2026 Coventry City Council election

2026 Coventry City Council election

←  2024 7 May 2026

The 2026 Coventry City Council election is scheduled for 7 May 2026 alongside the other local elections across the United Kingdom being held on the same day. ^[1] For the first time, all 54 seats on Coventry City Council will be elected. ^[2]

Background

In 2024, Labour retained control of the council. ^[3]

Council composition

After 2024 election			Before 2026 election
Party		Seats	Party		Seats
	Labour	40		Labour	39
	Conservative	12		Conservative	10
	Green	2		Green	2 [a]
	Reform	0		Reform	2
	Independent	0		Independent	1 [a]

Changes 2024–2026:

• August 2024: David Welsh (Labour) resigns – by-election held October 2024 ^[4]
• October 2024: Sanjida Jobbar (Labour) wins by-election ^[5]
• June 2025: Jackie Gardiner (Conservative) and Marcus Lapsa (Conservative) join Reform ^[6]
• August 2025: Grace Lewis (Labour) leaves party to sit as an independent ^{[a] [7]}

References

1. Councillors Gray, Lewis, and Reeves sit as part of the Green and Independent Alliance Group.

1. Lawrence, David (6 January 2026). "Coventry 2026 local elections as big changes made this year". Coventry Live. Retrieved 27 January 2026.
2. Gilbert, Simon (4 January 2026). "Why Coventry's 2026 council election will be different". BBC News. Retrieved 27 January 2026.
3. "Coventry result - Local Elections 2024". BBC News. Retrieved 27 January 2026.
4. Brown, Ellie; Dawkins, Andrew (28 August 2024). "Long-serving Coventry councillor to stand down". BBC News. Retrieved 28 January 2026.
5. "Local Elections Archive Project — St Michael's Ward". www.andrewteale.me.uk. Retrieved 28 January 2026.
6. Dawkins, Andrew (5 June 2025). "Two Coventry councillors move to Reform from Conservatives". BBC News. Retrieved 28 January 2026.
7. Flash, Oprah (1 August 2025). "Coventry Labour councillor resigns to help Jeremy Corbyn's new party". BBC News. Retrieved 28 January 2026.