← Burnley (all cycles) · 7 May 2026 cohort

Burnley 2026

Local elections held 7 May 2026.

15 ward races

15 seats

5 elected below the proportional quota

33.3% of seats below quota

How to read this page

Each race below shows the share of valid ballots the marginal elected candidate actually won, and compares it to the proportional quota: the share they'd need to clinch the seat under any proportional voting method (1 seats + 1). For a 1-seat ward the quota is 50%; for 2 seats, 33.3%; for 3 seats, 25%.

Where the actual winning share fell below the quota, we show the signed gap as points below quota (a negative number) — the editorial indictment. Above-quota results clear the bar and pass without comment. The voting method is the subject of every observation here. Named candidates appear as the public election record requires; the cause being audited is the voting method, not the individuals. See the methodology page for derivations.

If votes were counted by party

Across the 15 wards in this cycle, parties received the vote totals below. The proportional column shows what each party would have won if the 15 seats had been shared out in proportion to votes received (how, with caveats). The Δ column is the actual seat count minus the proportional seat count — positive numbers are parties First-Past-the-Post over-represented; negative are parties it under-represented.

Party	Votes	Vote %	Seats won	% of seats	Proportional seats	Proportional %	Δ
Reform UK	11,440	43.1%	11	73.3%	7	46.7%	+4
Independent	3,575	13.5%	3	20.0%	2	13.3%	+1
Labour Party	3,242	12.2%	0	0.0%	2	13.3%	-2
Liberal Democrats	3,126	11.8%	1	6.7%	2	13.3%	-1
Conservative Party	2,892	10.9%	0	0.0%	1	6.7%	-1
Green Party	2,264	8.5%	0	0.0%	1	6.7%	-1
Total	26,539	100.0%	15	100.0%	15	100.0%	0

Vote share vs seats won

The top bar is each party's share of votes cast in this council. Below, one square per seat, coloured by the party that won it — first the actual First-Past-the-Post result, then what a proportional method would have produced from the same vote totals. Divergence between the bar and the actual grid is the indictment of the method.

Vote share

Actual seats

Proportional seats

Council composition: what this election replaced

Two opencouncildata snapshots: the council immediately after the 2026 election (current) and immediately before it (2025). Only ~⅓ of seats were contested in 2026 — most of the bench is unchanged, and the cycle's effect on the overall composition is what shifts.

Current (2026)

Previous (2025)

Wards in this council

Sorted with the largest gap below the quota first. Click any ward to jump to its full result.

Lanehead · 1 seat · won at 32.1% · −17.9 pts below quota
Coal Clough with Deerplay · 1 seat · won at 44.6% · −5.4 pts below quota
Hapton with Park · 1 seat · won at 46.0% · −4.0 pts below quota
Gannow · 1 seat · won at 47.6% · −2.4 pts below quota
Whittlefield with Ightenhill · 1 seat · won at 47.8% · −2.2 pts below quota
Briercliffe · 1 seat · won at 51.0% · above quota
Trinity · 1 seat · won at 51.3% · above quota
Cliviger with Worsthorne · 1 seat · won at 51.6% · above quota
Gawthorpe · 1 seat · won at 54.9% · above quota
Queensgate · 1 seat · won at 54.9% · above quota
Bank Hall · 1 seat · won at 56.2% · above quota
Rosegrove with Lowerhouse · 1 seat · won at 56.9% · above quota
Rosehill with Burnley Wood · 1 seat · won at 57.0% · above quota
Daneshouse with Stoneyholme · 1 seat · won at 57.1% · above quota
Brunshaw · 1 seat · won at 57.4% · above quota

Race results

Lanehead · single-seat

Marginal winner 32.1% Proportional quota 50.0% Below quota −17.9 pts Valid ballots 2,119

Rank	Candidate	Party	Votes	Share	Below quota	Elected
1	James Halstead	Reform UK	681	32.1%	−17.9 pts	Elected
2	Raf Ali	Independent	513	24.2%	—
3	Asif Raja	Liberal Democrats	495	23.4%	—
4	Sue Graham	Labour Party	285	13.4%	—
5	Andrew Robert Newhouse	Green Party	145	6.8%	—

Electorate 4,736 · Ballots cast 2,134 · Invalid 15 · EC ward code local.burnley.lanehead.2026-05-07 · Back to ward index

Coal Clough with Deerplay · single-seat

Marginal winner 44.6% Proportional quota 50.0% Below quota −5.4 pts Valid ballots 1,682

Rank	Candidate	Party	Votes	Share	Below quota	Elected
1	Gordon Birtwistle	Liberal Democrats	751	44.6%	−5.4 pts	Elected
2	Tom Pickup	Reform UK	669	39.8%	—
3	Jeffrey Slee	Labour Party	161	9.6%	—
4	Abbey Hartley	Conservative Party	101	6.0%	—

Electorate 4,082 · Ballots cast 1,684 · Invalid 2 · EC ward code local.burnley.coal-clough-with-deerplay.2026-05-07 · Back to ward index

Hapton with Park · single-seat

Marginal winner 46.0% Proportional quota 50.0% Below quota −4.0 pts Valid ballots 1,918

Rank	Candidate	Party	Votes	Share	Below quota	Elected
1	Steve Keogh	Reform UK	883	46.0%	−4.0 pts	Elected
2	Jamie McGowan	Conservative Party	659	34.4%	—
3	Elaine Julie Cotterell	Labour Party	195	10.2%	—
4	Sue Price	Green Party	181	9.4%	—

Electorate 4,867 · Ballots cast 1,932 · Invalid 14 · EC ward code local.burnley.hapton-with-park.2026-05-07 · Back to ward index

Gannow · single-seat

Marginal winner 47.6% Proportional quota 50.0% Below quota −2.4 pts Valid ballots 1,643

Rank	Candidate	Party	Votes	Share	Below quota	Elected
1	Angela Radcliffe	Reform UK	782	47.6%	−2.4 pts	Elected
2	Neil Mottershead	Conservative Party	482	29.3%	—
3	Daniel Sam Armitage	Labour Party	193	11.7%	—
4	Alex Hall	Green Party	186	11.3%	—

Electorate 4,541 · Ballots cast 1,646 · Invalid 3 · EC ward code local.burnley.gannow.2026-05-07 · Back to ward index

Whittlefield with Ightenhill · single-seat

Marginal winner 47.8% Proportional quota 50.0% Below quota −2.2 pts Valid ballots 2,129

Rank	Candidate	Party	Votes	Share	Below quota	Elected
1	Chris Weekes	Reform UK	1,017	47.8%	−2.2 pts	Elected
2	Mike John Steel	Conservative Party	583	27.4%	—
3	Janet Hall	Green Party	215	10.1%	—
4	Charlie Allen Hindle	Labour Party	186	8.7%	—
5	Helen Frances Heap	Independent	128	6.0%	—

Electorate 4,535 · Ballots cast 2,135 · Invalid 6 · EC ward code local.burnley.whittlefield-with-ightenhill.2026-05-07 · Back to ward index

Briercliffe · single-seat

Marginal winner 51.0% Proportional quota 50.0% Below quota +1.0 pts Valid ballots 1,967

Rank	Candidate	Party	Votes	Share	Below quota	Elected
1	Mark Poulton	Reform UK	1,003	51.0%	+1.0 pts	Elected
2	Pippa Lishman	Liberal Democrats	788	40.1%	—
3	Pete Coles	Labour Party	122	6.2%	—
4	Susan Margaret Nutter	Conservative Party	54	2.7%	—

Electorate 4,305 · Ballots cast 1,971 · Invalid 4 · EC ward code local.burnley.briercliffe.2026-05-07 · Back to ward index

Trinity · single-seat

Marginal winner 51.3% Proportional quota 50.0% Below quota +1.3 pts Valid ballots 1,190

Rank	Candidate	Party	Votes	Share	Below quota	Elected
1	Kev Shackell	Reform UK	610	51.3%	+1.3 pts	Elected
2	Julie Ann Hurt	Green Party	428	36.0%	—
3	Dylan Edward Rea	Labour Party	152	12.8%	—

Electorate 4,028 · Ballots cast 1,199 · Invalid 9 · EC ward code local.burnley.trinity.2026-05-07 · Back to ward index

Cliviger with Worsthorne · single-seat

Marginal winner 51.6% Proportional quota 50.0% Below quota +1.6 pts Valid ballots 2,355

Rank	Candidate	Party	Votes	Share	Below quota	Elected
1	Gavin Theaker	Reform UK	1,215	51.6%	+1.6 pts	Elected
2	Simon John Bonney	Conservative Party	514	21.8%	—
3	Affan Khan Burki	Green Party	263	11.2%	—
4	Frank Bartram	Liberal Democrats	187	7.9%	—
5	Gail Barton	Labour Party	176	7.5%	—

Electorate 4,486 · Ballots cast 2,360 · Invalid 5 · EC ward code local.burnley.cliviger-with-worsthorne.2026-05-07 · Back to ward index

Gawthorpe · single-seat

Marginal winner 54.9% Proportional quota 50.0% Below quota +4.9 pts Valid ballots 1,559

Rank	Candidate	Party	Votes	Share	Below quota	Elected
1	Victoria Taylor	Reform UK	856	54.9%	+4.9 pts	Elected
2	Alun Lewis	Labour Party	422	27.1%	—
3	Rhys Williams	Conservative Party	142	9.1%	—
4	Edward Lee Swift	Green Party	139	8.9%	—

Electorate 4,346 · Ballots cast 1,562 · Invalid 3 · EC ward code local.burnley.gawthorpe.2026-05-07 · Back to ward index

Queensgate · single-seat

Marginal winner 54.9% Proportional quota 50.0% Below quota +4.9 pts Valid ballots 1,704

Rank	Candidate	Party	Votes	Share	Below quota	Elected
1	Zulkernehn Hayat	Independent	936	54.9%	+4.9 pts	Elected
2	Felix Nowell	Reform UK	415	24.4%	—
3	Carol Lukey	Labour Party	239	14.0%	—
4	Javad Mokhammad	Liberal Democrats	114	6.7%	—

Electorate 4,572 · Ballots cast 1,715 · Invalid 11 · EC ward code local.burnley.queensgate.2026-05-07 · Back to ward index

Bank Hall · single-seat

Marginal winner 56.2% Proportional quota 50.0% Below quota +6.2 pts Valid ballots 1,612

Rank	Candidate	Party	Votes	Share	Below quota	Elected
1	Afrasiab Anwar	Independent	906	56.2%	+6.2 pts	Elected
2	Trevor Williams	Reform UK	500	31.0%	—
3	Mohammed Alkas Ali	Labour Party	206	12.8%	—

Electorate 4,316 · Ballots cast 1,624 · Invalid 12 · EC ward code local.burnley.bank-hall.2026-05-07 · Back to ward index

Rosegrove with Lowerhouse · single-seat

Marginal winner 56.9% Proportional quota 50.0% Below quota +6.9 pts Valid ballots 1,595

Rank	Candidate	Party	Votes	Share	Below quota	Elected
1	Liam Thomson	Reform UK	907	56.9%	+6.9 pts	Elected
2	Daniel Thomas Andrew Tierney	Labour Party	302	18.9%	—
3	Christopher Paul Bridges	Green Party	159	10.0%	—
4	Kate Mottershead	Conservative Party	146	9.2%	—
5	Arthur Gordon Lishman	Liberal Democrats	81	5.1%	—

Electorate 4,907 · Ballots cast 1,595 · EC ward code local.burnley.rosegrove-with-lowerhouse.2026-05-07 · Back to ward index

Rosehill with Burnley Wood · single-seat

Marginal winner 57.0% Proportional quota 50.0% Below quota +7.0 pts Valid ballots 1,583

Rank	Candidate	Party	Votes	Share	Below quota	Elected
1	Jeff Sumner	Reform UK	902	57.0%	+7.0 pts	Elected
2	Fin Hewitt	Green Party	242	15.3%	—
3	Laura Coles	Labour Party	189	11.9%	—
4	Kathryn Haworth	Liberal Democrats	146	9.2%	—
5	Dale Joseph Ferrier	Conservative Party	104	6.6%	—

Electorate 4,495 · Ballots cast 1,587 · Invalid 4 · EC ward code local.burnley.rosehill-with-burnley-wood.2026-05-07 · Back to ward index

Daneshouse with Stoneyholme · single-seat

Marginal winner 57.1% Proportional quota 50.0% Below quota +7.1 pts Valid ballots 1,912

Rank	Candidate	Party	Votes	Share	Below quota	Elected
1	Shah Hussain	Independent	1,092	57.1%	+7.1 pts	Elected
2	Muhammad Shahid Mahmood	Liberal Democrats	564	29.5%	—
3	James David Harrison	Labour Party	157	8.2%	—
4	Eddie Kutavicius	Reform UK	99	5.2%	—

Electorate 5,045 · Ballots cast 1,921 · Invalid 9 · EC ward code local.burnley.daneshouse-with-stoneyholme.2026-05-07 · Back to ward index

Brunshaw · single-seat

Marginal winner 57.4% Proportional quota 50.0% Below quota +7.4 pts Valid ballots 1,571

Rank	Candidate	Party	Votes	Share	Below quota	Elected
1	Josh Graham	Reform UK	901	57.4%	+7.4 pts	Elected
2	Jack Launer	Green Party	306	19.5%	—
3	Millie Towers	Labour Party	257	16.4%	—
4	Maison McGowan-Doe	Conservative Party	107	6.8%	—

Electorate 4,513 · Ballots cast 1,575 · Invalid 4 · EC ward code local.burnley.brunshaw.2026-05-07 · Back to ward index