2026 Colchester City Council election

2026 Colchester City Council election
← 2024 7 May 2026 2027 (TBD) →
17 out of 51 seats to Colchester City Council; 26 seats needed for a majority
	Map showing the wards of Colchester.
Incumbent Leader; David King; Liberal Democrats; No overall control	; ;

The 2026 Colchester City Council election will be held on 7 May 2026 to elect members of Colchester City Council in Essex, England. This will be on the same day as other local elections.^[1]^[2]

Due to ongoing local government reorganisation, this will be the final election to Colchester City 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

Following the conclusion of the previous election, the council stayed under no overall control, with the Conservatives the largest party, but seven seats short of an overall majority.^[3] For the 2024-2025 period, a Liberal Democrat minority ran the council, with informal support from Labour and the Greens. David King (Mile End) continued as council leader.

A few weeks after the previous election, Lesley Scott-Boutell (Stanway) left the Liberal Democrats group to sit as an Independent, becoming the first Independent councillor on the council since 2022.^[4] This change put the Liberal Democrats and Labour on the same number of seats (14 each).

On 21 May 2025, a coalition was formed between the Liberal Democrats and Labour groups for the 2025-2026 period, with King being reconfirmed as council leader at the Annual Council Meeting on the same day.^[5]

Election result

2026 Colchester City Council election
Party		This election			Full council			This election
Party		Seats	Net	Seats %	Other	Total	Total %	Votes	Votes %	+/−
	Conservative				13
	Labour				9
	Liberal Democrats				9
	Green				2
	Independent				1
	Reform				0
	Your Party				0

Incumbents

Ward	Incumbent councillor		Re-standing
Berechurch	Martyn Warnes	Labour Co-op
Castle	Amy Kirkby-Taylor	Green
Greenstead	Elizabeth Alake-Akinyemi^[b]	Labour
Highwoods	Jocelyn Law	Labour
Lexden & Braiswick	Sara Naylor^[c]	Conservative
Marks Tey & Layer	Jackie Maclean	Conservative
Mersea & Pyefleet	Robert Davidson	Conservative
Mile End	David King	Liberal Democrats
New Town & Christ Church	Kayleigh Rippingale	Labour
Old Heath & The Hythe	Lee Scordis	Labour Co-op	Yes^[6]
Prettygate	Roger Buston	Conservative
Rural North	William Sunnucks	Conservative
Shrub End	Mick Spindler	Liberal Democrats
St. Anne's & St. John's	Paul Smith	Liberal Democrats
Stanway	Tracey Arnold	Liberal Democrats
Tiptree	Rhys Smithson	Conservative
Wivenhoe	Andrea Luxford-Vaughan	Liberal Democrats

Candidates

The Statement of Persons Nominated, which details the official candidates standing in each ward at the election, will be released following the close of nominations at 4:00pm on 10 April 2026.^[7]

Berechurch

Berechurch
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative
	Green
	Independent
	Labour
	Liberal Democrats
	Reform
	Your Party

Castle

Castle
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative
	Green
	Independent
	Labour
	Liberal Democrats
	Reform
	Your Party

Greenstead

Greenstead
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative
	Green
	Independent
	Labour
	Liberal Democrats
	Reform
	Your Party

Highwoods

Highwoods
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative
	Green
	Independent
	Labour
	Liberal Democrats
	Reform
	Your Party

Lexden & Braiswick

Lexden & Braiswick
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative
	Green
	Independent
	Labour
	Liberal Democrats
	Reform
	Your Party

Marks Tey & Layer

Marks Tey & Layer
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative
	Green
	Independent
	Labour
	Liberal Democrats
	Reform
	Your Party

Mersea & Pyefleet

Mersea & Pyefleet
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative
	Green
	Independent
	Labour
	Liberal Democrats
	Reform
	Your Party

Mile End

Mile End
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative
	Green
	Independent
	Labour
	Liberal Democrats
	Reform
	Your Party

New Town & Christ Church

New Town & Christ Church
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative
	Green
	Independent
	Labour
	Liberal Democrats
	Reform
	Your Party

Old Heath & The Hythe

Old Heath & The Hythe
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative
	Green
	Independent
	Labour Co-op	Lee Scordis*^[6]
	Liberal Democrats
	Reform
	Your Party

Prettygate

Prettygate
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative
	Green
	Independent
	Labour
	Liberal Democrats
	Reform
	Your Party

Rural North

Rural North
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative
	Green
	Independent
	Labour
	Liberal Democrats
	Reform
	Your Party

Shrub End

Shrub End
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative
	Green
	Independent
	Labour
	Liberal Democrats
	Reform
	Your Party

St Anne's & St John's

St Anne's & St John's
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative
	Green
	Independent
	Labour
	Liberal Democrats
	Reform
	Your Party

Stanway

Stanway
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative
	Green
	Independent
	Labour
	Liberal Democrats
	Reform
	Your Party

Tiptree

Tiptree
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative
	Green
	Independent
	Labour
	Liberal Democrats
	Reform
	Your Party

Wivenhoe

Wivenhoe
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative
	Green
	Independent
	Labour
	Liberal Democrats
	Reform
	Your Party

References

^ Liberal Democrat–Labour coalition
^ Elected at the 2024 Greenstead by-election.
^ Elected at the 2022 Lexden & Braiswick by-election.

^ "Colchester City Council". colchester.gov.uk. Retrieved 30 January 2026.
^ "Local elections to proceed in Colchester on 7 May 2026 | Colchester City Council". new.colchester.gov.uk. 22 January 2026. Retrieved 30 January 2026.
^ "Colchester election result". bbc.com. BBC News. Retrieved 2 February 2026.
^ Deady, Elliot (30 May 2024). "Colchester councillor Lesley Scott-Boutell quits Lib Dems". gazette-news.co.uk. Colchester: Daily Gazette. Archived from the original on 2 February 2026. Retrieved 2 February 2026.
^ "New Coalition Administration at Colchester City Council". new.colchester.gov.uk. Colchester: Colchester City Council. 21 May 2025. Archived from the original on 2 February 2026. Retrieved 2 February 2026.
^ ^a ^b Scordis, Lee (15 January 2026). "Colchester City elections to go ahead in May". facebook.com. Facebook. Archived from the original on 6 February 2026. Retrieved 6 February 2026.
^ "Elections 2026". colchester.gov.uk. Colchester: Colchester City Council. 20 January 2026. Retrieved 5 February 2026.

This Elections in England related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by adding missing information.

[1] Liberal Democrat–Labour coalition

[7] Elected at the 2024 Greenstead by-election.

[8] Elected at the 2022 Lexden & Braiswick by-election.

[2] "Colchester City Council". colchester.gov.uk. Retrieved 30 January 2026.

[3] "Local elections to proceed in Colchester on 7 May 2026 | Colchester City Council". new.colchester.gov.uk. 22 January 2026. Retrieved 30 January 2026.

[4] "Colchester election result". bbc.com. BBC News. Retrieved 2 February 2026.

[5] Deady, Elliot (30 May 2024). "Colchester councillor Lesley Scott-Boutell quits Lib Dems". gazette-news.co.uk. Colchester: Daily Gazette. Archived from the original on 2 February 2026. Retrieved 2 February 2026.

[6] "New Coalition Administration at Colchester City Council". new.colchester.gov.uk. Colchester: Colchester City Council. 21 May 2025. Archived from the original on 2 February 2026. Retrieved 2 February 2026.

[scordis-9] Scordis, Lee (15 January 2026). "Colchester City elections to go ahead in May". facebook.com. Facebook. Archived from the original on 6 February 2026. Retrieved 6 February 2026.

[10] "Elections 2026". colchester.gov.uk. Colchester: Colchester City Council. 20 January 2026. Retrieved 5 February 2026.

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v t e Council elections in Essex
Essex County Council	1889 1892 1895 1898 1901 1904 1907 1910 1913 1919 1922 1925 1928 1931 1934 1937 1946 1949 1952 1955 1958 1961 1965 1967 1970 1973 1977 1981 1985 1989 1993 1997 2001 2005 2009 2013 2017 2021 2026
Basildon Borough Council	1973 1976 1979 1980 1982 1983 1984 1986 1987 1988 1990 1991 1992 1994 1995 1996 1998 1999 2000 2002 2003 2004 2006 2007 2008 2010 2011 2012 2014 2015 2016 2018 2019 2021 2022 2023 2024 2026
Braintree District Council	1973 1976 1979 1983 1987 1991 1995 1999 2003 2007 2011 2015 2019 2023
Brentwood Borough Council	1973 1976 1978 1979 1980 1982 1983 1984 1986 1987 1988 1990 1991 1992 1994 1995 1996 1998 1999 2000 2002 2003 2004 2006 2007 2008 2010 2011 2012 2014 2015 2016 2018 2019 2021 2022 2023 2024 2026
Castle Point Borough Council	1973 1976 1979 1983 1987 1991 1995 1999 2003 2004 2006 2007 2008 2010 2011 2012 2014 2015 2016 2018 2019 2021 2022 2023 2024
Chelmsford City Council	1973 1976 1979 1983 1987 1991 1995 1999 2003 2007 2011 2015 2019 2023
Colchester City Council	1973 1976 1978 1979 1980 1982 1983 1984 1986 1987 1988 1990 1991 1992 1994 1995 1996 1998 1999 2000 2002 2003 2004 2006 2007 2008 2010 2011 2012 2014 2015 2016 2018 2019 2021 2022 2023 2024 2026
Epping Forest District Council	1973 1976 1979 1980 1982 1983 1984 1986 1987 1988 1990 1991 1992 1994 1995 1996 1998 1999 2000 2002 2003 2004 2006 2007 2008 2010 2011 2012 2014 2015 2016 2018 2019 2021 2022 2023 2024 2026
Harlow District Council	1973 1976 1978 1979 1980 1982 1983 1984 1986 1987 1988 1990 1991 1992 1994 1995 1996 1998 1999 2000 2002 2003 2004 2006 2007 2008 2010 2011 2012 2014 2015 2016 2018 2019 2021 2022 2023 2024 2026
Maldon District Council	1973 1976 1979 1983 1987 1991 1995 1999 2003 2007 2011 2015 2019 2023
Rochford District Council	1973 1976 1978 1979 1980 1982 1983 1984 1986 1987 1988 1990 1991 1992 1994 1995 1996 1998 1999 2000 2002 2003 2004 2006 2007 2008 2010 2011 2012 2014 2015 2016 2018 2019 2021 2022 2023 2024 2026
Southend-on-Sea City Council	1973 1976 1979 1980 1982 1983 1984 1986 1987 1988 1990 1991 1992 1994 1995 1996 1997 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2006 2007 2008 2010 2011 2012 2014 2015 2016 2018 2019 2021 2022 2023 2024 2026
Tendring District Council	1973 1976 1979 1983 1987 1991 1995 1999 2003 2007 2011 2015 2019 2023
Thurrock Council	1973 1976 1979 1980 1982 1983 1984 1986 1987 1988 1990 1991 1992 1994 1995 1996 1997 1999 2000 2001 2002 2004 2006 2007 2008 2010 2011 2012 2014 2015 2016 2018 2019 2021 2022 2023 2024 2026
Uttlesford District Council	1973 1976 1979 1983 1987 1991 1995 1999 2003 2007 2011 2015 2019 2023
See also: Wards Boundary changes

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