Fact checkPoliticsPublished May 10, 2026
Media reports: “Labour lost nearly 1,500 councillors in the English local elections as Reform gained and the Greens rose in London and other cities.”. Our verdict: True.

The claim

“Labour lost nearly 1,500 councillors in the English local elections as Reform gained and the Greens rose in London and other cities.”

Media reportsNews reportMay 9, 2026Read the original

Coverage of the 7 May 2026 English local elections.

Our verdict

True

Labour lost 1,496 councillors and 38 councils; Reform won 1,454 seats and the Greens made gains in London.

What we found

Final tallies put Labour's losses at 1,496, so 'nearly 1,500' is right. Our first version used early, incomplete counts.

The evidence

2 of 2 sources support the claim; none contradict it.

Contradict 0Support 2Background 0
  • Supports the claim

    Labour lost 1,496 councillors and 38 councils. [1]

  • Supports the claim

    Lambeth Greens became the largest party. [2]

How we checked

We checked the claim against HOPE not hate, Lambeth Council. We reviewed 2 relevant sources.

Sources

  1. [1]HOPE not hate · Alarm and optimism: the far right at the 2026 elections
  2. [2]Lambeth Council · Lambeth Council local election results announced

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