Joe Mason Haverhill Cangle Heike Sowa Haverhill East & Kedlington David Roach Mildenhall Lance Stanbury Newmarket & Red Lodge Andy Drummond Row Heath Colin Noble Thingoe North Beccy Hopfensperger Thingoe South Karen Soons Tower David Nettleton Tower Martin Robinson
Division results
Post-election changes
Bosmere by-election
Footnotes
References