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2026 Hartlepool Borough Council election

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2026 Hartlepool Borough Council election
← 2024
7 May 2026 (2026-05-07)
2027 →
12 out of 36 seats to Hartlepool Borough Council
19 seats needed for a majority
Turnout31.5% (Increase3.5%)
  First party Second party Third party
 
Leader Graham Harrison Pamela Hargreaves
Party Reform Labour Independent
Leader's seat Burn Valley Manor House
(defeated)
Last election 0 seats, 14.3% 24 seats, 46.5% 5 seats, 13.5%
Seats before 4 22 7
Seats won 12 0 0
Seats after 15 15 6
Seat change Increase 11 Decrease 7 Decrease 1
Popular vote 12,639 6,438 815
Percentage 49.7% 25.3% 3.2%
Swing Increase 35.4% Decrease 21.2% Decrease 10.3%
  Fourth party Fifth party
 
Leader Thomas Cassidy
Party Conservative IU
Leader's seat Rural West
(defeated)
Last election 6 seats, 24.6% 1 seat, did not stand
Seats before 2 1
Seats won 0 0
Seats after 0 0
Seat change Decrease 2 Decrease 1
Popular vote 2,513 Did not stand
Percentage 9.9% Did not stand
Swing Decrease 14.7% N/A
Results by ward
Leader before election

Pamela Hargreaves
Labour

 Leader after election

Graham Harrison
Reform
No overall control[a]

The 2026 Hartlepool 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 12 of 36 members of Hartlepool Borough Council.[1]

Council composition

[edit]
After 2024 election Before 2026 election
Party Seats Party Seats
Labour 24 Labour 22
Reform 0 Reform 4
Conservative 6 Conservative 2
IU 1 IU 1
Independent 5 Independent 7

Changes 2024–2026:

  • August 2024: Jonathan Brash (Labour) resigns – by-election held September 2024[2]
  • September 2024: Owen Riddle (Labour) wins by-election[3]
  • March 2025: Cameron Sharp (Labour) resigns – by-election held May 2025[4]
  • May 2025:
    • Amanda Napper (Reform) gains by-election from Labour[5]
    • Rob Darby (Conservative) joins Reform[6]
    • Tom Feeney (Labour) leaves party to sit as an independent[7]
  • June 2025: Steve Wallace (Independent, elected as Labour) resigns – by-election held July 2025[8]
  • July 2025: Ed Doyle (Reform) nominally gains by-election from Labour[9]
  • August 2025: Mike Young (Conservative) joins Reform[10]
  • Andrew Martin-Wells (Conservative) and Scott Reeve (Conservative) leave party to sit as independents

Summary

[edit]

Background

[edit]

In 2024, Labour gained the council from no overall control.[11] They held the council previously until 2019.[12]

Election result

[edit]
2026 Hartlepool Borough Council election
Party This election Full council This election
Candidates Seats Net Seats % Other Total Total % Votes Votes % +/−
  Reform {{{candidates}}} 12 Increase11 100.0 3 15 41.7 12,639 49.7 +35.4
  Labour {{{candidates}}} 0 Decrease 7 0.0 15 15 41.7 6,438 25.3 –21.2
  Independent {{{candidates}}} 0 Decrease 1 0.0 6 6 16.7 815 3.2 –10.3
  Conservative {{{candidates}}} 0 Decrease 2 0.0 0 0 0.0 2,513 9.9 –14.7
  Green {{{candidates}}} 0 Steady 0.0 0 0 0.0 2,386 9.4 +8.6
  Liberal Democrats {{{candidates}}} 0 Steady 0.0 0 0 0.0 642 2.5 N/A
  IU {{{candidates}}} 0 Decrease 1 0.0 0 0 0.0 N/A[b] N/A N/A

Incumbents

[edit]
Ward Incumbent councillor Party Re-standing
Burn Valley Owen Riddle Labour Yes
De Bruce Rachel Creevy Labour Yes
Fens & Greatham Bob Buchan Conservative Yes
Foggy Furze Melanie Morley Labour Yes
Hart John Leedham Conservative No
Headland & Harbour Shane Moore IU No
Manor House Pamela Hargreaves Labour Yes
Rossmere Moss Boddy Labour Yes
Rural West Andrew Martin-Wells Independent No
Seaton Gordon Cranney Independent Yes
Throston Amanda Napper Reform Yes
Victoria Gary Allen Labour Yes

Ward results

[edit]

Burn Valley

[edit]
Burn Valley
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Reform Graham Harrison 847 41.1 +25.1
Labour Co-op Owen Riddle* 740 35.9 −18.6
Green India Robertson 252 12.2 N/A
Conservative Bryan Thompson 165 8.0 −12.1
Liberal Democrats Lucas Hennells-Barber 57 2.8 N/A
Majority 107 5.2 N/A
Turnout 2,061
Reform gain from Labour Co-op Swing Increase21.9

De Bruce

[edit]
De Bruce
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Reform Nick Anderson 1,080 60.0 +38.7
Labour Co-op Rachel Creevy* 459 25.5 −29.3
Green Jasmine Khan 146 8.1 N/A
Conservative Lydia Waller 114 6.3 −17.6
Majority 621 34.5 N/A
Turnout 1,799
Reform gain from Labour Co-op Swing Increase34.0

Fens & Greatham

[edit]
Fens & Greatham
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Reform Dave Bruce 1,226 46.6 +34.0
Labour Co-op Mark Hanson 857 32.6 +2.7
Conservative Bob Buchan* 373 14.2 −0.7
Green Lisa Arnell 173 6.6 N/A
Majority 369 14.0 N/A
Turnout 2,629
Reform gain from Conservative Swing Increase15.7

Foggy Furze

[edit]
Foggy Furze
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Reform Rob Stevenson 1,001 47.4 +39.8
Labour Co-op Melanie Morley* 470 22.3 −35.7
Liberal Democrats Connor Stallard 324 15.3 N/A
Green Mike Cherrington 163 7.7 N/A
Conservative Christopher Groves 154 7.3 −24.2
Majority 531 25.1 N/A
Turnout 2,112
Reform gain from Labour Co-op Swing Increase37.8

Hart

[edit]
Hart
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Reform Brian Cowie 1,128 45.3 +32.9
Labour Jake Swinburne 535 21.5 −21.1
Independent Rob Cook 205 8.2 N/A
Green Michael Brookes 189 7.6 N/A
Conservative David Nicholson 186 7.5 −24.4
Independent Jo Banks 132 5.3 N/A
Independent Stuart Campbell 68 2.7 −5.6
Liberal Democrats Barry McKinstray 46 1.8 N/A
Majority 593 23.8 N/A
Turnout 2,489
Reform gain from Conservative Swing Increase27.0

Headland & Harbour

[edit]
Headland & Harbour
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Reform Scott Gaiety 1,150 53.0 +39.5
Labour Amanda Davis 549 25.3 −26.1
Green Jessica Ingham 223 10.3 N/A
Conservative John Mawhinney 175 8.1 −12.1
Liberal Democrats Nathan McLauchlan 73 3.4 N/A
Majority 601 27.7 N/A
Turnout 2,170
Reform gain from IU Swing Increase32.8

Manor House

[edit]
Manor House
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Reform Ronnie Buglass 1,041 66.3 +46.6
Labour Pamela Hargreaves* 354 22.6 −34.8
Green Tom Casey 174 11.1 N/A
Majority 687 43.7 N/A
Turnout 1,569
Reform gain from Labour Swing Increase40.7

Rossmere

[edit]
Rossmere
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Reform Christine Wiley 1,017 64.4 +41.9
Labour Moss Boddy* 307 19.5 −34.9
Green Matthew Hartley 144 9.1 N/A
Conservative Veronica Nicholson 110 7.0 −16.1
Majority 710 44.9 N/A
Turnout 1,578
Reform gain from Labour Swing Increase38.4

Rural West

[edit]
Rural West
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Reform Richie Hughes 1,309 43.2 +29.6
Conservative Thomas Cassidy 840 27.7 −20.4
Labour Co-op Sara Hamouda 578 19.1 −14.4
Green Simon Crute 304 10.0 +5.1
Majority 469 15.5 N/A
Turnout 3,031
Reform gain from Independent Swing Increase25.0

Seaton

[edit]
Seaton
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Reform Peter Storey 1,062 45.4 +37.9
Labour Nicholas Cain 486 20.8 +1.2
Independent Gordon Cranney* 410 17.5 −41.4
Green Mia Brown 167 7.1 +5.1
Conservative John Harrison 148 6.3 −5.8
Liberal Democrats Michael Noppen 65 2.8 N/A
Majority 576 24.6 N/A
Turnout 2,338
Reform gain from Independent Swing Increase18.4

Throston

[edit]
Throston (3 seats)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Reform Amanda Napper* 1,012 53.4 +37.2
Labour Co-op Jack Callaghan 550 29.0 −33.5
Green Ewan Train 132 7.0 N/A
Conservative Margaret Lyall 125 6.6 −14.8
Liberal Democrats Samuel Carr 77 4.1 N/A
Majority 462 24.4 N/A
Turnout 1,896
Reform hold Swing Increase35.4

Victoria

[edit]
Victoria (3 seats)
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Reform Adam Gaines 766 43.5 +27.9
Labour Co-op Gary Allen* 553 31.4 −33.3
Green Connor Dorrian 319 18.1 N/A
Conservative Rodney Pangbourne 123 7.0 −12.7
Majority 213 12.1 N/A
Turnout 1,761
Reform gain from Labour Co-op Swing Increase30.6

References

[edit]
  1. ↑ Reform minority.
  2. ↑ Did not stand candidates.
  1. ↑ teessidetoday (25 January 2026). "Is Your Hartlepool Councillor up for Election in May: Local Elections 2026 To Set the Stage for a Pivotal Political Contest". The Teesside. Retrieved 27 January 2026.
  2. ↑ "Hartlepool MP steps down as councillor". BBC News. 11 August 2024. Retrieved 27 January 2026.
  3. ↑ "Local Elections Archive Project — Burn Valley Ward". www.andrewteale.me.uk. Retrieved 27 January 2026.
  4. ↑ Marko, Nic (21 March 2025). "'It has been an absolute honour' Hartlepool's youngest ever Labour councillor stands down on obtaining new job". Hartlepool Mail. Retrieved 27 January 2026.
  5. ↑ "Local Elections Archive Project — Throston Ward". www.andrewteale.me.uk. Retrieved 27 January 2026.
  6. ↑ Payne, Mark (9 May 2025). "Why one Hartlepool councillor has decided to defect from Conservatives to Reform UK". Hartlepool Mail. Retrieved 27 January 2026.
  7. ↑ Boothroyd, David. "Halifax banks on Reform". LocalCouncils.co.uk. Retrieved 27 January 2026.
  8. ↑ Marko, Nic (5 June 2025). "Voters face second by-election in months as Hartlepool councillor resigns". Hartlepool Mail. Retrieved 27 January 2026.
  9. ↑ "Local Elections Archive Project — Throston Ward". www.andrewteale.me.uk. Retrieved 27 January 2026.
  10. ↑ Marko, Nic (7 August 2025). "Hartlepool's former Conservative leader Mike Young joins Reform UK". BBC News. Retrieved 27 January 2026.
  11. ↑ "Hartlepool result - Local Elections 2024". BBC News. Retrieved 27 January 2026.
  12. ↑ "Win for Labour in Hartlepool as they lead council for first time since 2019". The Northern Echo. 3 May 2024. Retrieved 27 January 2026.
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