← Cherwell (all cycles) · 7 May 2026 cohort

Cherwell 2026

Local elections held 7 May 2026.

16 ward races

18 seats

18 elected below the proportional quota

100.0% 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 16 wards in this cycle, parties received the vote totals below. The proportional column shows what each party would have won if the 18 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	14,855	26.3%	6	33.3%	5	27.8%	+1
Liberal Democrats	14,070	24.9%	8	44.4%	5	27.8%	+3
Conservative Party	12,278	21.7%	2	11.1%	4	22.2%	-2
Green Party	8,478	15.0%	1	5.6%	3	16.7%	-2
Labour Party	5,088	9.0%	1	5.6%	1	5.6%	0
Independent	1,594	2.8%	0	0.0%	0	0.0%	0
Animal Welfare Party	89	0.2%	0	0.0%	0	0.0%	0
Social Democratic Party	35	0.1%	0	0.0%	0	0.0%	0
Total	56,487	100.0%	18	100.0%	18	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.

Banbury Cross and Neithrop · 1 seat · won at 26.6% · −23.4 pts below quota
Cropredy, Sibfords and Wroxton · 1 seat · won at 30.8% · −19.2 pts below quota
Banbury Grimsbury and Hightown · 1 seat · won at 31.4% · −18.6 pts below quota
Bicester West · 2 seats · won at 15.3% · −18.0 pts below quota
Banbury Calthorpe and Easington · 2 seats · won at 15.5% · −17.9 pts below quota
Deddington · 1 seat · won at 32.5% · −17.5 pts below quota
Adderbury, Bloxham and Bodicote · 1 seat · won at 32.7% · −17.3 pts below quota
Banbury Hardwick · 1 seat · won at 34.8% · −15.2 pts below quota
Kidlington East · 1 seat · won at 35.2% · −14.8 pts below quota
Bicester East · 1 seat · won at 35.2% · −14.8 pts below quota
Banbury Ruscote · 1 seat · won at 35.4% · −14.6 pts below quota
Bicester North and Caversfield · 1 seat · won at 36.0% · −14.0 pts below quota
Launton and Otmoor · 1 seat · won at 38.6% · −11.4 pts below quota
Fringford and Heyfords · 1 seat · won at 39.5% · −10.5 pts below quota
Bicester South and Ambrosden · 1 seat · won at 41.2% · −8.8 pts below quota
Kidlington West · 1 seat · won at 45.1% · −4.9 pts below quota

Race results

Banbury Cross and Neithrop · single-seat

Marginal winner 26.6% Proportional quota 50.0% Below quota −23.4 pts Valid ballots 2,676

Rank	Candidate	Party	Votes	Share	Below quota	Elected
1	Yvonne Greene	Reform UK	713	26.6%	−23.4 pts	Elected
2	Jose Omombo Omekandji	Labour Party	644	24.1%	—
3	Jake Howard	Green Party	510	19.1%	—
4	Chuk Okeke	Conservative Party	479	17.9%	—
5	Rebecca Bell	Liberal Democrats	197	7.4%	—
6	Simon Zachary Garrett	Independent	133	5.0%	—

Electorate 0 · Ballots cast 2,685 · Invalid 9 · EC ward code local.cherwell.banbury-cross-neithrop.2026-05-07 · Back to ward index

Cropredy, Sibfords and Wroxton · single-seat

Marginal winner 30.8% Proportional quota 50.0% Below quota −19.2 pts Valid ballots 3,735

Rank	Candidate	Party	Votes	Share	Below quota	Elected
1	Nicola Rose Borkmann	Liberal Democrats	1,151	30.8%	−19.2 pts	Elected
2	Mitch Lee	Conservative Party	1,122	30.0%	—
3	Matthew Joseph Arthur Taylor	Reform UK	948	25.4%	—
4	Rachel M A Payne	Green Party	258	6.9%	—
5	Anne Cullen	Labour Party	221	5.9%	—
6	Michael William Patrick Clyne	Social Democratic Party	35	0.9%	—

Electorate 0 · Ballots cast 3,747 · Invalid 12 · EC ward code local.cherwell.cropredy-sibfords-wroxton.2026-05-07 · Back to ward index

Banbury Grimsbury and Hightown · single-seat

Marginal winner 31.4% Proportional quota 50.0% Below quota −18.6 pts Valid ballots 2,184

Rank	Candidate	Party	Votes	Share	Below quota	Elected
1	Rebecca Biegel	Labour Party	685	31.4%	−18.6 pts	Elected
2	Koppany Nagy	Conservative Party	456	20.9%	—
3	Jack Vere	Green Party	425	19.5%	—
4	Chris Wiseman	Reform UK	296	13.6%	—
5	Sean Murray	Liberal Democrats	176	8.1%	—
6	Cassi Bellingham	Independent	146	6.7%	—

Electorate 0 · Ballots cast 2,193 · Invalid 9 · EC ward code local.cherwell.banbury-grimsbury-hightown.2026-05-07 · Back to ward index

Bicester West · 2-seat (bloc vote)

Marginal winner 15.3% Proportional quota 33.3% Below quota −18.0 pts Valid ballots 4,846

Rank	Candidate	Party	Votes	Share	Below quota	Elected
1	Michael Wilson	Reform UK	753	15.5%	−17.8 pts	Elected
2	George Popescu	Reform UK	741	15.3%	−18.0 pts	Elected
3	Dan Hallett	Independent	625	12.9%	—
4	Claire Brenner	Green Party	600	12.4%	—
5	Naomi Rose Crookston	Liberal Democrats	583	12.0%	—
6	Matt Webb	Liberal Democrats	535	11.0%	—
7	Tim Lobanov	Green Party	328	6.8%	—
8	Marco Caso	Conservative Party	275	5.7%	—
9	Andrew McHugh	Conservative Party	258	5.3%	—
10	Paul Graham	Animal Welfare Party	89	1.8%	—
11	Jasmine Webb-Majnlund	Independent	59	1.2%	—

Electorate 0 · Ballots cast 4,854 · Invalid 8 · EC ward code local.cherwell.bicester-west.2026-05-07 · Back to ward index

Banbury Calthorpe and Easington · 2-seat (bloc vote)

Marginal winner 15.5% Proportional quota 33.3% Below quota −17.9 pts Valid ballots 7,973

Rank	Candidate	Party	Votes	Share	Below quota	Elected
1	Ian Harwood	Conservative Party	1,294	16.2%	−17.1 pts	Elected
2	John Jefferson Brown	Reform UK	1,232	15.5%	−17.9 pts	Elected
3	Mark Naden	Reform UK	1,105	13.9%	—
4	Luke Whitehouse	Conservative Party	1,042	13.1%	—
5	Sam Burnett	Green Party	802	10.1%	—
6	Alex Leonova	Green Party	760	9.5%	—
7	Andrew Edwin Eaton	Labour Party	600	7.5%	—
8	Helen Mears	Labour Party	546	6.8%	—
9	David Christopher Pallot	Liberal Democrats	243	3.0%	—
10	Jacqui Smith	Liberal Democrats	241	3.0%	—
11	Phil Richards	Independent	108	1.4%	—

Electorate 0 · Ballots cast 7,981 · Invalid 8 · EC ward code local.cherwell.banbury-calthorpe-easington.2026-05-07 · Back to ward index

Deddington · single-seat

Marginal winner 32.5% Proportional quota 50.0% Below quota −17.5 pts Valid ballots 3,985

Rank	Candidate	Party	Votes	Share	Below quota	Elected
1	Eddie Fraser Reeves	Conservative Party	1,294	32.5%	−17.5 pts	Elected
2	James Henry Dean Hartley	Liberal Democrats	1,173	29.4%	—
3	Gail Ann Collingwood-Turner	Reform UK	885	22.2%	—
4	Aaron Bliss	Green Party	333	8.4%	—
5	Annette Murphy	Labour Party	300	7.5%	—

Electorate 0 · Ballots cast 3,995 · Invalid 10 · EC ward code local.cherwell.deddington.2026-05-07 · Back to ward index

Adderbury, Bloxham and Bodicote · single-seat

Marginal winner 32.7% Proportional quota 50.0% Below quota −17.3 pts Valid ballots 3,898

Rank	Candidate	Party	Votes	Share	Below quota	Elected
1	David Richard Hingley	Liberal Democrats	1,275	32.7%	−17.3 pts	Elected
2	James Edsberg	Conservative Party	1,071	27.5%	—
3	David Andrew Collingwood-Turner	Reform UK	966	24.8%	—
4	Linda Newbery	Green Party	333	8.5%	—
5	Helen Margaret Oldfield	Labour Party	253	6.5%	—

Electorate 0 · Ballots cast 3,906 · Invalid 8 · EC ward code local.cherwell.adderbury-bloxham-bodicote.2026-05-07 · Back to ward index

Banbury Hardwick · single-seat

Marginal winner 34.8% Proportional quota 50.0% Below quota −15.2 pts Valid ballots 2,732

Rank	Candidate	Party	Votes	Share	Below quota	Elected
1	Paul Jeffreys	Reform UK	950	34.8%	−15.2 pts	Elected
2	Andrew Crichton	Labour Party	701	25.7%	—
3	Simi Cumberbatch	Green Party	453	16.6%	—
4	Taraji Ogunnubi	Conservative Party	371	13.6%	—
5	Michael Offei	Liberal Democrats	257	9.4%	—

Electorate 0 · Ballots cast 2,744 · Invalid 12 · EC ward code local.cherwell.banbury-hardwick.2026-05-07 · Back to ward index

Kidlington East · single-seat

Marginal winner 35.2% Proportional quota 50.0% Below quota −14.8 pts Valid ballots 2,992

Rank	Candidate	Party	Votes	Share	Below quota	Elected
1	Fiona Valerie Mawson	Green Party	1,053	35.2%	−14.8 pts	Elected
2	Adie Spittle	Reform UK	745	24.9%	—
3	Gabriel Schenk	Liberal Democrats	495	16.5%	—
4	John Colegrave	Conservative Party	476	15.9%	—
5	Gregory Michael Fish	Labour Party	167	5.6%	—
6	Julian Martin Tytherleigh	Independent	56	1.9%	—

Electorate 0 · Ballots cast 3,010 · Invalid 18 · EC ward code local.cherwell.kidlington-east.2026-05-07 · Back to ward index

Bicester East · single-seat

Marginal winner 35.2% Proportional quota 50.0% Below quota −14.8 pts Valid ballots 2,610

Rank	Candidate	Party	Votes	Share	Below quota	Elected
1	Bryonie Wells	Liberal Democrats	919	35.2%	−14.8 pts	Elected
2	Andrew O'Gorman	Reform UK	719	27.5%	—
3	Alex Thrupp	Conservative Party	361	13.8%	—
4	Donna Ford	Independent	348	13.3%	—
5	Amanda Maguire	Green Party	263	10.1%	—

Electorate 0 · Ballots cast 2,617 · Invalid 7 · EC ward code local.cherwell.bicester-east.2026-05-07 · Back to ward index

Banbury Ruscote · single-seat

Marginal winner 35.4% Proportional quota 50.0% Below quota −14.6 pts Valid ballots 2,118

Rank	Candidate	Party	Votes	Share	Below quota	Elected
1	Mark Gorman	Reform UK	750	35.4%	−14.6 pts	Elected
2	Chloe Dawn Smith	Labour Party	540	25.5%	—
3	Karl Michael Kazimierz Kwiatkowski	Green Party	313	14.8%	—
4	Nikki Payne	Conservative Party	300	14.2%	—
5	Julie Battison	Independent	119	5.6%	—
6	Kai Benjamin Smith	Liberal Democrats	96	4.5%	—

Electorate 0 · Ballots cast 2,128 · Invalid 10 · EC ward code local.cherwell.banbury-ruscote.2026-05-07 · Back to ward index

Bicester North and Caversfield · single-seat

Marginal winner 36.0% Proportional quota 50.0% Below quota −14.0 pts Valid ballots 2,795

Rank	Candidate	Party	Votes	Share	Below quota	Elected
1	Julius Parker	Liberal Democrats	1,006	36.0%	−14.0 pts	Elected
2	Nicholas Edward Mawer	Conservative Party	701	25.1%	—
3	Alan Thomas	Reform UK	686	24.5%	—
4	Robin Kenneth Winslow Morris	Green Party	310	11.1%	—
5	Babatunde Aribisala	Labour Party	92	3.3%	—

Electorate 0 · Ballots cast 2,800 · Invalid 5 · EC ward code local.cherwell.bicester-north-caversfield.2026-05-07 · Back to ward index

Launton and Otmoor · single-seat

Marginal winner 38.6% Proportional quota 50.0% Below quota −11.4 pts Valid ballots 3,225

Rank	Candidate	Party	Votes	Share	Below quota	Elected
1	Timothy Simon Faltermeyer	Liberal Democrats	1,244	38.6%	−11.4 pts	Elected
2	Ian Richard Hodgson	Reform UK	874	27.1%	—
3	Andrew Payne	Conservative Party	692	21.5%	—
4	John Robert O'Regan	Green Party	279	8.7%	—
5	Naomi Celia Karslake	Labour Party	136	4.2%	—

Electorate 0 · Ballots cast 3,237 · Invalid 12 · EC ward code local.cherwell.launton-otmoor.2026-05-07 · Back to ward index

Fringford and Heyfords · single-seat

Marginal winner 39.5% Proportional quota 50.0% Below quota −10.5 pts Valid ballots 3,476

Rank	Candidate	Party	Votes	Share	Below quota	Elected
1	Jean Conway	Liberal Democrats	1,372	39.5%	−10.5 pts	Elected
2	John Honey	Reform UK	876	25.2%	—
3	Sandy Lewis Dallimore	Conservative Party	868	25.0%	—
4	Chris Nelson	Green Party	360	10.4%	—

Electorate 0 · Ballots cast 3,491 · Invalid 15 · EC ward code local.cherwell.fringford-heyfords.2026-05-07 · Back to ward index

Bicester South and Ambrosden · single-seat

Marginal winner 41.2% Proportional quota 50.0% Below quota −8.8 pts Valid ballots 4,076

Rank	Candidate	Party	Votes	Share	Below quota	Elected
1	Chris Pruden	Liberal Democrats	1,680	41.2%	−8.8 pts	Elected
2	Tom Burgess	Reform UK	882	21.6%	—
3	Shams Ud-din	Conservative Party	670	16.4%	—
4	Damien Maguire	Green Party	641	15.7%	—
5	Sarah Farrow	Labour Party	203	5.0%	—

Electorate 0 · Ballots cast 4,089 · Invalid 13 · EC ward code local.cherwell.bicester-south-ambrosden.2026-05-07 · Back to ward index

Kidlington West · single-seat

Marginal winner 45.1% Proportional quota 50.0% Below quota −4.9 pts Valid ballots 3,166

Rank	Candidate	Party	Votes	Share	Below quota	Elected
1	Lisa Smith	Liberal Democrats	1,427	45.1%	−4.9 pts	Elected
2	Dave Paintin	Reform UK	734	23.2%	—
3	Martin Frederick Bach Phillips	Conservative Party	548	17.3%	—
4	Amanda Jane Carpenter	Green Party	457	14.4%	—

Electorate 0 · Ballots cast 3,180 · Invalid 14 · EC ward code local.cherwell.kidlington-west.2026-05-07 · Back to ward index