The Liberal Democrats remain the largest party but are short of the numbers needed for overall control
Counting at Hull’s Guildhall for the 2026 Hull City Council elections(Image: Donna Clifford/Hull Live)
Hull City Council has become a ‘no overall control’ local authority after a dramatic night in the Guildhall. While remaining as the largest party on the council, the Liberal Democrats have lost their majority.
One third of the council was up for grabs at these elections, 19 of the 57 seats. Elections were held in all but two council wards. Going into the election, the Liberal Democrat group had a majority of one. Ahead of Thursday’s vote, the political weighting of the council was:
- 29 – Liberal Democrats
- 23 – Labour Party
- 5 – Independents
No overall control
Hull City Council has now joined East Riding Of Yorkshire Council in being a ‘hung council’ with no party holding a majority. The Liberal Democrats lost three seats overall, meaning they are now just short of a majority in the Guildhall.
The Lib Dems remain the largest party on the council, but will require support from elsewhere in the chamber to pass key votes.
Reform gains
Reform UK, who went into the election without a presence in the Guildhall, have gained ten seats. The party went into the vote confidently after winning the 2025 Hull and East Yorkshire Mayoral election with Luke Campbell. Reform predominantly saw success in seats that were previously held by the Labour Party.
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Labour collapse
The Labour Party only held onto one of their eight seats that were up for election tonight. The Labour Group’s deputy leader, Cllr Sharon Hofman, retained her seat in the Bricknell ward.
After tonight’s election, the new political weighting of the council is as follows:
- Liberal Democrats – 26 seats
- Labour – 16 seats
- Reform UK – 10 seats
- Independents – 5 seats
See how the night unfolded in our blog recap here.
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