The 2026 Nuneaton and Bedworth Borough Council election was held on 7 May 2026, alongside the other local elections across the United Kingdom being held on the same day, to elect 19 of 38 members of Nuneaton and Bedworth Borough Council in Warwickshire, England.
Prior to the election, the council was under no overall control, being run by a Labour minority administration. The council remained under no overall control at this election. Reform UK, which held no seats on the council before the election, won 15 of the 19 seats contested at this election. They therefore overtook Labour to become the largest party on the council, but were left five seats short of a majority. The incumbent Labour leader of the council, Steve Hey, lost his seat. After the election, the new Reform group chose George Finch, who was already the leader of Warwickshire County Council, to be its group leader. He was formally confirmed as the new leader of Nuneaton and Bedworth Borough Council at its subsequent annual council meeting on 20 May 2026, leading a Reform minority administration.
Due to ongoing local government reorganisation, this will be the final election to Nuneaton & Bedworth Borough Council before it is abolished and replaced by a successor unitary authority. Elections to the successor authority are due to take place in 2027.
Summary
Background In 2024, the Conservative Party lost control of the council to the Labour Party. Subsequent changes of allegiance saw Labour lose its majority in December 2024, but the party continued to run the council afterwards as a minority administration.
Due to ongoing local government reorganisation, the Local Government Secretary, Steve Reed, wrote to all local authorities due to have elections in 2026, asking if they would like to delay their elections to 2027. The council's Labour group supported delaying the election, while the opposition parties were against the plans. The Labour leader of the council, Chris Watkins, said, "it was felt that holding [the election] for a local authority that is shortly to be abolished is not a prudent use of resources".
Following this, an extraordinary meeting of the council was held on 21 January 2026, and a motion of no confidence in the council leader was moved by Conservative leader Kris Wilson (Whitestone). The motion passed with the support of the Conservative, Green, and Liberal Democrat councillors, and Watkins was removed from the position. Labour councillor Steve Hey (Attleborough) was subsequently selected at the same meeting to replace Watkins as leader. He was confirmed in this role after receiving support from the Labour and Green groups.
Council composition After 2024 election Before 2026 election Party Seats Party Seats 20 18 16 17 2 2 0 1 Changes 2024–2026: December 2024: Will Markham (Labour) joins Conservatives August 2025: Rob Roze (Labour) leaves party to sit as an independent September 2025: Rob Roze (Independent) joins Liberal Democrats
Incumbents
Ward Incumbent councillorParty Re-standing Arbury Christian Smith Labour No Attleborough Steve Hey Labour Yes Bede Anne-Marie Bull Labour No Bulkington Richard Smith Conservative No Camp Hill Eric Amaechi Labour Yes Chilvers Coton Tony Venson Labour Yes Eastboro Mark Etienne Conservative No Exhall Tim Jenkins Labour No Galley Common Samuel Croft Conservative No Heath Rob Roze Liberal Democrats Yes Milby Jonathan Collett Conservative No Poplar Amarhit Khangura Conservative No Slough Martin Walsh Conservative Yes St Mary's Jill Sheppard Labour No St Nicolas Jamie Hartshorn Conservative Yes Stockingford East Nicky King Labour Yes Stockingford West Kathleen Price Labour Yes Weddington Mike Wright Green Yes Whitestone Julian Gutteridge Conservative No
Election result
Ward results
Arbury
Attleborough
Bede
Bulkington
Camp Hill
Chilvers Coton
Eastboro
Exhall
Galley Common
Heath
Milby
Poplar
Slough
St Mary's
St Nicolas
Stockingford East
Stockingford West
Weddington
Whitestone
By-elections Camp Hill A by-election was called after the resignation of councillor Sharon Dhillon.
References