Labour holds on in Lincoln as Reform UK makes big gains
By Hugo Pembroke · 8 May 2026
Lincoln's council chamber will look different after Thursday's elections, with new faces from Reform UK, the Greens, and the Liberal Democrats joining the table. For residents, that means a tighter grip on power for Labour and louder voices in opposition.
Labour has retained overall control of City of Lincoln Council, but only just, after losing three seats in the local elections held on 1 May 2026.
Eleven of the council's 33 seats were up for election, one in each ward. Labour went in holding 20 seats and came out with 17, exactly the number needed for a majority. The final result came down to the Boultham ward, where Labour's Andrew Currie won to seal the party's 15th consecutive year in charge.
Council leader Naomi Tweddle said she was "delighted" with the outcome. "We've been delivering. I think that shows through the vote and the support of people in Lincoln," she said.
Reform UK was the night's biggest winner, taking four seats and building a presence on the council from nothing. Lincolnshire county councillor Liam Kelly, who represents the party, said: "Look where we started from. We had no seats at district level, we've now got four." Kelly pledged to hold Labour to account, saying Reform would bring the same scrutiny to the city council that it has applied at county level.
The Green Party celebrated winning its first ever seat on the council. Party chair Sally Horscroft put the breakthrough down to a younger membership. "The students I've met in the past few weeks have all told me they would be voting for me," she said. The result was described by party officials as "amazing" and "overwhelming."
The Liberal Democrats held their existing seat and gained one more from Labour, taking their total to seven seats across the council.
The Conservatives had a night to forget, losing all three seats they contested. The party is now down to just two seats, its lowest point in years.
Labour also saw warning signs in some of its traditional strongholds. In the Glebe and Park wards, the party fell to third and fourth place as the Greens and Lib Dems mounted strong challenges.
Tweddle acknowledged the work is not done. "The work doesn't stop here," she said.
2026 Lincoln City Council election results
- Labour 17 seats (down 3)
- Liberal Democrats 7 seats (up 1)
- Reform UK 4 seats (up 4)
- Conservative 2 seats (down 3)
- Independents 2 seats (no change)
- Green 1 seat (up 1)
11 of 33 seats were contested. A majority requires 17 seats.