← Portsmouth (all cycles) · 7 May 2026 cohort

Portsmouth 2026

Local elections held 7 May 2026.

14 ward races

14 seats

13 elected below the proportional quota

92.9% 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 14 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	17,681	29.7%	5	35.7%	4	28.6%	+1
Liberal Democrats	17,584	29.5%	8	57.1%	4	28.6%	+4
Labour Party	8,425	14.2%	0	0.0%	2	14.3%	-2
Conservative Party	7,893	13.3%	1	7.1%	2	14.3%	-1
Green Party	7,871	13.2%	0	0.0%	2	14.3%	-2
Independent	34	0.1%	0	0.0%	0	0.0%	0
Heritage Party	23	0.0%	0	0.0%	0	0.0%	0
Total	59,511	100.0%	14	100.0%	14	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.

Charles Dickens · 1 seat · won at 30.0% · −20.0 pts below quota
Drayton and Farlington · 1 seat · won at 35.8% · −14.2 pts below quota
Copnor · 1 seat · won at 38.4% · −11.6 pts below quota
Fratton · 1 seat · won at 39.3% · −10.7 pts below quota
Baffins · 1 seat · won at 39.8% · −10.2 pts below quota
Eastney and Craneswater · 1 seat · won at 40.6% · −9.4 pts below quota
Nelson · 1 seat · won at 41.1% · −8.9 pts below quota
St Jude · 1 seat · won at 41.6% · −8.4 pts below quota
Cosham · 1 seat · won at 42.5% · −7.5 pts below quota
Central Southsea · 1 seat · won at 42.6% · −7.4 pts below quota
St Thomas · 1 seat · won at 43.3% · −6.7 pts below quota
Milton · 1 seat · won at 45.7% · −4.3 pts below quota
Hilsea · 1 seat · won at 49.2% · −0.8 pts below quota
Paulsgrove · 1 seat · won at 57.5% · above quota

Race results

Charles Dickens · single-seat

Marginal winner 30.0% Proportional quota 50.0% Below quota −20.0 pts Valid ballots 3,312

Rank	Candidate	Party	Votes	Share	Below quota	Elected
1	Sam Coupland	Reform UK	993	30.0%	−20.0 pts	Elected
2	Harold McGregor-Sims	Liberal Democrats	906	27.4%	—
3	Yinka Adeniran	Labour Party	697	21.0%	—
4	Elliott Lee	Green Party	562	17.0%	—
5	David Michael Chandler	Conservative Party	154	4.6%	—

Electorate 14,308 · Ballots cast 3,320 · Invalid 8 · EC ward code local.portsmouth.charles-dickens.2026-05-07 · Back to ward index

Drayton and Farlington · single-seat

Marginal winner 35.8% Proportional quota 50.0% Below quota −14.2 pts Valid ballots 5,141

Rank	Candidate	Party	Votes	Share	Below quota	Elected
1	Simon John Bosher	Conservative Party	1,841	35.8%	−14.2 pts	Elected
2	Stephen Michael Burt	Reform UK	1,817	35.3%	—
3	Matthew Sean Holland	Labour Party	648	12.6%	—
4	Quenton James Kelley	Green Party	422	8.2%	—
5	Samantha Darragh	Liberal Democrats	413	8.0%	—

Electorate 10,378 · Ballots cast 5,150 · Invalid 9 · EC ward code local.portsmouth.drayton-and-farlington.2026-05-07 · Back to ward index

Copnor · single-seat

Marginal winner 38.4% Proportional quota 50.0% Below quota −11.6 pts Valid ballots 4,209

Rank	Candidate	Party	Votes	Share	Below quota	Elected
1	Carl Inman	Reform UK	1,616	38.4%	−11.6 pts	Elected
2	Ben Swann	Conservative Party	1,095	26.0%	—
3	Tamara Groen	Green Party	520	12.4%	—
4	Paul Antony Oakley-Cleife	Liberal Democrats	500	11.9%	—
5	Andy Butterworth	Labour Party	478	11.4%	—

Electorate 9,667 · Ballots cast 4,219 · Invalid 10 · EC ward code local.portsmouth.copnor.2026-05-07 · Back to ward index

Fratton · single-seat

Marginal winner 39.3% Proportional quota 50.0% Below quota −10.7 pts Valid ballots 3,862

Rank	Candidate	Party	Votes	Share	Below quota	Elected
1	Billy Ansell	Liberal Democrats	1,518	39.3%	−10.7 pts	Elected
2	Jacob Lee Short	Reform UK	1,162	30.1%	—
3	Tim Sheerman-Chase	Green Party	542	14.0%	—
4	Tom Coles	Labour Party	454	11.8%	—
5	Tim Edwards	Conservative Party	186	4.8%	—

Electorate 10,681 · Ballots cast 3,870 · Invalid 8 · EC ward code local.portsmouth.fratton.2026-05-07 · Back to ward index

Baffins · single-seat

Marginal winner 39.8% Proportional quota 50.0% Below quota −10.2 pts Valid ballots 5,270

Rank	Candidate	Party	Votes	Share	Below quota	Elected
1	Abdul Kadir	Liberal Democrats	2,100	39.8%	−10.2 pts	Elected
2	Dave Giovanni Leme da Silva	Conservative Party	2,015	38.2%	—
3	David Anthony Simpson	Green Party	486	9.2%	—
4	Jemma Louise Artemis	Labour Party	342	6.5%	—
5	Darren John Searley	Reform UK	327	6.2%	—

Electorate 11,124 · Ballots cast 5,280 · Invalid 10 · EC ward code local.portsmouth.baffins.2026-05-07 · Back to ward index

Eastney and Craneswater · single-seat

Marginal winner 40.6% Proportional quota 50.0% Below quota −9.4 pts Valid ballots 4,682

Rank	Candidate	Party	Votes	Share	Below quota	Elected
1	Matthew Ray Winnington	Liberal Democrats	1,900	40.6%	−9.4 pts	Elected
2	John Malcolm Hill	Reform UK	1,117	23.9%	—
3	Lizzie Rose	Green Party	619	13.2%	—
4	Alison Jane Hoare	Conservative Party	551	11.8%	—
5	Patrick Charles Keefe	Labour Party	472	10.1%	—
6	Cliff Parsons	Heritage Party	23	0.5%	—

Electorate 9,643 · Ballots cast 4,690 · Invalid 8 · EC ward code local.portsmouth.eastney-and-craneswater.2026-05-07 · Back to ward index

Nelson · single-seat

Marginal winner 41.1% Proportional quota 50.0% Below quota −8.9 pts Valid ballots 3,645

Rank	Candidate	Party	Votes	Share	Below quota	Elected
1	Steve Andrews	Liberal Democrats	1,499	41.1%	−8.9 pts	Elected
2	Jason Fazackarley	Reform UK	1,350	37.0%	—
3	Stan Marlow	Green Party	347	9.5%	—
4	Robin Head	Labour Party	281	7.7%	—
5	Lewis Mark David Gosling	Conservative Party	168	4.6%	—

Electorate 10,207 · Ballots cast 3,648 · Invalid 3 · EC ward code local.portsmouth.nelson.2026-05-07 · Back to ward index

St Jude · single-seat

Marginal winner 41.6% Proportional quota 50.0% Below quota −8.4 pts Valid ballots 3,973

Rank	Candidate	Party	Votes	Share	Below quota	Elected
1	Denise Perry	Liberal Democrats	1,654	41.6%	−8.4 pts	Elected
2	Judith Deborah Smyth	Labour Party	795	20.0%	—
3	Mitchell Newman	Reform UK	670	16.9%	—
4	Alvie Syed Ihsan Mahmud	Green Party	636	16.0%	—
5	Orsolya Pokoly	Conservative Party	218	5.5%	—

Electorate 9,253 · Ballots cast 3,982 · Invalid 9 · EC ward code local.portsmouth.st-jude.2026-05-07 · Back to ward index

Cosham · single-seat

Marginal winner 42.5% Proportional quota 50.0% Below quota −7.5 pts Valid ballots 4,427

Rank	Candidate	Party	Votes	Share	Below quota	Elected
1	Lamara Louise Fudge	Reform UK	1,881	42.5%	−7.5 pts	Elected
2	Asghar Shah	Labour Party	1,747	39.5%	—
3	Alex De Oliveira Martins	Green Party	425	9.6%	—
4	Timothy Charles Suffolk	Liberal Democrats	374	8.4%	—

Electorate 10,096 · Ballots cast 4,447 · Invalid 20 · EC ward code local.portsmouth.cosham.2026-05-07 · Back to ward index

Central Southsea · single-seat

Marginal winner 42.6% Proportional quota 50.0% Below quota −7.4 pts Valid ballots 4,686

Rank	Candidate	Party	Votes	Share	Below quota	Elected
1	Kate Dorrington	Liberal Democrats	1,996	42.6%	−7.4 pts	Elected
2	Lucy Bridgewater	Green Party	978	20.9%	—
3	George David Fielding	Labour Party	856	18.3%	—
4	Addy Asaduzzaman	Reform UK	661	14.1%	—
5	Mackenzie Cumming	Conservative Party	195	4.2%	—

Electorate 12,078 · Ballots cast 4,695 · Invalid 9 · EC ward code local.portsmouth.central-southsea.2026-05-07 · Back to ward index

St Thomas · single-seat

Marginal winner 43.3% Proportional quota 50.0% Below quota −6.7 pts Valid ballots 3,805

Rank	Candidate	Party	Votes	Share	Below quota	Elected
1	Mark Jeffery	Liberal Democrats	1,646	43.3%	−6.7 pts	Elected
2	Oskar Lucjan Zabicki	Reform UK	784	20.6%	—
3	Jay Mercer	Green Party	666	17.5%	—
4	Tom Austin	Labour Party	379	10.0%	—
5	Terry Henderson	Conservative Party	330	8.7%	—

Electorate 11,428 · Ballots cast 3,814 · Invalid 9 · EC ward code local.portsmouth.st-thomas.2026-05-07 · Back to ward index

Milton · single-seat

Marginal winner 45.7% Proportional quota 50.0% Below quota −4.3 pts Valid ballots 4,889

Rank	Candidate	Party	Votes	Share	Below quota	Elected
1	Steve Pitt	Liberal Democrats	2,233	45.7%	−4.3 pts	Elected
2	Phil Carpenter	Reform UK	1,273	26.0%	—
3	Paula Ann Savage	Green Party	779	15.9%	—
4	David Richard Trace	Labour Party	367	7.5%	—
5	Melinda Koller	Conservative Party	203	4.2%	—
6	Perry Barter	Independent	34	0.7%	—

Electorate 10,704 · Ballots cast 4,898 · Invalid 9 · EC ward code local.portsmouth.milton.2026-05-07 · Back to ward index

Hilsea · single-seat

Marginal winner 49.2% Proportional quota 50.0% Below quota −0.8 pts Valid ballots 4,199

Rank	Candidate	Party	Votes	Share	Below quota	Elected
1	Russell Peter William Simpson	Reform UK	2,067	49.2%	−0.8 pts	Elected
2	Emma Louise Kimberley Murphy	Green Party	574	13.7%	—
3	Edward Batterbury	Labour Party	562	13.4%	—
4	Kristine Teivane	Liberal Democrats	526	12.5%	—
5	Matthew Jeremy Atkins	Conservative Party	470	11.2%	—

Electorate 10,079 · Ballots cast 4,210 · Invalid 11 · EC ward code local.portsmouth.hilsea.2026-05-07 · Back to ward index

Paulsgrove · single-seat

Marginal winner 57.5% Proportional quota 50.0% Below quota +7.5 pts Valid ballots 3,411

Rank	Candidate	Party	Votes	Share	Below quota	Elected
1	Joe Standen	Reform UK	1,963	57.5%	+7.5 pts	Elected
2	Thomas Christopher Hoare	Conservative Party	467	13.7%	—
3	Mark Andrew Farwell	Labour Party	347	10.2%	—
4	Michelle Jenny Simmons	Liberal Democrats	319	9.4%	—
5	Ian David McCulloch	Green Party	315	9.2%	—

Electorate 9,926 · Ballots cast 3,420 · Invalid 9 · EC ward code local.portsmouth.paulsgrove.2026-05-07 · Back to ward index