Local elections 2026

The May 2026 local elections are taking place at a pivotal moment for communities across England. With the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill set to provide greater powers to local authorities, councils will have more control over how public money is spent in their local areas. For the social housing sector, this makes local elections an important opportunity to engage with candidates who are likely to directly affect local housing policy. The outcome of these elections could also significantly impact politics at a national level.

To support you with your political engagement, we've put together some guides on key messaging, top tips for engagement and local statistics. 

In line with our political and influencing strategy and to best position the sector, we are preparing for a range of potential outcomes at the forthcoming local elections in May, including building more relationships with emerging parties such as the Green Party and Reform UK.

These guides should be used alongside our recent toolkit on Devolution and our guide to engaging with Reform UK.