The 2026 Norfolk County Council election took place on 7 May 2026 to elect members to Norfolk County Council in Norfolk, England. All 84 seats were elected. This was on the same day as other 2026 local elections.
Prior to the election, the council was under Conservative majority control. At the election, the council went under no overall control. Reform UK were the largest party after the election with 40 seats, leaving them three seats short of a majority. Reform then chose David Bick to be their new group leader; he was formally appointed as leader of the council at the subsequent annual council meeting on 28 May 2026, leading a minority administration.
Background At the 2021 election, the Conservatives won a majority of seats. The 2026 election was held under new electoral division boundaries. Having delayed the elections from 2025 to 2026, the government announced plans to further delay them until 2027, but abandoned this following a legal challenge by Reform UK.
According to a BBC report in March 2026 citing Conservative sources, the party's own internal polling was showing it facing the loss of most of its seats.
Summary
The Conservatives lost 44 of the 52 seats they were defending, 38 of them to the Reform (UK) Party.
Reform won the most seats at 40, doing particullarly well in South Norfolk, a former Tory stronghold. This left them just three seats shy of a majority in the county council, partly due to the success of Great Yarmouth First (connected with Restore Britain) and the Liberal Democrats. In North Norfolk there were ten council seats up for election, with the Liberal Democrats winning seven of them, while Great Yarmouth First won all nine seats in the Borough of Great Yarmouth.
The Green Party won 10 of the 13 seats in Norwich. They also won one seat in each of Broadland and South Norfolk districts.
Labour won just one seat, in the Hethersett division of South Norfolk.
Results
Candidates by local authority
Breckland
District summary
+Breckland district summaryPartySeats+/-Votes%+/-Reform 11 10 19,363 42.0 N/AConservative 1 10 12,328 26.8 –34.8Green 0 5,589 12.1 +5.5Labour 0 4,818 10.5 –12.5Liberal Democrats 0 3,779 8.2 ±0.0Independent 0 186 0.4 +0.1Total1246,23941.5+12.3Registered electors111,433–+3.2
Division results
Broadland
District summary
+Broadland district summaryPartySeats+/-Votes%+/-Reform 7 7 16,993 32.7 N/ALiberal Democrats 3 1 9,179 17.4 –2.3Conservative 2 9 12,776 24.2 –28.4Green 1 1 9,014 17.1 +7.7Labour 0 4,677 8.9 –9.2Independent 0 169 0.3 +0.1Total1352,80848.7Registered electors108,442–
Division results
Great Yarmouth
Division Incumbent councillorParty Re-standing Breydon Carl Smith Caister-on-Sea Penny Carpenter East Flegg James Bensly Gorleston St Andrew's Graham Plant Lothingland Carl Annison Magdalen Colleen Walker West Flegg Andy Grant Yarmouth Nelson & Southtown Mike Smith-Clare Yarmouth North & Central Graham Carpenter
District summary
+Great Yarmouth district summaryPartySeats+/-Votes%+/-Great Yarmouth First 9 6 15,627 46.0 N/AReform 0 6,637 19.5 +19.1Conservative 0 7 4,150 12.2 –46.6Green 0 3,641 10.7 +3.0Labour 0 2 3,063 9.0 –18.5Liberal Democrats 0 850 2.5 +0.1Total933,95144.9Registered electors75,668–
Division results
King's Lynn & West Norfolk
Division Incumbent councillorParty Re-standing Clenchwarton & King'sLynn South Alexandra Kemp Dersingham Stuart Dark Docking Michael Chenery of Horsbrugh Downham Market Anthony White Feltwell Martin Storey Fincham Brian Long Freebridge Lynn Vacant Gayton & Nar Valley Jim Moriarty Gaywood North & Central David Sayers Gaywood South Robert Colwell King's Lynn North & Central Lesley Bambridge Marshland North Julian Kirk Marshland South Chris Dawson North Coast Andrew Jamieson
District summary
+King's Lynn & West Norfolk district summaryPartySeats+/-Votes%+/-Reform 12 11 18,918 39.8 +39.6Liberal Democrats 1 1 6,556 13.8 +8.0Independent 1 2 5,362 11.3 -6.1Conservative 0 8 10,303 21.7 –34.8Labour 0 3.632 7.6 –8.0Green 0 2,532 5.3 +1.2Monster Raving Loony 0 79 0.2 N/AHeritage 0 77 0.2 N/ACommunist 0 39 0.1 N/ATotal1447,498
Division results
North Norfolk
Division Incumbent councillorParty Re-standing Cromer Tim Adams Fakenham Tom FitzPatrick Holt Eric Vardy Hoveton & Stalham Nigel Dixon Melton Constable Steffan Aquarone Erpingham Edward Maxfield North Walsham East Lucy Shires North Walsham West &Mundersley Saul Penfold Sheringham Judy Oliver South Smallburgh Richard Price Wells Michael Dalby
District summary
+North Norfolk district summaryPartySeats+/-Votes%+/-Liberal Democrats 7 3 17,008 40.6 +4.9Conservative 2 4 8,353 19.9 –24.5Reform 1 1 13,363 31.9 N/AGreen 0 2,810 6.7 –0.2Labour 0 1,099 2.6 –4.6Independent 0 1 41 0.1 –5.6Total10 142,02249.6Registered electors84,659–
Division results
Norwich
Division Incumbent councillorParty Re-standing Bowthorpe Mike Sands Catton Grove Steve Morphew Crome Alison Birmingham Eaton Brian Watkins Lakenham Brenda Jones Mancroft Serene Shibli Mile Cross Chrissie Rumsby Nelson Paul Neale Sewell Julie Brociek-Coulton Thorpe Hamlet Ben Price Town Close Vacant University Matthew Reilly Wensum Vacant
District summary
+Norwich city summaryPartySeats+/-Votes%+/-Green 10 7 19,849 42.7 +18.6Reform 2 2 9,651 20.8 N/ALiberal Democrats 1 4,199 9.0 +1.4Labour 0 9 9,899 21.3 –23.6Conservative 0 3,135 6.7 –16.0Communist 0 37 0.1 N/ATotal1346,77144.8Registered electors104,373–
Division results
South Norfolk
Division Incumbent councillorParty Re-standing Clavering Barry Stone Costessey Sharon Blundell Diss & Roydon Vacant East Depwade Martin Wilby Forehoe Daniel Elmer Henstead Vic Thomson Hingham Margaret Dewsbury Humbleyard David Bills Loddon Kay Billig Long Stratton Alison Thomas West Depwade Catherine Rowett Wymondham Robert Savage
District summary
+South Norfolk district summaryPartySeats+/-Votes%+/-Reform 7 7 16,611 29.5 +29.3Conservative 3 8 13,224 23.5 –26.7Green 1 1 10,280 18.2 +8.6Liberal Democrats 1 7,108 12.6 -7.3Labour 1 6,238 11.1 –6.8Independent 0 2,886 5.1 +2.9Total1356,357
Division results
Post-election changes
By-elections
Old Catton
The by-election was triggered by the resignation of Reform UK councillor Mark Tucker, who stood down 25 days after winning the seat in May 2026, citing ill health.
Notes
References