The 2025 North Northamptonshire Council election took place on 1 May 2025 to elect members to 68 seats on North Northamptonshire Council in Northamptonshire, England. It was held on the same day as other local elections. The council was under Conservative control prior to the election. Reform UK won a majority of the seats at the election.
Background At the 2021 election, the Conservatives won a majority of seats. The Conservative leader of the council prior to the election, Jason Smithers, did not stand for re-election in 2025.
New ward boundaries were drawn up to take effect for the 2025 election, reducing the number of seats from 78 to 68.
Previous council composition After 2021 election Before 2025 election Party Seats Party Seats 60 50 14 16 3 4 1 3 0 3 Vacant N/A Vacant 2
Summary Reform UK won a majority of the seats at the election. Their group leader, Martin Griffiths, was formally appointed as the new leader of the council at the subsequent annual council meeting on 20 May 2025. He had previously been a Conservative, and had been leader of one of the council's predecessors, the Borough Council of Wellingborough, for its last five years between 2016 and 2021.
Election result
Ward results
Election results Avondale Grange
Barton Seagrave & Burton Latimer
Brickhill & Queensway
Corby West
Croyland & Swanspool
Desborough
Earls Barton
Finedon
Geddington & Stanion
Gretton & Weldon
Hatton Park
Higham Ferrers
The election for Higham Ferrers ward was delayed due to the death of the Liberal Democrat candidate John Ratcliffe, and rescheduled to 12 June 2025. Following the re-closing of nominations, Reform UK stood three candidates in this seat despite the ward being two-member, as one of the candidates, Alan Beswick, had moved to China and could not complete the appropriate withdrawal form.
There was also an issue wherein the returning officer and the Electoral Commission had conflicting advice regarding the eligibility of one of the new Reform UK candidates, Elisa Perna. Perna had stood in the Oundle ward on 1 May 2025 and had not been elected, and she had then been nominated to the Higham Ferrers ward. The Electoral Commission stated that, as two candidates cannot stand in the same ward in a set of local elections, Perna was ineligible. However, the North Northamptonshire returning officer stated that she was eligible, as a new notice of election had been published. This raised the possibility of an election petition being launched following the result of the poll, which would end up in the High Court. The Electoral Commission's position was that under Schedule 2, Rule 12 of The Local Elections (Principal Areas) (England and Wales) Rules 2006 a candidate cannot stand in more than one electoral area, and that under the Section 39, Clause (5)(a) of the Representation of the People Act 1983, this rule also applies to any countermanded polls.
At the election on 12 June 2025, one Reform UK candidate and one Conservative Party candidate were elected.
Irchester
Irthlingborough
Ise
Kettering Central
Kettering North
Kingswood
Lloyds & Corby Village
Oakley
Oundle
Pemberton
Pipers Hill
Raunds
Rothwell & Mawsley
Rushden Lakes
Rushden South
St Michael
St Peter
Thrapston
Victoria
Changes 2025–2029
May 2025: Independent councillor Jim Hakewill and Liberal Democrat councillor Simon Fairhall formed the Communities Alliance group. August 2025: Robert Bloom (Reform UK) resigned. A by-election was held in October 2025. October 2025: Lee Duffy (Reform UK) won the Lloyds and Corby Village by-election. October 2025: Scott Brown left the Conservative group to sit as an independent. February 2026: Bill McElhinney left the Conservative group to sit as an independent. February 2026: Jennie Bone left the Conservatives and joined Reform UK. February 2026: Jack Goncalvez and Darren Rance left Reform UK and joined Restore Britain. Rance returned to Reform UK two days later. February 2026: Brown joined the Communities Alliance group.
By-elections
Lloyds & Corby Village
The by-election followed the resignation of Reform UK councillor Robert Bloom.
Notes
References
See also North Northamptonshire Council elections