2026 Leeds City Council election

2026 Leeds City Council election

←  2024 7 May 2026 2027  →
33 of 99 seats on Leeds City Council 50 seats needed for a majority
Leader James Lewis Alan Lamb Penny Stables Party Labour Conservative Green Leader's seat Kippax and Methley Wetherby Wetherby Last election 19 seats, 43.3% 5 seats, 20.5% 3 seats, 16.3% Current seats 58 14 6   Leader Stewart Golton Oliver Newton Mark Dobson Party Liberal Democrats Morley Borough Independents Garforth and Swillington Independents Leader's seat Rothwell Morley South Garforth and Swillington Last election 2 seats, 9.4% 2 seats, 2.3% 1 seat, 1.8% Current seats 6 4 3   Leader Wayne Dixon Trish Smith Party SDP Reform Independent Leader's seat Middleton Park Pudsey Last election 1 seat, 1.6% 0 seats, 1.3% 0 seats, 0.8% Current seats 3 2 3
Map of Leeds City Council wards
Incumbent Council Control Majority administration Labour

The 2026 Leeds City Council election is due to take place on 7 May 2026 alongside other local elections across the United Kingdom. ^[1]

Councillors not standing for re-election

Councillor	Ward	First elected	Party		Reason
Annie Maloney [2]	Beeston and Holbeck	2022		Labour	standing down
Alice Smart [3]	Armley	2014		Labour	standing down

Previous council composition

After 2024 election			Before 2026 election
Party		Seats	Party		Seats
	Labour	61		Labour	58
	Conservative	15		Conservative	14
	Liberal Democrats	6		Liberal Democrats	6
	Green	5		Green	6
	Morley Borough Independents	4		Morley Borough Independents	4
	Garforth and Swillington Independents	3		Garforth and Swillington Independents	3
	SDP	3		SDP	3
	Reform	0		Reform	2
	Independent	2		Independent	3

Changes 2024–2026:

• May 2024: Trish Smith (Conservative) leaves party to sit as an independent ^[4]
• August 2024: Mark Sewards (Labour) resigns – by-election held October 2024 ^[5]
• October 2024: David Blackburn (Green) gains by-election from Labour ^[6]
• May 2025:
  • Winifred Kidger (Independent) ^[a] resigns - by-election held June 2025 ^[7]
  • Trish Smith (Independent) joins Reform ^[8]
• June 2025:
  • Ryan Taylor (Reform) gains by-election nominally from Morley Borough Independents ^[9]
  • Abigail Marshall Katung (Labour) leaves party to sit as an independent ^[10]
• September 2025: Zara Hussain (Labour) leaves party to sit as an independent ^[11]

References

1. Kidger was elected for the Morley Borough Independents

1. "Elections and referendums in Leeds". Leeds City Council. Retrieved 9 December 2025.
2. "Councillor Annie Maloney". democracy.leeds.gov.uk. Leeds City Council . Retrieved 11 December 2025.
3. "Councillor Alice Smart". democracy.leeds.gov.uk. Leeds City Council . Retrieved 10 December 2025.
4. Baron, John (4 May 2024). "Pudsey councillor Trish Smith quits Conservative party". West Leeds Dispatch. Retrieved 31 December 2025.
5. Connolly, James (30 August 2024). "Leeds set for by-election as MP announces he's standing down from city role". Yorkshire Evening Post. Retrieved 31 December 2025.
6. "Local Elections Archive Project — Farnley and Wortley Ward". www.andrewteale.me.uk. Retrieved 31 December 2025.
7. Connolly, James (13 May 2025). "Leeds set for fresh by-election after resignation - here's what you need to know". Yorkshire Evening Post. Retrieved 31 December 2025.
8. Baron, John (12 May 2025). "Pudsey councillor Trish Smith switches to Reform UK". West Leeds Dispatch. Retrieved 31 December 2025.
9. "Local Elections Archive Project — Morley South Ward". www.andrewteale.me.uk. Retrieved 31 December 2025.
10. Boothroyd, David. "Social justice gets reformed". LocalCouncils.co.uk. Retrieved 31 December 2025.
11. Morton, Dennis (26 September 2025). "'Remaining would go against my own morals' - Leeds councillor quits Labour". Yorkshire Evening Post. Retrieved 31 December 2025.