2026 Walsall Metropolitan Borough Council election

2026 Walsall Metropolitan Borough Council election

7 May 2026
60 of 60 seats on Walsall Council 31 seats needed for a majority
First party Second party Third party   Leader Mike Bird Matt Ward n/a Party Conservative Labour Independent
Leader before election Conservative Leader after election TBD

The 2026 Walsall Metropolitan Borough Council election will take place on 7 May 2026 to elect members of Walsall Council in the West Midlands. This will be on the same day as other local elections. 60 of the 60 seats are up for election.

Background

Since its creation in 1974, Walsall has varied between the Conservatives and Labour. Between 1973 and 2004, Walsall had been under Labour control from 1973 to 1976, 1980 to 1982, 1988 to 1992, 1995 to 1996, and 1999 to 2000. It was then under Conservative control between 2004 and 2011, before reverting to no overall control and being retaken by the Conservatives in 2019. In the 2023 elections, the Conservatives retained all 13 seats up for election, receiving 46.1% of the vote, Labour gained 1 seat with 40.9%, and the Liberal Democrats received 4.7%. Despite only standing in 9 of the 20 wards, Reform UK received 3.1%, performing best in Birchills-Leamore, where they received 12.6% of the vote.

This election will be an all-out election following boundary changes.