The 2026 Hampshire County Council election took place on 7 May 2026 to elect all 78 seats at Hampshire County Council in Hampshire, England.
Prior to the election, the council was under Conservative majority control. The council went under no overall control at this election. The Conservatives narrowly remained the largest party, winning 27 seats, one more than the Liberal Democrats who won 26 seats. Reform UK, which had just one seat immediately before the election, won 20 seats. At the subsequent annual council meeting on 21 May 2026, both the incumbent Conservative leader, Nick Adams-King, and the Liberal Democrat leader, Keith House, were nominated for the role of leader of the council. Adams-King won with the support of the some of the Reform councillors and an independent.
Background At the 2021 election, the Conservatives won a majority of seats. In May 2024, Nick Adams-King became the new council leader. This was amid a public consultation on cuts worth £132m from the council budget by April 2025.
County Council elections usually occur every four years. In early 2025 it was announced that, owing to upcoming structural changes to local government in England, the elections in some areas – including Hampshire – would be postponed from May 2025 to May 2026. In late 2025 the government said that elections in a greater number of areas would be moved back another year, but this was reversed in the face of a legal challenge by Reform UK.
Council composition 2021 election Before 2026 election After 2026 election Party Seats Party Seats Party Seats 56 49 27 17 19 26 3 3 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 0 1 20 1 4 1 0 0 1 Changes 2021–2026: March 2023: Gary Hughes (Conservative) resigns – by-election held May 2023 Alexis McEvoy (Conservative) leaves party to sit as an independent May 2023: Ryan Brent (Conservative) wins by-election Sarah Pankhurst (Conservative) leaves party to sit as an independent September 2023: Prad Bains (Conservative) joins Liberal Democrats March 2024: Seán Woodward (Conservative) and Hugh Lumby (Conservative) resign – by-elections held May 2024 May 2024: Malcolm Wallace (Green) gains by-election from Conservatives; Joanne Burton (Conservative) wins by-election September 2024: Rob Humby (Conservative) resigns – by-election held October 2024 October 2024: Jonathan Williams (Liberal Democrats) gains by-election from Conservatives January 2025: Neville Penman (Conservative) leaves party to sit as an independent March 2025: Dominic Hiscock (Liberal Democrats) and Adrian Collett (Liberal Democrats) resign – by-election held May 2025 May 2025: Stuart Bailey (Liberal Democrats) and Paula Ferguson (Liberal Democrats) win by-elections October 2025: Barry Dunning (Conservative) joins Reform
Election result
Opinion polling
Voting intention
Date(s)conductedPollsterClientSamplesizeAreaConLabGrnLDRefOthersLead7 May 20262026 local elections27.68%6.55%11.20%25.48%26.78%2.31% 27th March - 21st April YouGov None677GB21%8%13%27%29%2%2JL Patners (MRP)Daily Telegraph4,089GB24%10%9%12%31%4%76 May 20212021 local elections 49.1% 20.5% 13.8% 11.1% 0.4% 5.1%28.6
Seat projections
Date(s)conductedPollsterClientSamplesizeAreaConLabGrnLDRefOthersMajority7 May 20262026 local elections271126203Hung 31st March - 13th April 2026 JL Partners Daily Telegraph4,089GB250119312Hung6 May 20212021 local elections––5630170239
Results
Basingstoke and Deane (10 seats)
East Hampshire (7 seats)
Eastleigh (8 seats)
Fareham (7 seats)
Gosport (5 seats)
Hart (5 seats)
Havant (7 seats)
New Forest (10 seats)
Rushmoor (5 seats)
Test Valley (7 seats)
Winchester (7 seats)
References