← Cambridge (all cycles) · 7 May 2026 cohort

Cambridge 2026

Local elections held 7 May 2026.

14 ward races

15 seats

13 elected below the proportional quota

86.7% 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 14 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
Green Party	13,896	32.6%	7	46.7%	5	33.3%	+2
Labour Party	10,793	25.3%	4	26.7%	4	26.7%	0
Liberal Democrats	10,264	24.1%	4	26.7%	4	26.7%	0
Reform UK	3,926	9.2%	0	0.0%	1	6.7%	-1
Conservative Party	3,335	7.8%	0	0.0%	1	6.7%	-1
Independent	366	0.9%	0	0.0%	0	0.0%	0
Communist Party of Britain	35	0.1%	0	0.0%	0	0.0%	0
Total	42,615	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.

King's Hedges · 1 seat · won at 27.2% · −22.8 pts below quota
Cherry Hinton · 1 seat · won at 30.9% · −19.1 pts below quota
West Chesterton · 1 seat · won at 31.0% · −19.0 pts below quota
East Chesterton · 1 seat · won at 31.8% · −18.2 pts below quota
Arbury · 1 seat · won at 32.2% · −17.8 pts below quota
Castle · 1 seat · won at 32.2% · −17.8 pts below quota
Trumpington · 2 seats · won at 18.5% · −14.9 pts below quota
Coleridge · 1 seat · won at 39.1% · −10.9 pts below quota
Petersfield · 1 seat · won at 40.9% · −9.1 pts below quota
Market · 1 seat · won at 43.2% · −6.8 pts below quota
Romsey · 1 seat · won at 45.2% · −4.8 pts below quota
Queen Edith's · 1 seat · won at 49.0% · −1.0 pts below quota
Abbey · 1 seat · won at 51.4% · above quota
Newnham · 1 seat · won at 53.0% · above quota

Race results

King's Hedges · single-seat

Marginal winner 27.2% Proportional quota 50.0% Below quota −22.8 pts Valid ballots 2,620

Rank	Candidate	Party	Votes	Share	Below quota	Elected
1	Martin Andrew Smart	Labour Party	713	27.2%	−22.8 pts	Elected
2	Daniel Quinn	Green Party	604	23.1%	—
3	Mahfuj Ahmed	Conservative Party	493	18.8%	—
4	John McKay	Reform UK	376	14.4%	—
5	David Michael Creek	Liberal Democrats	295	11.3%	—
6	Zarina Anwar	Independent	106	4.0%	—
7	Eleanor Cooke	Independent	33	1.3%	—

Electorate 6,625 · Ballots cast 2,620 · EC ward code local.cambridge.kings-hedges.2026-05-07 · Back to ward index

Cherry Hinton · single-seat

Marginal winner 30.9% Proportional quota 50.0% Below quota −19.1 pts Valid ballots 2,793

Rank	Candidate	Party	Votes	Share	Below quota	Elected
1	Russ McPherson	Labour Party	864	30.9%	−19.1 pts	Elected
2	Anusha Iyer	Green Party	731	26.2%	—
3	Mike Nicolson	Reform UK	484	17.3%	—
4	Ahmad Rushdhi	Liberal Democrats	399	14.3%	—
5	Eric William Barrett-Payton	Conservative Party	315	11.3%	—

Electorate 6,333 · Ballots cast 2,793 · EC ward code local.cambridge.cherry-hinton.2026-05-07 · Back to ward index

West Chesterton · single-seat

Marginal winner 31.0% Proportional quota 50.0% Below quota −19.0 pts Valid ballots 3,486

Rank	Candidate	Party	Votes	Share	Below quota	Elected
1	Richard Swift	Labour Party	1,080	31.0%	−19.0 pts	Elected
2	Guy Mills	Liberal Democrats	1,006	28.9%	—
3	Hannah Charlotte Copley	Green Party	930	26.7%	—
4	Geoff Leach	Reform UK	202	5.8%	—
5	Mike Harford	Conservative Party	147	4.2%	—
6	Nick Picton	Independent	121	3.5%	—

Electorate 6,248 · Ballots cast 3,486 · EC ward code local.cambridge.west-chesterton.2026-05-07 · Back to ward index

East Chesterton · single-seat

Marginal winner 31.8% Proportional quota 50.0% Below quota −18.2 pts Valid ballots 2,937

Rank	Candidate	Party	Votes	Share	Below quota	Elected
1	Sarah Haithcock	Labour Party	935	31.8%	−18.2 pts	Elected
2	Ania Bobrowska	Liberal Democrats	803	27.3%	—
3	Isaac Groves	Green Party	718	24.4%	—
4	Godfrey Orr	Reform UK	297	10.1%	—
5	Jean-Ann Bartlett	Conservative Party	166	5.7%	—
6	William James Dry	Communist Party of Britain	18	0.6%	—

Electorate 6,447 · Ballots cast 2,937 · EC ward code local.cambridge.east-chesterton.2026-05-07 · Back to ward index

Arbury · single-seat

Marginal winner 32.2% Proportional quota 50.0% Below quota −17.8 pts Valid ballots 2,886

Rank	Candidate	Party	Votes	Share	Below quota	Elected
1	Sefira Carmen Davison	Green Party	928	32.2%	−17.8 pts	Elected
2	Jocelynne Scutt	Labour Party	816	28.3%	—
3	Fionna Tod	Liberal Democrats	667	23.1%	—
4	Will Burrows	Reform UK	290	10.0%	—
5	Robert Boorman	Conservative Party	185	6.4%	—

Electorate 6,350 · Ballots cast 2,886 · EC ward code local.cambridge.arbury.2026-05-07 · Back to ward index

Castle · single-seat

Marginal winner 32.2% Proportional quota 50.0% Below quota −17.8 pts Valid ballots 2,353

Rank	Candidate	Party	Votes	Share	Below quota	Elected
1	Alex Sage	Green Party	757	32.2%	−17.8 pts	Elected
2	Luke Patterson	Liberal Democrats	733	31.2%	—
3	Simon Smith	Labour Party	599	25.5%	—
4	Carol Bedson	Reform UK	115	4.9%	—
5	Dace Ruklisa	Conservative Party	85	3.6%	—
6	Khalid Abu-Tayyem	Independent	64	2.7%	—

Electorate 4,623 · Ballots cast 2,353 · EC ward code local.cambridge.castle.2026-05-07 · Back to ward index

Trumpington · 2-seat (bloc vote)

Marginal winner 18.5% Proportional quota 33.3% Below quota −14.9 pts Valid ballots 6,215

Rank	Candidate	Party	Votes	Share	Below quota	Elected
1	Olaf Hauk	Liberal Democrats	1,272	20.5%	−12.9 pts	Elected
2	John William Grimwood	Liberal Democrats	1,148	18.5%	−14.9 pts	Elected
3	Edward Ekin Gokmen	Green Party	854	13.7%	—
4	Chloe Eva Mosonyi	Green Party	772	12.4%	—
5	Carlos Toranzos	Labour Party	477	7.7%	—
6	Henry Shailer	Labour Party	444	7.1%	—
7	Steven Michael George	Conservative Party	397	6.4%	—
8	Guy Greenway	Reform UK	293	4.7%	—
9	John Michael Ionides	Conservative Party	283	4.6%	—
10	Samuel Lloyd	Reform UK	275	4.4%	—

Electorate 7,570 · Ballots cast 6,215 · EC ward code local.cambridge.trumpington.2026-05-07 · Back to ward index

Coleridge · single-seat

Marginal winner 39.1% Proportional quota 50.0% Below quota −10.9 pts Valid ballots 2,940

Rank	Candidate	Party	Votes	Share	Below quota	Elected
1	Sarah Louise Nicmanis	Green Party	1,150	39.1%	−10.9 pts	Elected
2	Anna Smith	Labour Party	1,070	36.4%	—
3	Steve Burdett	Reform UK	302	10.3%	—
4	Sam Mitchell Worthington	Conservative Party	222	7.6%	—
5	Tim Brunton	Liberal Democrats	196	6.7%	—

Electorate 6,243 · Ballots cast 2,940 · EC ward code local.cambridge.coleridge.2026-05-07 · Back to ward index

Petersfield · single-seat

Marginal winner 40.9% Proportional quota 50.0% Below quota −9.1 pts Valid ballots 3,329

Rank	Candidate	Party	Votes	Share	Below quota	Elected
1	Kathryn Fisher	Green Party	1,363	40.9%	−9.1 pts	Elected
2	Cameron Myfyr Holloway	Labour Party	1,208	36.3%	—
3	Sam Oliver	Liberal Democrats	412	12.4%	—
4	Luke Burrows	Reform UK	182	5.5%	—
5	Paul Roper	Conservative Party	164	4.9%	—

Electorate 6,773 · Ballots cast 3,329 · EC ward code local.cambridge.petersfield.2026-05-07 · Back to ward index

Market · single-seat

Marginal winner 43.2% Proportional quota 50.0% Below quota −6.8 pts Valid ballots 1,975

Rank	Candidate	Party	Votes	Share	Below quota	Elected
1	Katie Porrer	Liberal Democrats	854	43.2%	−6.8 pts	Elected
2	Alex Sefton-Tromans	Green Party	592	30.0%	—
3	Edwin Kwaku Addo	Labour Party	303	15.3%	—
4	Mark Wells	Reform UK	127	6.4%	—
5	Panda Xiong	Conservative Party	99	5.0%	—

Electorate 5,549 · Ballots cast 1,975 · EC ward code local.cambridge.market.2026-05-07 · Back to ward index

Romsey · single-seat

Marginal winner 45.2% Proportional quota 50.0% Below quota −4.8 pts Valid ballots 3,363

Rank	Candidate	Party	Votes	Share	Below quota	Elected
1	Jacqui Whitmore	Green Party	1,521	45.2%	−4.8 pts	Elected
2	Rosy Greenlees	Labour Party	1,124	33.4%	—
3	John Charles Walmsley	Liberal Democrats	347	10.3%	—
4	Andrew Watson	Reform UK	230	6.8%	—
5	Rob Nelson	Conservative Party	141	4.2%	—

Electorate 6,734 · Ballots cast 3,363 · EC ward code local.cambridge.romsey.2026-05-07 · Back to ward index

Queen Edith's · single-seat

Marginal winner 49.0% Proportional quota 50.0% Below quota −1.0 pts Valid ballots 3,070

Rank	Candidate	Party	Votes	Share	Below quota	Elected
1	Amanda Joan Taylor	Liberal Democrats	1,503	49.0%	−1.0 pts	Elected
2	Shayne Mitchell	Green Party	556	18.1%	—
3	Maruf Ahmed	Labour Party	397	12.9%	—
4	Magnus Alexander Burt	Conservative Party	315	10.3%	—
5	Colin Bedson	Reform UK	299	9.7%	—

Electorate 6,572 · Ballots cast 3,070 · EC ward code local.cambridge.queen-ediths.2026-05-07 · Back to ward index

Abbey · single-seat

Marginal winner 51.4% Proportional quota 50.0% Below quota +1.4 pts Valid ballots 2,674

Rank	Candidate	Party	Votes	Share	Below quota	Elected
1	Maria Margaret Cleminson	Green Party	1,374	51.4%	+1.4 pts	Elected
2	Ruaidhri O'Donnell	Labour Party	455	17.0%	—
3	Tommy Brace	Reform UK	365	13.6%	—
4	Rosemary Anne Roe Ansell	Liberal Democrats	302	11.3%	—
5	David Philip Smith	Conservative Party	161	6.0%	—
6	Simon Brignell	Communist Party of Britain	17	0.6%	—

Electorate 7,165 · Ballots cast 2,674 · EC ward code local.cambridge.abbey.2026-05-07 · Back to ward index

Newnham · single-seat

Marginal winner 53.0% Proportional quota 50.0% Below quota +3.0 pts Valid ballots 1,974

Rank	Candidate	Party	Votes	Share	Below quota	Elected
1	Eleanor Frances Toye Scott	Green Party	1,046	53.0%	+3.0 pts	Elected
2	Katie Barron	Liberal Democrats	327	16.6%	—
3	Sabina Harris-Hercules	Labour Party	308	15.6%	—
4	Poppy Simister-Thomas	Conservative Party	162	8.2%	—
5	Lui Murton	Reform UK	89	4.5%	—
6	David Carmona	Independent	42	2.1%	—

Electorate 5,296 · Ballots cast 1,974 · EC ward code local.cambridge.newnham.2026-05-07 · Back to ward index