← Hastings (all cycles) · 7 May 2026 cohort

Hastings 2026

Local elections held 7 May 2026.

16 ward races

17 seats

11 elected below the proportional quota

64.7% 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 16 wards in this cycle, parties received the vote totals below. The proportional column shows what each party would have won if the 17 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	12,913	41.7%	10	58.8%	8	47.1%	+2
Reform UK	7,901	25.5%	6	35.3%	5	29.4%	+1
Labour Party	5,154	16.7%	0	0.0%	3	17.6%	-3
Conservative Party	2,955	9.5%	0	0.0%	1	5.9%	-1
Independent	1,564	5.1%	1	5.9%	0	0.0%	+1
Liberal Democrats	440	1.4%	0	0.0%	0	0.0%	0
Libertarian Party	18	0.1%	0	0.0%	0	0.0%	0
Total	30,945	100.0%	17	100.0%	17	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.

St Helens · 2 seats · won at 14.3% · −19.0 pts below quota
Baird · 1 seat · won at 31.9% · −18.1 pts below quota
Silverhill · 1 seat · won at 32.0% · −18.0 pts below quota
West St Leonards · 1 seat · won at 33.9% · −16.1 pts below quota
Conquest · 1 seat · won at 34.3% · −15.7 pts below quota
Wishing Tree · 1 seat · won at 35.5% · −14.5 pts below quota
Ashdown · 1 seat · won at 37.1% · −12.9 pts below quota
Hollington · 1 seat · won at 38.0% · −12.0 pts below quota
Old Hastings · 1 seat · won at 48.0% · −2.0 pts below quota
Maze Hill · 1 seat · won at 48.4% · −1.6 pts below quota
Ore · 1 seat · won at 51.6% · above quota
Braybrooke · 1 seat · won at 59.0% · above quota
Tressell · 1 seat · won at 61.0% · above quota
Central St Leonards · 1 seat · won at 61.1% · above quota
Castle · 1 seat · won at 63.9% · above quota
Gensing · 1 seat · won at 66.2% · above quota

Race results

St Helens · 2-seat (bloc vote)

Marginal winner 14.3% Proportional quota 33.3% Below quota −19.0 pts Valid ballots 3,801

Rank	Candidate	Party	Votes	Share	Below quota	Elected
1	Peter Anthony Clarke	Reform UK	572	15.0%	−18.3 pts	Elected
2	Andy Batsford	Independent	544	14.3%	−19.0 pts	Elected
3	Shaun Dowling	Green Party	490	12.9%	—
4	Jessica Townsend	Green Party	462	12.2%	—
5	Hazel Edith Vanbergen	Reform UK	460	12.1%	—
6	Barney Green	Labour Party	320	8.4%	—
7	Helen Martin	Labour Party	311	8.2%	—
8	Howard Martin	Conservative Party	249	6.6%	—
9	Stephen Butterton	Conservative Party	229	6.0%	—
10	Bob Lloyd	Liberal Democrats	164	4.3%	—

Electorate 0 · Ballots cast 3,804 · Invalid 3 · EC ward code local.hastings.st-helens.2026-05-07 · Back to ward index

Baird · single-seat

Marginal winner 31.9% Proportional quota 50.0% Below quota −18.1 pts Valid ballots 1,544

Rank	Candidate	Party	Votes	Share	Below quota	Elected
1	Will Rumfitt	Green Party	492	31.9%	−18.1 pts	Elected
2	Jack Philip McCree	Reform UK	438	28.4%	—
3	Mike Turner	Independent	335	21.7%	—
4	Liam Atkins	Conservative Party	151	9.8%	—
5	Rick Dillon	Labour Party	128	8.3%	—

Electorate 0 · Ballots cast 1,558 · Invalid 14 · EC ward code local.hastings.baird.2026-05-07 · Back to ward index

Silverhill · single-seat

Marginal winner 32.0% Proportional quota 50.0% Below quota −18.0 pts Valid ballots 1,907

Rank	Candidate	Party	Votes	Share	Below quota	Elected
1	Dulcie Reynolds	Green Party	610	32.0%	−18.0 pts	Elected
2	Ian Moore	Reform UK	492	25.8%	—
3	Margi O'Callaghan	Labour Party	327	17.1%	—
4	Nigel Sinden	Independent	265	13.9%	—
5	Craig Steven Andrew	Conservative Party	213	11.2%	—

Electorate 0 · Ballots cast 1,917 · Invalid 10 · EC ward code local.hastings.silverhill.2026-05-07 · Back to ward index

West St Leonards · single-seat

Marginal winner 33.9% Proportional quota 50.0% Below quota −16.1 pts Valid ballots 1,492

Rank	Candidate	Party	Votes	Share	Below quota	Elected
1	Derek Lawrence	Reform UK	506	33.9%	−16.1 pts	Elected
2	Anna Sabin	Labour Party	370	24.8%	—
3	Emma Joliffe	Green Party	346	23.2%	—
4	Matthew Joseph Beaver	Conservative Party	220	14.7%	—
5	Eve Montgomery	Liberal Democrats	50	3.4%	—

Electorate 0 · Ballots cast 1,508 · Invalid 16 · EC ward code local.hastings.west-st-leonards.2026-05-07 · Back to ward index

Conquest · single-seat

Marginal winner 34.3% Proportional quota 50.0% Below quota −15.7 pts Valid ballots 1,771

Rank	Candidate	Party	Votes	Share	Below quota	Elected
1	Rob Drew	Reform UK	607	34.3%	−15.7 pts	Elected
2	Ian James Gillam	Green Party	444	25.1%	—
3	Roger Streeten	Conservative Party	398	22.5%	—
4	Hugh Philip Nicholson	Labour Party	235	13.3%	—
5	Stewart Gregory Rayment	Liberal Democrats	87	4.9%	—

Electorate 0 · Ballots cast 1,777 · Invalid 6 · EC ward code local.hastings.conquest.2026-05-07 · Back to ward index

Wishing Tree · single-seat

Marginal winner 35.5% Proportional quota 50.0% Below quota −14.5 pts Valid ballots 1,452

Rank	Candidate	Party	Votes	Share	Below quota	Elected
1	Doreena Ross	Reform UK	516	35.5%	−14.5 pts	Elected
2	John Rankin	Labour Party	365	25.1%	—
3	Melanie Kavanagh	Green Party	263	18.1%	—
4	John Cannan	Independent	153	10.5%	—
5	Wendy Cooke	Conservative Party	137	9.4%	—
6	Mal McDermott	Libertarian Party	18	1.2%	—

Electorate 0 · Ballots cast 1,457 · Invalid 5 · EC ward code local.hastings.wishing-tree.2026-05-07 · Back to ward index

Ashdown · single-seat

Marginal winner 37.1% Proportional quota 50.0% Below quota −12.9 pts Valid ballots 1,695

Rank	Candidate	Party	Votes	Share	Below quota	Elected
1	Daniel Kendrick	Reform UK	628	37.1%	−12.9 pts	Elected
2	Marie Louise Parfitt	Green Party	407	24.0%	—
3	Louise Chantal	Labour Party	363	21.4%	—
4	Michael Justinian Edwards	Conservative Party	202	11.9%	—
5	Robert John Wakeford	Liberal Democrats	95	5.6%	—

Electorate 0 · Ballots cast 1,699 · Invalid 4 · EC ward code local.hastings.ashdown.2026-05-07 · Back to ward index

Hollington · single-seat

Marginal winner 38.0% Proportional quota 50.0% Below quota −12.0 pts Valid ballots 1,273

Rank	Candidate	Party	Votes	Share	Below quota	Elected
1	Will Chapman	Reform UK	484	38.0%	−12.0 pts	Elected
2	Angela Liliet Harris	Labour Party	261	20.5%	—
3	Andrea Cowhig	Independent	197	15.5%	—
4	Justin Lee Wynne	Green Party	196	15.4%	—
5	Matthew Clifford Ainsworth	Conservative Party	135	10.6%	—

Electorate 0 · Ballots cast 1,278 · Invalid 5 · EC ward code local.hastings.hollington.2026-05-07 · Back to ward index

Old Hastings · single-seat

Marginal winner 48.0% Proportional quota 50.0% Below quota −2.0 pts Valid ballots 2,215

Rank	Candidate	Party	Votes	Share	Below quota	Elected
1	Mike Frith	Green Party	1,064	48.0%	−2.0 pts	Elected
2	James Edward Bacon	Labour Party	640	28.9%	—
3	Steve Foot	Reform UK	387	17.5%	—
4	Ray Molloy	Conservative Party	124	5.6%	—

Electorate 0 · Ballots cast 2,219 · Invalid 4 · EC ward code local.hastings.old-hastings.2026-05-07 · Back to ward index

Maze Hill · single-seat

Marginal winner 48.4% Proportional quota 50.0% Below quota −1.6 pts Valid ballots 2,003

Rank	Candidate	Party	Votes	Share	Below quota	Elected
1	Karen Simnett	Green Party	969	48.4%	−1.6 pts	Elected
2	Rosie Murphy	Reform UK	499	24.9%	—
3	Rob Cooke	Conservative Party	268	13.4%	—
4	Tim John Cairns Shand	Labour Party	223	11.1%	—
5	Lee Joseph Grant	Liberal Democrats	44	2.2%	—

Electorate 0 · Ballots cast 2,008 · Invalid 5 · EC ward code local.hastings.maze-hill.2026-05-07 · Back to ward index

Ore · single-seat

Marginal winner 51.6% Proportional quota 50.0% Below quota +1.6 pts Valid ballots 1,695

Rank	Candidate	Party	Votes	Share	Below quota	Elected
1	Clem McCulloch	Green Party	874	51.6%	+1.6 pts	Elected
2	Wojciech Duczmal	Reform UK	471	27.8%	—
3	Kim Forward	Labour Party	167	9.9%	—
4	Brett Reginald McLean	Conservative Party	113	6.7%	—
5	Vicky Wilson	Independent	70	4.1%	—

Electorate 0 · Ballots cast 1,708 · Invalid 13 · EC ward code local.hastings.ore.2026-05-07 · Back to ward index

Braybrooke · single-seat

Marginal winner 59.0% Proportional quota 50.0% Below quota +9.0 pts Valid ballots 2,087

Rank	Candidate	Party	Votes	Share	Below quota	Elected
1	Archie Lauchlan	Green Party	1,232	59.0%	+9.0 pts	Elected
2	Josh Matthews	Labour Party	364	17.4%	—
3	Yoong Kam	Reform UK	353	16.9%	—
4	John Richard Waterfall	Conservative Party	138	6.6%	—

Electorate 0 · Ballots cast 2,096 · Invalid 9 · EC ward code local.hastings.braybrooke.2026-05-07 · Back to ward index

Tressell · single-seat

Marginal winner 61.0% Proportional quota 50.0% Below quota +11.0 pts Valid ballots 1,510

Rank	Candidate	Party	Votes	Share	Below quota	Elected
1	Glenn Haffenden	Green Party	921	61.0%	+11.0 pts	Elected
2	Ricky Hodges	Reform UK	409	27.1%	—
3	Ingrid Kristina Kathleen Allan	Labour Party	129	8.5%	—
4	Shelley Lee	Conservative Party	51	3.4%	—

Electorate 0 · Ballots cast 1,514 · Invalid 4 · EC ward code local.hastings.tressell.2026-05-07 · Back to ward index

Central St Leonards · single-seat

Marginal winner 61.1% Proportional quota 50.0% Below quota +11.1 pts Valid ballots 2,132

Rank	Candidate	Party	Votes	Share	Below quota	Elected
1	Solly Solamito	Green Party	1,303	61.1%	+11.1 pts	Elected
2	Alex Dudley	Reform UK	378	17.7%	—
3	Trevor Redmond	Labour Party	344	16.1%	—
4	Caroline June Kerswell	Conservative Party	107	5.0%	—

Electorate 0 · Ballots cast 2,140 · Invalid 8 · EC ward code local.hastings.central-st-leonards.2026-05-07 · Back to ward index

Castle · single-seat

Marginal winner 63.9% Proportional quota 50.0% Below quota +13.9 pts Valid ballots 2,198

Rank	Candidate	Party	Votes	Share	Below quota	Elected
1	Steph Fawbert	Green Party	1,404	63.9%	+13.9 pts	Elected
2	Graeme White	Reform UK	336	15.3%	—
3	Judy Rogers	Labour Party	333	15.2%	—
4	Charlie Cooke	Conservative Party	125	5.7%	—

Electorate 0 · Ballots cast 2,212 · Invalid 14 · EC ward code local.hastings.castle.2026-05-07 · Back to ward index

Gensing · single-seat

Marginal winner 66.2% Proportional quota 50.0% Below quota +16.2 pts Valid ballots 2,170

Rank	Candidate	Party	Votes	Share	Below quota	Elected
1	Amanda Christabel Jobson	Green Party	1,436	66.2%	+16.2 pts	Elected
2	Jet Rankin	Reform UK	365	16.8%	—
3	John Williams	Labour Party	274	12.6%	—
4	Shane Atkins	Conservative Party	95	4.4%	—

Electorate 0 · Ballots cast 2,183 · Invalid 13 · EC ward code local.hastings.gensing.2026-05-07 · Back to ward index