The 2026 Sefton Council election was held on Thursday 7 May 2026, alongside other local elections in the United Kingdom. The whole Council of 66 members of Sefton Council in Merseyside were elected.
Labour retained control of the council on a significantly reduced majority, while the Liberal Democrats nearly doubled their number of councillors. Reform UK won its first councillors at an election in the borough, while the Greens enjoyed their best result to this point in terms of both seats and vote share. Lydiate and Maghull Community Independents won 5 seats, while the Conservatives lost all representation on the council.
On 12 May, a Reform UK councillor resigned from his party within days of being elected and sits now as an independent.
Background Sefton Metropolitan Borough Council was created in 1974. The Conservatives controlled the council from its creation until 1986, when the council fell into no overall control. Labour became the largest party in 1988 but did not form their first majority administration until 24 years later. The Liberal Democrats briefly became the largest party between 2000 and 2002, and again for the more prolonged period between 2004 and 2011. Labour have formed majority administrations since 2012 with the Liberal Democrats serving as the principal opposition (aside from 2021 which saw the Conservatives hold an equal number of seats).
In the most recent election, Labour made no net gains or losses, winning a seat from the Conservatives but also losing a seat to the Green Party and giving the Greens their first seat on the council. The Liberal Democrats also held a seat gained through a defection from the Conservatives.
Council composition After 2024 election Before 2026 election Party Seats Party Seats 49 51 9 9 4 3 1 1 0 1 N/A 1 2 0 Vacant 1 Vacant 0 Changes 2024–2026: March 2024: Paula Spencer (Labour) dies – by-election held June 2024 May 2024: John Fairclough (Labour) resigns – by-election held July 2024 June 2024: Helen Duerden (Labour) wins by-election July 2024: Jim Conalty (Labour) wins by-election October 2024: Paul Tweed (Labour) expelled from party Paul Tweed (Independent) resigns – by-election held November 2024 November 2024: Julia Garner (Labour) wins by-election May 2025: Natasha Carlin (Independent, elected as Labour) resigns – by-election held June 2025 June 2025: David Roscoe (Labour) nominally gains by-election from Independent August 2025: Mike Morris (Conservative) joins Reform
Election result
Ward results Councillors that were standing for re-election are marked with an asterisk (*). Ainsdale
Aintree & Maghull South
Birkdale
Blundellsands
Bootle East
Bootle West
Cambridge
Duke's
Ford
Formby East
Formby West
Great Crosby
Kew
Litherland
Lydiate & Maghull West
Maghull East
Meols
Netherton North
Netherton South & Orrell
Norwood
Thornton & Hightown
Waterloo
References