2026 Exeter City Council election

2026 Exeter City Council election

The 2026 Exeter City Council election will take place on 7 May 2026 to elect members of Exeter City Council in Devon, England. This is on the same day as other local elections.

Under current plans, the elections will be the last ever to the city council, as it is planned to be abolished in 2028 and replaced with a unitary authority. Elections will be held in 2027 to its replacement authority.

The elections were initially cancelled alongside others to 29 other authorities similarly planned to be replaced, however in February 2026 it was announced that the elections would go ahead as normal following filings by Reform UK for judicial review of the cancellation.

Summary

Council composition

After 2024 election	Before 2026 election
Party	Seats	Party	Seats
	Labour	24		Labour	22
	Green	7		Green	7
	Liberal Democrats	3		Liberal Democrats	4
	Conservative	3		Conservative	2
	Reform	0		Reform	2
	Independent	1		Independent	2

• January 2025: Zoë Hughes (Labour) leaves party to sit as an independent • April 2025: Naima Allcock (Labour) and Joshua Ellis-Jones (Labour) resign – by-elections held May 2025 • May 2025: James Cookson (Labour) wins by-election; Tony Payne (Reform) gains by-election from Labour • December 2025: Alison Sheridan (Conservative) joins Reform

Election result

2026 Exeter City Council election
Party	This election	Full council	This election
Seats	Net	Seats %	Other	Total	Total %	Votes	Votes %	+/−
	Labour				14
	Green				5
	Liberal Democrats				3
	Conservative				1
	Independent				2
	Reform				1

Incumbents

2026 Exeter City Council election

<table><thead><tr><th>Ward</th><th>Incumbent councillor</th><th>Party</th><th>Re-standing</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>Alphington</td><td>Bob Foale</td><td></td><td>Labour</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Duryard & St James</td><td>Kevin Mitchell</td><td></td><td>Liberal Democrats</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Exwick</td><td>Paul Knott</td><td></td><td>Labour</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Heavitree</td><td>Catherine Rees</td><td></td><td>Green</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Mincinglake & Whipton</td><td>Tony Payne</td><td></td><td>Reform</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Newton & St Leonard's</td><td>Matthew Vizard</td><td></td><td>Labour</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Pennsylvania</td><td>Josie Parkhouse</td><td></td><td>Labour Co-op</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Pinhoe</td><td>Duncan Wood</td><td></td><td>Labour Co-op</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Priory</td><td>Marina Asvachin</td><td></td><td>Labour</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>St David's</td><td>Tess Read</td><td></td><td>Green</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>St Loyes</td><td>Peter Holland</td><td></td><td>Conservative</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>St Thomas</td><td>Laura Wright</td><td></td><td>Labour</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Topsham</td><td>James Cookson</td><td></td><td>Labour</td><td></td></tr></tbody></table>