The Exeter local elections 2026 proved to be one of the most closely watched council contests in the city in recent years. Voters went to the polls on Thursday, 7 May, to elect 14 councillors across Exeter City Council, and the result significantly changed the political balance of the authority. Labour remained the largest party, but it lost its overall control of the council after several important seats changed hands.
The election was particularly notable because it brought strong gains for the Green Party, while Reform UK also increased its representation. The Liberal Democrats picked up a seat, and the Conservatives lost the only seat they were defending. The final council make-up became Labour 18, Greens 10, Liberal Democrats 5, Reform UK 3, Independents 2 and Conservatives 1.
Beyond the party numbers, the election offered a useful snapshot of how Exeter’s political landscape is changing. The Greens recorded the largest overall vote share, while Reform UK made substantial progress compared with previous contests. With Exeter also facing major local-government reorganisation, the 2026 election carries importance beyond the normal four-year council cycle.
What Happened in the Exeter Local Elections 2026?
A total of 14 seats were contested across 13 Exeter wards in the 2026 election. In most wards, voters faced candidates from Labour, the Conservatives, the Greens, the Liberal Democrats and Reform UK. Heavitree was unusual because two seats were being contested, with voters able to cast two votes. A total of 72 candidates stood across the election.
Labour entered the election as the largest party and had controlled Exeter City Council for many years. However, the party was defending a number of seats in areas where its position had become more competitive. The final result saw Labour retain four of the seats it contested but lose four others, including several to the Greens and one to Reform UK. As a result, Labour finished with 18 councillors rather than the majority it had previously enjoyed.
The overall turnout was 44.66%, with 44,857 votes cast from an electorate of 91,314. That represented a substantial number of residents taking part in a local election, although participation varied considerably between wards. St David’s recorded turnout of just over 30%, while Heavitree had turnout above 53%, showing how local interest can differ significantly from one part of Exeter to another.
The Green Party’s Major Gains in Exeter
One of the biggest stories of the Exeter local elections 2026 was the performance of the Green Party. The Greens won six of the 14 contested seats and increased their overall representation on the city council to 10 councillors. They defended their existing positions while also gaining three seats from Labour, making them a much more significant force in Exeter politics.
The Greens were particularly strong in wards such as Newtown & St Leonard’s, Pennsylvania and St Thomas. In Newtown & St Leonard’s, Bernadette Chelvanayagam won with 1,430 votes, while Gill Baker topped the poll in Pennsylvania with 1,325 votes. Jack Reed also secured a clear victory in St Thomas with 1,354 votes. These results demonstrated that Green support was not limited to one particular part of the city.
St David’s was another standout result. Green candidate Brian Rappert received 1,618 votes, securing a particularly large winning margin. The party’s overall vote total was 14,667, equivalent to 32.70% of the recorded votes. That was higher than Labour’s 22.11% and Reform UK’s 22.32%, making the Greens the party with the largest overall vote share in the contest.
Labour Loses Overall Control
For Labour, the Exeter local elections 2026 were a significant setback. Although the party remained the largest group on the council with 18 seats, it no longer had an overall majority. Four Labour-held seats changed hands, including three losses to the Greens and one to Reform UK.
The party’s overall vote share also fell sharply compared with the previous city council election. Exeter Observer’s analysis recorded Labour on 22.11% of the vote, with its adjusted share showing a decline of almost 15 percentage points compared with 2024. That does not mean Labour disappeared as a major force in Exeter, but it does show how much more competitive the council has become.
Labour’s position is also complicated by the fact that the council is entering a period of transition. The existing Exeter City Council is expected to be replaced as part of wider local-government reorganisation in Devon. This means councillors elected in 2026 are operating in an unusual political environment, where decisions made during their term can influence the direction of the city during the transition to a new unitary structure.
Reform UK Makes a Stronger Mark
Reform UK was another important feature of the 2026 Exeter election. The party won two of the 14 seats contested, including a gain in Priory and a hold in Mincinglake & Whipton. Its total representation on the council rose to three seats.
The party also recorded 10,014 votes, giving it 22.32% of the overall vote. That put Reform almost level with Labour in terms of total support across the contested seats. Its growth was especially visible in individual wards, where several Reform candidates finished strongly even when they did not win.
Priory was one of the clearest examples of the changing political picture. Reform UK’s Nicholas Williams won with 827 votes, narrowly ahead of Labour’s Marina Asvachin on 815. In Mincinglake & Whipton, Tony Payne retained the seat for Reform with 952 votes. These close contests suggest that Reform could remain a factor in future Exeter elections, particularly if its support continues to develop at ward level.
Liberal Democrats and Conservatives in 2026
The Liberal Democrats had a quieter but still meaningful election. They gained one seat overall, finishing with five councillors on Exeter City Council. Their most notable success came in St Loyes, where Paul Richards won with 817 votes in a closely fought contest.
The Liberal Democrats also held Duryard & St James, where Kevin Mitchell secured 983 votes, or 40.30% of the vote. That result showed that the party retained strong support in parts of Exeter despite facing competition from the Greens, Labour and Reform UK. Overall, the Liberal Democrats received 5,245 votes, representing 11.69% of the votes cast.
For the Conservatives, however, the election was considerably more difficult. The party lost the only seat it was defending, leaving it with just one councillor on the 39-seat council. Conservatives still attracted 4,910 votes across the contested wards, but their 10.95% overall share did not translate into any of the 14 seats available in the election.
The Wards That Mattered Most
Looking at individual wards helps explain why the overall Exeter result changed so dramatically. Pennsylvania, Newtown & St Leonard’s and St Thomas all moved towards the Greens, while Priory moved to Reform UK. These changes were enough to remove Labour’s overall majority even though Labour continued to win in several areas.
Heavitree was particularly unusual because two councillors were elected there. Green candidates Stella Smith and Helen Terry both won comfortably, receiving 1,889 and 1,868 votes respectively. The ward recorded turnout of 53.72%, one of the highest figures in the city, making it an especially important result for understanding the strength of Green support among engaged local voters.
At the same time, Labour continued to hold wards such as Alphington, Exwick, Pinhoe and Topsham. That is important because the 2026 election was not a complete collapse of Labour support. Instead, it produced a more fragmented council in which several parties now have meaningful representation and where individual ward-level dynamics matter more than ever.
What the 2026 Result Means for Exeter
The immediate consequence of the Exeter local elections 2026 is that Labour can no longer govern the city with an overall majority. The council has 39 seats, meaning 20 are required for a majority, while Labour finished with 18. The Greens have 10, the Liberal Democrats five, Reform UK three, Independents two and the Conservatives one.
This creates a more complicated political environment. Although the combined numbers of parties opposing Labour exceed Labour’s total, those parties do not necessarily form a single unified bloc. Previous cooperation between progressive groups has also faced disagreements, meaning that simply adding the numbers together does not automatically produce a stable alternative administration.
For residents, the practical question is what this new balance means for council decisions. Issues such as housing, planning, transport, environmental policy, local services and council finances will require councillors to negotiate more carefully. The election therefore changes not only who sits in the chamber but also how political decisions may need to be made.
Exeter’s Local Government Reorganisation Adds Another Layer
The 2026 election took place against the backdrop of major changes planned for local government in Devon. Exeter City Council is expected to be dissolved as part of the move towards a new unitary authority structure. The elected councillors therefore have a shorter and more unusual political horizon than councillors in a normal council term.
This reorganisation makes the balance of political power especially relevant. Councillors will be involved in decisions affecting Exeter while the city prepares for a new administrative arrangement. Questions about representation, local identity, service delivery and how Exeter’s interests will be protected within a wider authority are likely to remain important topics.
The situation also means that the 2026 results should not be viewed purely as a prediction of what Exeter’s politics will look like in the long term. The next phase of local-government reform could change the political map, the boundaries and the way residents are represented. Nevertheless, the election provides a clear indication of the issues and parties currently attracting support among Exeter voters.
What to Watch After the Exeter Local Elections 2026
The first thing to watch is how Labour responds to losing its majority. Remaining the largest party gives Labour an important position, but it must now operate in a council where other parties have considerably more leverage. The ability to build working relationships on individual policies could become just as important as traditional party politics.
The second major question is whether the Green Party can maintain the momentum it achieved in 2026. Winning six seats in one election and reaching 10 councillors represents a substantial expansion. If the party can turn that support into a durable local organisation, its influence could remain significant even as Exeter moves towards a new local-government structure.
Reform UK’s performance will also deserve attention. With three councillors and more than 22% of the overall vote in the contested election, the party has established a stronger presence than it had at the previous city-wide contest. Whether that support translates into further gains will depend on candidate strength, local campaigning and how voters respond to the wider political landscape.
Final Thoughts on Exeter Local Elections 2026
The Exeter local elections 2026 were much more than a routine set of council elections. They ended Labour’s overall control, produced major Green gains, strengthened Reform UK, gave the Liberal Democrats another seat and left the Conservatives with only one councillor. Labour remains the largest group, but the political balance of Exeter has clearly changed.
The numbers tell an especially interesting story. The Greens secured the largest share of votes and won six seats, Labour won four, the Liberal Democrats two and Reform UK two. With 14 seats contested, relatively small changes in several wards were enough to produce a major change in the overall council.
For Exeter residents, the real significance of the result will become clearer over the months ahead. A council without an overall majority will need to manage competing political priorities while also dealing with the uncertainty surrounding local-government reorganisation. The 2026 election has therefore created a more fragmented and competitive political landscape in Exeter, making the city’s council politics considerably more interesting to watch.
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