Political make-up of local councils in the United Kingdom
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Through England and Conservative Party (UK)
England's 317 local authorities are made up of: 32 London borough councils, 21 county councils and 164 district councils (two tiers of local government which share responsibility for the same physical area), 36 metropolitan district councils, 62 unitary authorities, and 2 sui generis authorities, the City of London Corporation and Council of the Isles of Scilly.
This article does not cover the Greater London Authority or the 15 combined authorities of England (and their respective mayors). It also does not cover the 35 police and crime commissioners or four police, fire and crime commissioners in England and Wales. And it also does not include the thousands of parish/local councils of England, community councils of Scotland and community councils of Wales.
English local authorities have a choice of executive arrangements out of a mayor and cabinet executive, a leader and cabinet executive, a committee system or alternative arrangements approved by the Secretary of State. Councils in England and Northern Ireland run on four year cycles, while councils in Scotland and, from 2022, Wales run on five year cycles. An English local authority's councillors may be elected all at once, by halves or thirds. Because of this disparate system, various local elections take place every year, but changes in party representation arise frequently regardless due to resignations, deaths, by-elections, co-options and changes of affiliation.
Summary
Total number of councillors by political party
Last full update: 5 March 2026
Political control of local government in England
The table below shows which party has political control of each of the 21 non-metropolitan county councils (CC), the 62 unitary authorities (UA), the 36 metropolitan boroughs (MB), the 32 London boroughs (LB), the 164 district councils (DC) and the 2 sui generis entities: the City of London (CL) and the Isles of Scilly (IS). In total, 314 local government councils.
The table differentiates between councils governed by a single party and others where a party leads a coalition that governs the council. Councils not controlled by the Conservatives (CON), Labour (LAB), Liberal Democrats (LDM), Reform UK (RFM) or Greens (GRN) are grouped in the category: OTHER.
Last full update: 21 August 2025 (Partially updated 9 May 2026)
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England: unitary authorities
Last full update: 29 July 2026
Metropolitan district councils
Last full update: 11 May 2026
London borough councils
Last full update: 11 May 2026
England: sui generis councils
Last full update: 16 July 2025
England: two-tier county and district councils
County councils
Last full update: 11 May 2026
District councils
Last full update: 21 January 2026
Scotland
All 32 Scottish Councils had all their seats up for election by Single Transferable Vote in May 2022. Elections are on a five-year cycle and are next due in May 2027. Only two mainland councils are controlled by majority administrations: West Dumbartonshire and Dundee, which are controlled by Scottish Labour and the Scottish National Party, respectively. The three island councils (Orkney, Shetland and the Western Isles) are each controlled by local independents.
Political control may be held by minority governments (min), coalitions (co), joint leadership arrangements (j.l.) or partnership working arrangements (p.w.).
Last update 16 February 2026
Wales
All 22 Welsh unitary authorities had all of their seats up for election in May 2022, and the next elections are in May 2027.
Last update 21 July 2026.
Northern Ireland
Elections were most recently held for 11 councils in Northern Ireland in May 2023. They are held every four years, with the next elections due in May 2027. All seats are filled at once by Single Transferable vote within district electoral areas of 5 to 7 wards.
The councils have ceremonial mayors elected by council members. Uniquely in the UK, vacancies are filled by co-option by whichever party won the seat at the previous election.
Last update 2 June 2026.
Key to abbreviations below
- NOC = No Overall Control, i.e. no single party has more than half the seats
- DUP = Democratic Unionist Party
- UUP = Ulster Unionist Party
- TUV = Traditional Unionist Voice
- PUP = Progressive Unionist Party
- SF = Sinn Féin (Irish republicans)
- SDLP = Social Democratic and Labour Party
Others:
- APNI = Alliance Party of Northern Ireland
- GP = Green Party Northern Ireland
- PBP = People Before Profit
- Ind. = Independent
Control: All councils use a committee system.