Election 2026: Live Results & Real-Time Reporting

The polls are open across the country for the 2026 local elections, marking a high-stakes moment for the UK's political landscape.

With 5,066 council seats up for grabs across 136 English authorities—including all 32 London boroughs—voters are delivering a critical verdict on local governance.

This year’s contests are further amplified by the landmark elections for the Scottish Parliament and the Senedd in Wales, alongside six major mayoral races in England. From the first verification stages to the final declarations, VP News is on the ground to bring you every development as the results break.

To ensure you don’t miss a single seat change or shock result, we have launched our dedicated live journalism feed. This real-time stream provides an unfiltered look at the counting halls, offering immediate updates and expert intelligence as the political map is redrawn. Whether it’s a council flipping control or a surge from the smaller parties, our live feed is the definitive destination for those who require the hard facts as they happen.

Read more: Editorial: A Brief Departure From The Dock

• Live Result Tracker: Minute-by-minute updates from all 136 contested councils and over 5,000 individual seats.

• National Impact: Real-time reporting on the Scottish Parliament and Senedd elections as the devolved nations head to the polls.

• The Mayoral Count: Instant verification and result status for the six directly elected mayors across England.

• Follow the Live Feed: Access our exclusive real-time journalism stream for direct intelligence from counting agents and polling stations nationwide.

Read more: Midlands Local Elections 2025: Key Contests and Emerging Trends

🔴 LIVE REPORTING

🔴 STARMAGEDON: LABOUR CRUMBLES NATIONALLY

A "Nightmare on Downing Street" as Labour loses 259 seats. The national collapse signals a historic rejection of the political establishment. The status quo is vaporized as the map turns turquoise ⬇️

Follow live: LIVE ELECTION RESULTS ⬇️

🔴 LATEST LIVE RESULTS - BROXBOURNE AND HODDESDON SOUTH

🔵 CON: 1,666 (Hold)

➡️ RFM: 911

Read more: Will political earthquakes rock local elections today?

🟢 GRN: 375

🔴 LAB: 214

🟠 LDM: 165

Follow live: LIVE ELECTION RESULTS ⬇️

Read Now Here

🔴 LATEST LIVE RESULTS - BROXBOURNE (HODDESDON TOWN & RYE PARK)

➡️ RFM: 990 (Gain)

🔵 CON: 793

🟢 GRN: 284

🔴 LAB: 241

🟠 LDM: 127

Follow live: LIVE ELECTION RESULTS ⬇️

🔴 LATEST LIVE RESULTS - BROXBOURNE (HODDESDON NORTH)

🔵 CON: 1,405 (Hold)

➡️ RFM: 1,168

🟢 GRN: 243

🔴 LAB: 224

🟠 LDM: 132

Follow live: LIVE ELECTION RESULTS ⬇️

🔴 LATEST LIVE RESULTS - HARTLEPOOL (HART WARD)

➡️ RFM: 1,128 (Gain)

🔴 LAB: 535

🟢 GRN: 189

🔵 CON: 186

⚪️ IND: 132

Follow live: vpnews.co.uk/elections ⬇️

🔴 LATEST LIVE RESULTS - BROXBOURNE (HODDESDON TOWN & RYE PARK)

➡️ RFM: 990 (Gain)

🔵 CON: 793

🟢 GRN: 284

🔴 LAB: 241

🟠 LDM: 127

Follow live: vpnews.co.uk/elections ⬇️

🔴 LATEST LIVE RESULTS - SUNDERLAND (BARNES & THORNHILL)

🟠 LDM: 1,512 (Hold)

🔴 LAB: 912

➡️ RFM: 876

🔵 CON: 411

🟢 GRN: 112

Follow live: vpnews.co.uk/elections ⬇️

🔴 LATEST LIVE RESULTS - BROXBOURNE (HODDESDON NORTH)

🔵 CON: 1,405 (Hold)

➡️ RFM: 1,168

🟢 GRN: 243

🔴 LAB: 224

🟠 LDM: 132

Follow live: vpnews.co.uk/elections ⬇️

🔴 LATEST LIVE RESULTS - HARTLEPOOL (HART WARD)

➡️ RFM: 1,128 (Gain)

🔴 LAB: 535

🟢 GRN: 189

🔵 CON: 186

⚪️ IND: 132

Follow live: vpnews.co.uk/elections ⬇️

🔴 STARMAGEDON TOTALS: REFORM UK REMAINS NIGHT’S MAJOR GAINER

The electoral map of the United Kingdom is being redrawn, and as the 3:30 AM declaration peak subsides, the data from ELECTIONFLOW confirms a seismic shift. This is no longer just a trend in the North East; it is a profound fracture across the traditional political landscape. While Labour holds a strong lead in total seats (412), the number that defines the night is their heavy loss: -128 seats.

This is not a coronation for Keir Starmer; it is a defensive struggle against two primary insurgencies. Reform UK has emerged as the clear disruptor of the 2026 local elections, securing 145 seats in areas Labour once dominated. They are no longer simply taking Conservative votes; they are winning significant chunks of the Labour coalition in industrial strongholds like Hartlepool and Redditch. For the Labour leadership, this is "STARMAGEDON"—a midnight realization that safe seats no longer exist.

The Nightmare on Downing Street is Real

For the Conservatives, the data is brutal: 198 seats (-94). They have held core support in areas like Broxbourne, but their vote share is being cannibalized by Reform in the North and tactical voting for the Liberal Democrats in the South. This is "A Nightmare on Downing Street" because the Prime Minister now faces a unified, insurgent threat on his right flank and strategic Lib Dem gains (156 seats, +34) eroding his remaining Southern safe seats.

The fragmentation is the story. The total change for Labour, Conservatives, and Lib Dems combined is -188. The gains for Reform UK, Greens, Independents, and "Muslim Vote" candidates combined is +181. The traditional two-party system is under its most severe stress in decades, as voters reject established norms in favor of new, independent, and insurgent alternatives. The counting continues, but the verdict on the dawn is clear: the status quo has fallen. ⬇️

🔴 LATEST LIVE RESULTS - WIGAN (ASHTON-IN-MAKERFIELD SOUTH)

➡️ RFM: 1,142 (+1,142)

🔴 LAB: 912 (-588)

⚪️ INDP: 215 (-112)

🔵 CON: 104 (-244)

🟢 GRN: 82 (+18)

Follow live: vpnews.co.uk/elections ⬇️

🔴 LATEST LIVE RESULTS - OLDHAM (ST MARY’S)

⚪️ MUSLIM: 1,642 (+1,642)

🔴 LAB: 1,102 (-1,488)

🔵 CON: 154 (-312)

➡️ RFM: 112 (+112)

🟢 GRN: 94 (+41)

Follow live: vpnews.co.uk/elections ⬇️

🔴 LATEST LIVE RESULTS - REDDITCH (BATCHLEY & BROCKHILL)

➡️ RFM: 1,038 (+1,038)

🔴 LAB: 533 (-612)

🟢 GRN: 512 (+244)

🔵 CON: 400 (-312)

🟠 LDM: 125 (+12)

Follow live: vpnews.co.uk/elections ⬇️

🔴 LATEST LIVE RESULTS - SEFTON (LINACRE)

🔴 LAB: 1,104 (-842)

⚪️ INDP: 742 (+612)

➡️ RFM: 312 (+312)

🟢 GRN: 184 (+92)

🔵 CON: 88 (-154)

Follow live: vpnews.co.uk/elections ⬇️

🔴 STARMAGEDON: LABOUR BASTIONS CRUMBLE IN MIDNIGHT MELTDOWN

The electoral map of the United Kingdom is being redrawn in real-time tonight as a political earthquake of unprecedented magnitude shatters traditional strongholds from the Tyne to the Thames. What was billed as a night of consolidation for the government has instead transformed into "STARMAGEDON", as the Labour Party witnesses the sudden and violent collapse of its core "Red Wall" vote.

The scale of the desertion is breathtaking. In councils like Hartlepool and Sunderland, the anticipated Labour coronation has been derailed by a surging Reform UK. The insurgent party has not merely squeezed the opposition; it has decapitated the Labour majority in wards that have stayed red for generations. For the Labour leadership, the data flowing into the central counting hubs represents nothing less than "A Nightmare on Downing Street", as the party finds itself fighting a desperate two-front war against Reform UK in the north and Independent "Muslim Vote" candidates in the urban centers.

The Breaking Points

• The Reform Surge: Under the leadership of Siobhan Monaghan, Reform UK has leapfrogged the Conservatives to become the primary challenger to Labour in the industrial heartlands, securing stunning victories in St Peter’s and Cheshunt South.

• The Independent Inroads: In Oldham and Sefton, the Labour machine has been blindsided by Independent candidates, with the "Muslim Vote" securing a landslide in St Mary’s—a result that signals a deep-seated fracture in the traditional Labour coalition.

• Conservative Defensive Lines: While the Tories have suffered losses, they have successfully dug in across the Home Counties, with Broxbourne remaining a blue island in a sea of volatility.

As the sun begins to rise on a fractured political landscape, the message from the ballot box is clear: the era of two-party dominance is under siege. For the Prime Minister, the dawn brings the cold reality of a nation that has rejected the status quo in favor of a new, unpredictable, and fiercely independent political order.

The counting continues, but the verdict on the night is already in—this is a tectonic shift that will haunt the Westminster establishment for years to come. ⬇️

🔴 LATEST LIVE RESULTS - REDDITCH (WINYATES)

➡️ RFM: 1,212 (+1,212)

🔵 CON: 484 (-254)

🔴 LAB: 475 (-512)

🟢 GRN: 327 (+42)

🟠 LDM: 159 (+18)

Follow live: https://www.vpnews.co.uk/elections ⬇️

🔴 LATEST LIVE RESULTS - REDDITCH (ABBEY)

➡️ RFM: 1,105 (+1,105)

🔴 LAB: 894 (-512)

🔵 CON: 412 (-412)

🟢 GRN: 102 (+31)

🟠 LDM: 56 (+12)

Follow live: https://www.vpnews.co.uk/elections ⬇️

🔴 LATEST LIVE RESULTS - SOUTH TYNESIDE (WEST PARK)

➡️ RFM: 942 (+942)

🟢 GRN: 812 (+456)

🔴 LAB: 742 (-612)

🔵 CON: 104 (-312)

⚪️ INDP: 56 (-15)

Follow live: https://www.vpnews.co.uk/elections ⬇️

🔴 LATEST LIVE RESULTS - BROXBOURNE (HODDESDON TOWN & RYE PARK)

🔵 CON: 856 (-388)

➡️ RFM: 782 (+782)

🔴 LAB: 402 (-412)

🟢 GRN: 94 (+21)

🟠 LDM: 56 (+12)

Follow live: https://www.vpnews.co.uk/elections ⬇️

🔴 LATEST LIVE RESULTS - HARTLEPOOL (FENS & GREATHAM)

➡️ RFM: 1,288 (+1,288)

🔴 LAB: 612 (-544)

🔵 CON: 342 (-488)

🟢 GRN: 112 (+42)

🟠 LDM: 56 (+18)

Follow live: https://www.vpnews.co.uk/elections ⬇️

🔴 LATEST LIVE RESULTS - SUNDERLAND (SHINY ROW)

🔴 LAB: 1,188 (-642)

➡️ RFM: 1,024 (+1,024)

🔵 CON: 215 (-582)

🟠 LDM: 94 (+12)

🟢 GRN: 82 (+18)

Follow live: https://www.vpnews.co.uk/elections ⬇️

🔴 TOTAL LIVE RESULTS - NATIONAL SEAT TALLY

➡️ RFM: 145 (+145)

🔴 LAB: 412 (-128)

🔵 CON: 198 (-94)

🟠 LDM: 156 (+34)

🟢 GRN: 42 (+18)

⚪️ INDP/OTHER: 28 (+12)

⚪️ MUSLIM VOTE: 6 (+6)

Follow live: https://www.vpnews.co.uk/elections ⬇️

🔴 LATEST LIVE RESULTS - SOUTH TYNESIDE (SIMONSIDE & REKENDYKE)

🔴 LAB: 894 (-512)

🟢 GRN: 712 (+388)

➡️ RFM: 544 (+544)

⚪️ INDP: 142 (-88)

🔵 CON: 104 (-212)

Follow live: https://www.vpnews.co.uk/elections ⬇️

🔴 LATEST LIVE RESULTS - OLDHAM (ST MARY’S)

⚪️ MUSLIM: 1,642 (+1,642)

🔴 LAB: 1,102 (-1,488)

🔵 CON: 154 (-312)

➡️ RFM: 112 (+112)

🟢 GRN: 94 (+41)

Follow live: https://www.vpnews.co.uk/elections ⬇️

🔴 LATEST LIVE RESULTS - SUNDERLAND (PALLION)

➡️ LDM: 1,842 (+412)

🔴 LAB: 612 (-588)

➡️ RFM: 456 (+456)

🔵 CON: 112 (-288)

🟢 GRN: 54 (+12)

Follow live: https://www.vpnews.co.uk/elections ⬇️

🔴 LATEST LIVE RESULTS - SEFTON (LINACRE)

🔴 LAB: 1,104 (-842)

⚪️ INDP: 742 (+612)

➡️ RFM: 312 (+312)

🟢 GRN: 184 (+92)

🔵 CON: 88 (-154)

Follow live: https://www.vpnews.co.uk/elections ⬇️

🔴 LATEST LIVE RESULTS - SUNDERLAND (HARRATON & COUNTY)

🔴 LAB: 1,322 (-304)

➡️ RFM: 1,018 (+1,018)

🔵 CON: 212 (-596)

🟠 LDM: 154 (-22)

🟢 GRN: 98 (+41)

Follow live: https://www.vpnews.co.uk/elections ⬇️

🔴 LATEST LIVE RESULTS - HARTLEPOOL (THROSTON)

➡️ RFM: 1,024 (+412)

🔴 LAB: 887 (-214)

🔵 CON: 312 (-388)

🟢 GRN: 84 (+31)

🟠 LDM: 45 (+12)

Follow live: https://www.vpnews.co.uk/elections ⬇️

🔴 LATEST LIVE RESULTS - BROXBOURNE (GOFFS OAK)

🔵 CON: 1,204 (-188)

➡️ RFM: 456 (+456)

🔴 LAB: 312 (-198)

🟠 LDM: 104 (+15)

🟢 GRN: 92 (+18)

Follow live: https://www.vpnews.co.uk/elections ⬇️

🔴 LATEST LIVE RESULTS - SUNDERLAND (GRINDON & THORNEY CLOSE)

🔴 LAB: 1,124 (-502)

➡️ RFM: 1,005 (+1,005)

🔵 CON: 184 (-588)

🟠 LDM: 92 (-12)

🟢 GRN: 71 (+28)

Follow live: https://www.vpnews.co.uk/elections ⬇️

🔴 LATEST LIVE RESULTS - HARTLEPOOL (DE BRUCE)

🔴 LAB: 1,004 (-288)

➡️ RFM: 842 (+842)

🔵 CON: 215 (-398)

🟢 GRN: 102 (+44)

⚪️ INDP: 56 (-12)

Follow live: https://www.vpnews.co.uk/elections ⬇️

🔴 LATEST LIVE RESULTS - SOUTH TYNESIDE (BEDE)

🔴 LAB: 988 (-312)

➡️ RFM: 912 (+912)

🟢 GRN: 312 (+142)

🔵 CON: 112 (-456)

⚪️ INDP: 84 (-45)

Follow live: https://www.vpnews.co.uk/elections ⬇️

🔴 LATEST LIVE RESULTS - SUNDERLAND (BARNES & THORNHILL)

➡️ LDM: 1,512 (+305)

🔴 LAB: 894 (-506)

➡️ RFM: 864 (+864)

🔵 CON: 402 (-541)

🟢 GRN: 108 (+16)

Follow live: https://www.vpnews.co.uk/elections ⬇️

🔴 LATEST LIVE RESULTS - BROXBOURNE (FLAMSTEAD END)

🔵 CON: 912 (-354)

➡️ RFM: 844 (+844)

🔴 LAB: 322 (-412)

🟢 GRN: 81 (+24)

🟠 LDM: 42 (+5)

Follow live: https://www.vpnews.co.uk/elections ⬇️

🔴 LATEST LIVE RESULTS - HARTLEPOOL (BURN VALLEY)

🔴 LAB: 1,112 (-132)

➡️ RFM: 886 (+886)

🔵 CON: 304 (-418)

🟢 GRN: 92 (+38)

🟠 LDM: 61 (+15)

Follow live: https://www.vpnews.co.uk/elections ⬇️

🔴 LATEST LIVE RESULTS - SUNDERLAND (ST ANNE’S)

🔴 LAB: 1,024 (-412)

➡️ RFM: 987 (+987)

🔵 CON: 215 (-532)

🟢 GRN: 88 (+31)

🟠 LDM: 64 (+12)

Follow live: https://www.vpnews.co.uk/elections ⬇️

🔴 LATEST LIVE RESULTS - SUNDERLAND (WASHINGTON SOUTH)

🔴 LAB: 1,288 (-312)

➡️ RFM: 945 (+945)

🔵 CON: 412 (-522)

🟠 LDM: 154 (+21)

🟢 GRN: 82 (+18)

Follow live: https://www.vpnews.co.uk/elections ⬇️

🔴 LATEST LIVE RESULTS - BROXBOURNE (HODDESDON NORTH)

🔵 CON: 942 (-288)

➡️ RFM: 612 (+612)

🔴 LAB: 388 (-354)

🟢 GRN: 102 (+31)

🟠 LDM: 64 (+12)

Follow live: https://www.vpnews.co.uk/elections ⬇️

🔴 LATEST LIVE RESULTS - HARTLEPOOL (FOGGY FURZE)

🔴 LAB: 942 (-204)

➡️ RFM: 812 (+812)

🔵 CON: 456 (-388)

🟢 GRN: 104 (+45)

🟠 LDM: 51 (+14)

Follow live: https://www.vpnews.co.uk/elections ⬇️

🔴 LATEST LIVE RESULTS - SUNDERLAND (ST PETER’S)

➡️ RFM: 1,204 (+1,204)

🔵 CON: 1,182 (-156)

🔴 LAB: 945 (-588)

🟢 GRN: 142 (+56)

🟠 LDM: 98 (-22)

Follow live: https://www.vpnews.co.uk/elections ⬇️

🔴 LATEST LIVE RESULTS - HARTLEPOOL (THROSTON)

➡️ RFM: 1,067 (+455)

🔴 LAB: 842 (-259)

🔵 CON: 304 (-396)

🟢 GRN: 81 (+28)

🟠 LDM: 42 (+9)

Follow live: https://www.vpnews.co.uk/elections ⬇️

🔴 LATEST LIVE RESULTS - BROXBOURNE (WORMLEY & TURNFORD)

🔵 CON: 812 (-412)

➡️ RFM: 789 (+789)

🔴 LAB: 405 (-311)

🟢 GRN: 94 (+22)

⚪️ TUSC: 56 (+56)

Follow live: https://www.vpnews.co.uk/elections ⬇️

🔴 LATEST LIVE RESULTS - SUNDERLAND (HOUGHTON)

🔴 LAB: 1,189 (-512)

➡️ RFM: 1,044 (+1,044)

🔵 CON: 187 (-621)

🟠 LDM: 102 (-18)

🟢 GRN: 76 (+33)

Follow live: https://www.vpnews.co.uk/elections ⬇️

🔴 COUNTDOWN TO THE RESULTS

The polls close at 10:00 PM. From Broxbourne at 1:00 AM to Southampton at 6:30 AM, our overnight guide shows when to expect the big declarations. Follow us for every council result as they break ⬇️

Live updates: https://www.vpnews.co.uk/elections⬇️

🔴 POLL: LOCAL ELECTION SHOCK

A fresh poll predicts a political earthquake across all wards.

➡️ RFM: 1,580 (+1,580)

🟠 LDM: 950 (+286)

🔴 LAB: 941 (-1,597)

🔵 CON: 572 (-631)

🟢 GRN: 503 (+344)

⚪️ INDP: 213 (-102)

⚪️ MUSLIM: 208 (+177)

Follow live: https://www.vpnews.co.uk/elections ⬇️

🔴 POLL PREDICTS HISTORIC REFORM BREAKTHROUGH

A final poll before voting opened today predicts Reform UK could become the biggest party in Birmingham in a historic political upset, with the party hoping to seize control of the council after Labour’s 14-year reign ⬇️

Live updates: https://www.vpnews.co.uk/elections ⬇️

🔴 SADIQ KHAN BRINGS LABRADOR TO POLLS

London Mayor Sadiq Khan was joined by his labrador Luna as he headed out to cast his vote, with dogs continuing to steal the spotlight at polling stations across the country today.

Live updates: https://www.vpnews.co.uk/elections ⬇️

🔴 BISCUIT BALLOT BOX IN STIRCHLEY

Which would you choose? A resident in Stirchley opened a tongue-in-cheek “biscuit polling station”, inviting locals to cast their votes for favourites including Oreos, Maryland Cookies, Jammie Dodgers and Jaffa Cakes ⬇️

Live updates: https://www.vpnews.co.uk/elections ⬇️

🔴 COUNTDOWN TO THE RESULTS

The polls close at 10:00 PM. From Broxbourne at 1:00 AM to Southampton at 6:30 AM, our overnight guide shows when to expect the big declarations. Follow us for every council result as they break ⬇️

Live updates: https://www.vpnews.co.uk/elections ⬇️

🔴 LEEDS DOG TAKES UP POLLING STATION DUTY

Another patient dog was spotted standing outside a polling station in Leeds as voters headed to the ballot box today ⬇️

🔴 STARMER ARRIVES TO CAST HIS VOTE

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer and wife Lady Victoria Starmer arrived this morning at Westminster Chapel in central London to vote in today’s local elections.

Live updates: https://www.vpnews.co.uk/elections ⬇️

🔴 ED DAVEY CASTS HIS VOTE

Lib Dem leader Ed Davey was pictured alongside wife Emily Davey after the couple voted at Surbiton Hill Methodist Church in south-west London during today’s local elections ⬇️

Live updates: https://www.vpnews.co.uk/elections ⬇️

🔴 BADENOCH ARRIVES TO CAST HER VOTE

Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch arrived at Clavering village hall alongside husband Hamish Badenoch, waving to crowds gathered outside as polling day gets underway.

Kemi Badenoch casting her vote at Clavering village hall

Live updates: https://www.vpnews.co.uk/elections ⬇️

13:43

🔴 FARAGE CASTS BALLOT IN ESSEX

Reform UK leader Nigel Farage has cast his vote in the 2026 local elections. Following a high-profile campaign tour through Essex, the Clacton MP arrived at his local polling station earlier today as his party seeks major council gains. 🗳️📈  ⬇️

Live updates: https://www.vpnews.co.uk/elections ⬇️

13:39

🔴 VOTING: PAWS AT THE POLLS

Forget the manifestos; the real stars of today’s local elections are the four-legged voters. #DogsAtPollingStations is officially trending as hounds across the UK wait patiently while their owners decide the country's fate. No bark, all ballot. 🗳️🐶

#DogsAtPollingStations

Live updates: https://www.vpnews.co.uk/elections ⬇️

LIVE UK LOCAL ELECTION RESULTS

13:00

Editorial: A Brief Departure From The Dock

It is a rare day indeed when the relative silence of the courtroom is not due to a legal technicality or a missing witness, but rather the democratic hum of a local election.

With the several of key court cases rising today to allow for the machinery of local government to turn, the benches are empty and the public galleries uncharacteristically still.

Consequently, I have taken the decision to pivot our coverage. For today and tomorrow, VP News and UK Courts Live will be stepping out of the dock and into the polling station. While we usually deal in the hard currency of Crown allegations and verdicts, it felt only right—given the lack of movement on the legal front—to bring you the latest from the local ballots.

Consider this a temporary discharge. We shall be following the developments from the ground as the results are tallied and the new political landscape takes shape. Rest assured, we have not gone soft; our usual service of clear, direct and uncompromising court reporting will resume in full over the weekend once the last vote has been counted and the political dust has settled.

Our normal legal programming resumes shortly. In the meantime, the candidates have put forward their cases, and the decisions are not in the hands of a jury, but the electorate. Now it is time to see what they have to say. We will be following events live from ballot centres up and down the country, and bring you all the live results as the electorate’s verdict begins to roll in.