Essex - 2026 Local Election Projections
Reform UK is projected to win 57 of 78 seats on Essex County Council, taking control from the Conservatives.
| Party | Projected | Current | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conservative | 5 (5-17) | 49 | -44 |
| Labour | 7 (4-8) | 6 | +1 |
| Liberal Democrats | 5 (4-9) | 7 | -2 |
| Green | 1 (0-2) | 1 | 0 |
| Reform UK | 57 (37-57) | 1 | +56 |
| Others | 3 (3-8) | 14 | -11 |
Key changes: +56 Ref, -44 Con, -11 Others
Election type: All 78 seats up for election
Control: Conservative to Reform UK
Probability of control change: 100%
Last election (2021)
Conservative 52, Labour 5, Liberal Democrats 8, Green 1, Others 9
Conservative 48.7% Labour 17.1% Liberal Democrats 13.7% Green 5.6% Reform UK 0.7% Others 14.2%
Key battleground wards
- Thaxted - Others leads Reform UK by 0.6pp
- Harlow Netteswell - Reform UK leads Conservative by 0.8pp
- Harwich - Labour leads Reform UK by 0.9pp
- Chigwell Buckhurst Hill East - Conservative leads Reform UK by 1.1pp
- Halstead - Reform UK leads Others by 1.4pp