By-election watch
A by-election happens when a seat falls vacant between scheduled elections; there's one somewhere in the UK most weeks. Here's every one coming up, and a year's worth of results.
2026 scoreboard: council by-elections
205 of 205 seats declared this year. Net shows seats gained or lost versus what each party was defending.
Reform 47+21Lib Dems 40+9Conservative 39+3Labour 29-10Green 23+6Plaid Cymru 12+2- Independent7-7
SNP 5+5- Other2+1
- Scottish Green1+1
Coming up
Thursday, 22 October 2026 in 6 days
Grantham St Wulfram'sSouth Kesteven District Council · resignation · 6 candidates confirmed Hertford KingsmeadEast Hertfordshire District Council · resignation · 5 candidates confirmedGrn defending Calverley & FarsleyLeeds City Council · resignation · 7 candidates confirmed SaronCarmarthenshire County Council · death of the incumbent · 6 candidates confirmed
Thursday, 29 October 2026 in 13 days
Worksop EastBassetlaw District Council · resignation · 5 candidates confirmedLab defending Mid ArgyllThe Argyll and Bute Council · death of the incumbent · 7 candidates confirmed Dover BeckNewark and Sherwood District Council · death of the incumbent · 5 candidates confirmedCon defending SouthwellNottinghamshire County Council · death of the incumbent · 5 candidates confirmedCon defending Beechwood & HeathHalton Borough Council · death of the incumbent · 6 candidates confirmedLD defending St. James'sDudley Metropolitan Borough Council · resignation · 5 candidates confirmed
Thursday, 5 November 2026 in 20 days
Penn HillBournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council · resignation · 8 candidates confirmedLD defending
Thursday, 12 November 2026 in 27 days
BosmereSuffolk County Council · resignation · 2 candidates so farRef defending Croft BakerNorth East Lincolnshire Council · resignation · 2 candidates so far Failsworth WestOldham Metropolitan Borough Council · resignation · 3 candidates so far HuncoatHyndburn Borough Council · death of the incumbent CheddletonStaffordshire Moorlands District Council Hindley GreenWigan Metropolitan Borough Council · 3 candidates so far
Thursday, 19 November 2026 in 34 days
Portchester WicorFareham Borough Council · resignation · 1 candidates so farLD defending Huntington & HathertonSouth Staffordshire Council · death of the incumbent Anston & WoodsettsRotherham Metropolitan Borough Council Craghead & South MoorDurham County Council · 2 candidates so far Risca EastCaerphilly County Borough Council · 1 candidates so far Letchworth NorthHertfordshire County Council Letchworth NortonNorth Hertfordshire District Council
Results, last 12 months
281 seats decided; 129 changed hands.
WINHigher KinnertonFlintshire County Council · 15 Oct 2026 · Josh Swash FPV GAINShepshedLeicestershire County Council · 15 Oct 2026 · Jane Lennie Lab from Reform HOLDBradninchMid Devon District Council · 15 Oct 2026 · Mary Ryan LD HOLDSalisbury MilfordWiltshire Council · 15 Oct 2026 · Mac McIntyre Brown LD HOLDRodboroughStroud District Council · 13 Oct 2026 · John Bloxsom Lab WINMidstocket/RosemountThe Aberdeen City Council · 8 Oct 2026 · Jeff Diack SNP WINKilburn, Denby, Holbrook & HorsleyAmber Valley Borough Council · 8 Oct 2026 · Bess Saunders Grn WINMyatt's FieldsLondon Borough of Lambeth · 8 Oct 2026 · Molly Hartill Lab WINTownNewcastle-under-Lyme Borough Council · 8 Oct 2026 · Andrew Fox-Hewitt Lab WINHolborn and St PancrasHouse of Commons of the United Kingdom · 8 Oct 2026 · Sagal Abdi-Wali Lab HOLDClaremontBlackpool Borough Council · 1 Oct 2026 · Katie Helen Donnelli-Hunn Lab WINWick and East CaithnessThe Highland Council · 1 Oct 2026 · Julie Calder LD HOLDLong Whatton & DiseworthNorth West Leicestershire District Council · 1 Oct 2026 · Craig Andrew Smith Con GAINAmbleNorthumberland County Council · 1 Oct 2026 · Amy Spriggs Lab from Reform GAINHirstNorthumberland County Council · 1 Oct 2026 · Melanie Tuesday Fox Lab from Reform WINForth and EndrickThe Stirling Council · 1 Oct 2026 · Katie Harrison Con GAINQueen's ParkBrighton and Hove City Council · 24 Sept 2026 · Mark Strong Grn from Labour GAINBlockleyCotswold District Council · 24 Sept 2026 · Tom Bradley Con from Green HOLDNew BradwellMilton Keynes Council · 24 Sept 2026 · Tracey Bailey Lab HOLDWombourne NorthSouth Staffordshire Council · 24 Sept 2026 · Elizabeth Beatrice Florence Keeling Con WINBrayRoyal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead · 24 Sept 2026 · Clare Stuart-Adams Con WINCranbrook, Sissinghurst & FrittendenTunbridge Wells Borough Council · 23 Sept 2026 · Harry James Wormington LD GAINWreake ValleyCharnwood Borough Council · 17 Sept 2026 · James Mark Poland Con from Green GAINWalkleySheffield City Council · 17 Sept 2026 · Hannah Cawley Lab from Green WINAvondale and StonehouseThe South Lanarkshire Council · 17 Sept 2026 · Leigh Payne SNP
WIN means the winner is known but which party was defending the seat isn't recorded yet, so it isn't counted as a gain or a hold.