← Rochford (all cycles) · 7 May 2026 cohort

Rochford 2026

Local elections held 7 May 2026.

13 ward races

15 seats

14 elected below the proportional quota

93.3% 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 13 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	14,741	40.8%	13	86.7%	8	53.3%	+5
Conservative Party	8,625	23.9%	0	0.0%	4	26.7%	-4
Liberal Democrats	5,203	14.4%	1	6.7%	2	13.3%	-1
Green Party	3,672	10.2%	0	0.0%	1	6.7%	-1
Independent	1,648	4.6%	1	6.7%	0	0.0%	+1
Labour Party	1,406	3.9%	0	0.0%	0	0.0%	0
Rochford District Residents	799	2.2%	0	0.0%	0	0.0%	0
Heritage Party	37	0.1%	0	0.0%	0	0.0%	0
Total	36,131	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.

Downhall and Rawreth · 2 seats · won at 16.3% · −17.0 pts below quota
Hockley and Ashingdon · 1 seat · won at 34.8% · −15.2 pts below quota
Wheatley · 1 seat · won at 36.3% · −13.7 pts below quota
Trinity · 1 seat · won at 36.3% · −13.7 pts below quota
Hockley · 1 seat · won at 37.5% · −12.5 pts below quota
Hawkwell East · 2 seats · won at 21.1% · −12.3 pts below quota
Sweyne Park and Grange · 1 seat · won at 39.7% · −10.3 pts below quota
Roche South · 1 seat · won at 40.3% · −9.7 pts below quota
Hawkwell West · 1 seat · won at 43.6% · −6.4 pts below quota
Foulness and the Wakerings · 1 seat · won at 43.7% · −6.3 pts below quota
Lodge · 1 seat · won at 44.1% · −5.9 pts below quota
Roche North and Rural · 1 seat · won at 48.6% · −1.4 pts below quota
Hullbridge · 1 seat · won at 54.2% · above quota

Race results

Downhall and Rawreth · 2-seat (bloc vote)

Marginal winner 16.3% Proportional quota 33.3% Below quota −17.0 pts Valid ballots 4,572

Rank	Candidate	Party	Votes	Share	Below quota	Elected
1	Rob Ince	Reform UK	976	21.3%	−12.0 pts	Elected
2	Chris Stanley	Liberal Democrats	746	16.3%	−17.0 pts	Elected
3	Christopher John Thorne	Reform UK	729	15.9%	—
4	Stuart Belton	Conservative Party	613	13.4%	—
5	Reece Nelson	Liberal Democrats	611	13.4%	—
6	Ian Gordon Lucas	Conservative Party	418	9.1%	—
7	Liam Lonergan	Green Party	193	4.2%	—
8	Rowland Swain	Green Party	154	3.4%	—
9	David Dennis Bodimeade	Labour Party	132	2.9%	—

Electorate 0 · Ballots cast 4,577 · Invalid 5 · EC ward code local.rochford.downhall-rawreth.2026-05-07 · Back to ward index

Hockley and Ashingdon · single-seat

Marginal winner 34.8% Proportional quota 50.0% Below quota −15.2 pts Valid ballots 2,735

Rank	Candidate	Party	Votes	Share	Below quota	Elected
1	Carl Christian Turner	Reform UK	952	34.8%	−15.2 pts	Elected
2	Danielle Louise Belton	Conservative Party	926	33.9%	—
3	Richard Pryor	Liberal Democrats	626	22.9%	—
4	John Barry Waldron	Green Party	144	5.3%	—
5	Patricia Norrington	Labour Party	87	3.2%	—

Electorate 0 · Ballots cast 2,740 · Invalid 5 · EC ward code local.rochford.hockley-ashingdon.2026-05-07 · Back to ward index

Wheatley · single-seat

Marginal winner 36.3% Proportional quota 50.0% Below quota −13.7 pts Valid ballots 2,579

Rank	Candidate	Party	Votes	Share	Below quota	Elected
1	Adi Malviya	Reform UK	935	36.3%	−13.7 pts	Elected
2	Andy Cross	Liberal Democrats	741	28.7%	—
3	Max Oliver Ellul	Conservative Party	691	26.8%	—
4	Roy Williams	Green Party	153	5.9%	—
5	Victoria Mary Williams	Labour Party	59	2.3%	—

Electorate 0 · Ballots cast 2,586 · Invalid 7 · EC ward code local.rochford.wheatley.2026-05-07 · Back to ward index

Trinity · single-seat

Marginal winner 36.3% Proportional quota 50.0% Below quota −13.7 pts Valid ballots 2,790

Rank	Candidate	Party	Votes	Share	Below quota	Elected
1	Sanjoy Kumar Ghosh	Reform UK	1,013	36.3%	−13.7 pts	Elected
2	David John Sperring	Conservative Party	868	31.1%	—
3	Sam Reed	Liberal Democrats	605	21.7%	—
4	Charles Joynson	Green Party	175	6.3%	—
5	Stephen James Cooper	Labour Party	129	4.6%	—

Electorate 0 · Ballots cast 2,804 · Invalid 14 · EC ward code local.rochford.trinity.2026-05-07 · Back to ward index

Hockley · single-seat

Marginal winner 37.5% Proportional quota 50.0% Below quota −12.5 pts Valid ballots 2,403

Rank	Candidate	Party	Votes	Share	Below quota	Elected
1	Gary John Wheeler	Reform UK	901	37.5%	−12.5 pts	Elected
2	Toni Carter	Conservative Party	638	26.6%	—
3	Sue Taylor	Independent	269	11.2%	—
4	Nicola O'Riordan-Finley	Liberal Democrats	240	10.0%	—
5	Katie De-Veuve	Green Party	230	9.6%	—
6	Ian James Rooke	Labour Party	125	5.2%	—

Electorate 0 · Ballots cast 2,417 · Invalid 14 · EC ward code local.rochford.hockley.2026-05-07 · Back to ward index

Hawkwell East · 2-seat (bloc vote)

Marginal winner 21.1% Proportional quota 33.3% Below quota −12.3 pts Valid ballots 4,224

Rank	Candidate	Party	Votes	Share	Below quota	Elected
1	Katherine Elizabeth Reid	Reform UK	947	22.4%	−10.9 pts	Elected
2	Robert Reid	Reform UK	890	21.1%	−12.3 pts	Elected
3	Deborah Patricia Squires-Coleman	Rochford District Residents	450	10.7%	—
4	Eileen Gadsdon	Conservative Party	393	9.3%	—
5	Jim Hall	Conservative Party	369	8.7%	—
6	Aj Silver	Green Party	350	8.3%	—
7	Denise Maureen Crosbie	Independent	271	6.4%	—
8	Sam Martyn	Green Party	246	5.8%	—
9	Roger Gardner	Liberal Democrats	158	3.7%	—
10	Eleanor May Harrin	Labour Party	113	2.7%	—
11	Bella-Elena Armstrong	Heritage Party	37	0.9%	—

Electorate 0 · Ballots cast 4,229 · Invalid 5 · EC ward code local.rochford.hawkwell-east.2026-05-07 · Back to ward index

Sweyne Park and Grange · single-seat

Marginal winner 39.7% Proportional quota 50.0% Below quota −10.3 pts Valid ballots 2,294

Rank	Candidate	Party	Votes	Share	Below quota	Elected
1	Stuart John Prior	Reform UK	911	39.7%	−10.3 pts	Elected
2	Scott James Peters	Conservative Party	387	16.9%	—
3	Dawn Balding	Liberal Democrats	379	16.5%	—
4	Vilma Anita Wilson	Rochford District Residents	349	15.2%	—
5	Stephen Shrubsole	Green Party	186	8.1%	—
6	Lorraine Ridley	Labour Party	82	3.6%	—

Electorate 0 · Ballots cast 2,305 · Invalid 11 · EC ward code local.rochford.sweyne-park-grange.2026-05-07 · Back to ward index

Roche South · single-seat

Marginal winner 40.3% Proportional quota 50.0% Below quota −9.7 pts Valid ballots 2,019

Rank	Candidate	Party	Votes	Share	Below quota	Elected
1	Tino Callaghan	Reform UK	813	40.3%	−9.7 pts	Elected
2	Mike Steptoe	Conservative Party	645	31.9%	—
3	Richard Beasley	Green Party	237	11.7%	—
4	Shona Hyde-Williams	Labour Party	232	11.5%	—
5	Derek Henry Brown	Liberal Democrats	92	4.6%	—

Electorate 0 · Ballots cast 2,026 · Invalid 7 · EC ward code local.rochford.roche-south.2026-05-07 · Back to ward index

Hawkwell West · single-seat

Marginal winner 43.6% Proportional quota 50.0% Below quota −6.4 pts Valid ballots 2,393

Rank	Candidate	Party	Votes	Share	Below quota	Elected
1	Stephen William James Mace	Reform UK	1,043	43.6%	−6.4 pts	Elected
2	Tony Warwick	Conservative Party	607	25.4%	—
3	Keith Buchanan	Liberal Democrats	380	15.9%	—
4	Shona Flack	Green Party	253	10.6%	—
5	Teddy Andrew George Ryan	Labour Party	110	4.6%	—

Electorate 0 · Ballots cast 2,399 · Invalid 6 · EC ward code local.rochford.hawkwell-west.2026-05-07 · Back to ward index

Foulness and the Wakerings · single-seat

Marginal winner 43.7% Proportional quota 50.0% Below quota −6.3 pts Valid ballots 2,534

Rank	Candidate	Party	Votes	Share	Below quota	Elected
1	Jo McPherson	Independent	1,108	43.7%	−6.3 pts	Elected
2	James Philip Cottis	Reform UK	892	35.2%	—
3	Rosalind Efde	Conservative Party	315	12.4%	—
4	Philip Terence Hannan	Green Party	170	6.7%	—
5	Stephen Tellis	Liberal Democrats	49	1.9%	—

Electorate 0 · Ballots cast 2,542 · Invalid 8 · EC ward code local.rochford.foulness-the-wakerings.2026-05-07 · Back to ward index

Lodge · single-seat

Marginal winner 44.1% Proportional quota 50.0% Below quota −5.9 pts Valid ballots 2,499

Rank	Candidate	Party	Votes	Share	Below quota	Elected
1	Angela Sutton	Reform UK	1,103	44.1%	−5.9 pts	Elected
2	Jack Leslie Lawmon	Conservative Party	706	28.3%	—
3	Ian Robert Jordan	Liberal Democrats	457	18.3%	—
4	Andrew Argyle	Green Party	233	9.3%	—

Electorate 0 · Ballots cast 2,516 · Invalid 17 · EC ward code local.rochford.lodge.2026-05-07 · Back to ward index

Roche North and Rural · single-seat

Marginal winner 48.6% Proportional quota 50.0% Below quota −1.4 pts Valid ballots 2,193

Rank	Candidate	Party	Votes	Share	Below quota	Elected
1	Neil John Hookway	Reform UK	1,065	48.6%	−1.4 pts	Elected
2	Laureen Shaw	Conservative Party	516	23.5%	—
3	Mark Louis Elmes	Green Party	296	13.5%	—
4	James Richard Hedges	Labour Party	197	9.0%	—
5	Deborah Katherine Taylor	Liberal Democrats	119	5.4%	—

Electorate 0 · Ballots cast 2,204 · Invalid 11 · EC ward code local.rochford.roche-north-rural.2026-05-07 · Back to ward index

Hullbridge · single-seat

Marginal winner 54.2% Proportional quota 50.0% Below quota +4.2 pts Valid ballots 2,896

Rank	Candidate	Party	Votes	Share	Below quota	Elected
1	Tina Hughes	Reform UK	1,571	54.2%	+4.2 pts	Elected
2	Chris Taylor	Green Party	652	22.5%	—
3	Chinu Kishore	Conservative Party	533	18.4%	—
4	David James Michael Lench	Labour Party	140	4.8%	—

Electorate 0 · Ballots cast 2,915 · Invalid 19 · EC ward code local.rochford.hullbridge.2026-05-07 · Back to ward index