Politics May 7, 2026

Here’s when you can expect results from the May 7 elections, hour by hour

LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM - MAY 05: A polling station sign is displayed on a street sign ahead of the upcoming local elections, on May 05, 2026 in London, United Kingdom. (Photo by Leon Neal/Getty Images) — Polling places will be open from 7am to 10pm tomorrow (Picture: Leon Neal/Getty Images)

Here’s when you can expect results will start arriving.

Friday May 8

Most of the English councils announcing results overnight on Friday will only be electing a third or half of their councillors, which can make dramatic shifts in power less likely.

1:00am:Results fromBroxbourneandHalton, where a third of each council is being decided.

That arrangement means no party other than the Conservatives can win control ofBroxbournedue to the current make-up, though it could slip to no overall control if they drop enough seats.

InHalton, Labour has enough of a majority to ensure they’ll stay in charge regardless of how the vote goes.

1:30am: Harlow, which also elects in thirds, will reveal results. It’s possible that the Conservatives could lose control, however with Reform’s prescence in Essex an outcome of no overall control is likely.

1:45am: Redditchalso elects in thirds. Labour only needs to retain one seat to stay in control.

2:00am:Chorley, Hart, Hartlepool, Hull, Lincoln, North East Lincolnshire and Rochford’sresults will be in. All seven elect in thirds.

BothNorth East LincolnshireandHullcurrently have Reform mayors after big victories in last year’s elections, and the party’s popularity could result in these councils ending up with no overall control.

2:30am:TamworthandWigan‘s results will come in, which both elect in thirds and cannot be lost by Labour.

3:00am: Basildon, Bolton, Brentwood, Exeter, Oxford, Peterborough, Portsmouth, Reading, Salford, Southend-on-Sea, Tameside, all of which elect in thirds, will reveal results.

The Lib Dems who currently runBrentwoodin coalition with Labour could take control, however all others are likely not to change, or to result in no majority.

MANCHESTER, ENGLAND - FEBRUARY 26: (L-R) Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham and the Labour candidate for Gorton and Denton by-election Angeliki Stogia visit the polling station at the United Church of God Assembly on February 26, 2026 in Manchester, England. The Greater Manchester constituency of Gorton and Denton is holding a by-election, triggered by the resignation of former Labour MP Andrew Gwynne due to ill health, following his suspension from the party in 2025. (Photo by Ian Forsyth/Getty Images) — Results from May 7 will start to come in slowly over the morning and afternoon. (Photo by Ian Forsyth/Getty Images)

3:30am: ColchesterandDudley, who both elect in thirds, will give their results, which are likely to be maintained ‘no overall control’.

Westminsteris the first council that has has all seats up for grabs. Labour gained this council from the Conservatives in the last election, but the Tories could steal it back.

4:00am:Results inFareham, which elects in halves every two years, plus all-seat elections in Hampshire (Conservative-held),Newcastle-Under-LymeandWandsworth(both Labour-held but only since 2022).

Gosport, Havant and Plymouth, which elect in thirds, are also up.

4:30am: SuttonandEalingwill share results.

5:00am:Results fromBexley, which could sway from Conservative to Reform, andKensington and Chelsea, alongsideRichmond-upon-Thames,EastleighandStockport.

5:30am:Hammersmith & Fulhamwill declare results.

6:00am: Results fromHavering, where Reform are hoping to do well.

6:30am:Southamptonwill declare, another council electing in thirds where Labour can’t mathematically lose control.

9:30am: This is when we should get the first results from the Scottish parliament elections. MSPs are elected for regions and constituencies using two different voting systems. The SNP is predicted to be the biggest party, but there are question marks over whether it will get a majority and which party will become the official opposition.

11:00am:Results will start to come through from the Senedd elections in Wales. The Welsh Parliament voting system has been completely overhauled for the 2026 election, and Cardiff could end up hosting the biggest earthquake of the day with the widely predicted collapse of Labour in the country.

Green Party candidate Hannah Spencer visits Green Party volunteers at St Agnes Primary School polling station on February 26, 2026 in Manchester, England. (Photo by Christopher Furlong/Getty Images) — The local election will see Labour, the Conservatives, the Greens and Reform all fight for control. (Photo by Christopher Furlong/Getty Images)

12:30pm:BlackburnandManchester, both electing in thirds, will reveal results. Manchester can only remain Labour-held, but Blackburn could be lost.

1:00pm: Burnleywill announce results, where ex-Labour councillors could be re-elected as independents.

1:45pm:North Tynesidewill remain under Labour control, even if the party loses all 17 of the seats they are defending.

2:00pm: Cheltenhamwill announce, which will likely stay in a Lib Dem hold.Hyndburn, Rochdale, Sheffield, Welwyn Hatfield all elect in thirds and will likely end up or remain no overall control.

2:30pm: Huntingdonshire,St Helens,Norwich, Pendle, Preston and West Oxfordshirewill give results. Norwich is predicted to end up under Green control.

3:00pm: Leedswill declare – no overall control is possible but Labour have enough seats that a change of party to any other won’t occur.

The Isle of Wight, Islington, Thurrock and Waltham Forest,Cannock Chase, Epping Forest, Knowsley, Rushmoor and Three Rivers will announce results. No overall control is likely in all of them other thanIslington, which will be between the Greens and Labour, and the Liberal Democrat-held Three Rivers.

3:30pm: Nuneaton & Bedworthwill reveal its results. It is likely to end up as ‘no overall control’ due to the Reform vote.

4:00pm:A busy hour. Gateshead, Greenwich, and Sunderland (Labour held), South Cambridgeshire (Liberal Democrat) Hillingdon, Suffolk and West Sussex (all currently Conservative) will announce results.

Basingstoke & Deane, Crawley, Ipswich, Rugby, Trafford, Tunbridge Wells, West Lancashire and Wolverhampton, will all announce, with a third of seats being re-elected.

A person exits a polling Station based inside a curch, in Levenshulme, Greater Manchester on February 26, 2026, to cast their ballot in the crucial Gorton and Denton by-election. Britain's ruling Labour party faces a crunch poll on February 26 that is expected to showcase growing support for the hard-right and leftists as the country's traditional two-party system fractures. (Photo by Paul ELLIS / AFP via Getty Images) — Who will you be voting for on May 7?. (Photo by Paul ELLIS / AFP via Getty Images)

4:30pm: Harrowwill likely announce a continued Conservative hold.Barnsley, usually safely Labour but heavily targeted by Reform, will declare, as willBury.

4:45pm:Newcastle-upon-Tyne will declare.

5:00pm: Barking & Dagenham, Barnet, Brent, Enfield, Hackney, Milton Keynes, Redbridge, Sandwell, Coventry, Essex and Walsall, which elect all their councillors this year, will declare. We could see Hackney shift to Green control.

Cambridge, St Albans, Stevenage, Watford and Wokingham, all electing a third of their council, will announce results.

5:30pm:Haringey, Hounslow, Norfolk, Sefton and South Tyneside, all electing their full council, will declare. These are some of the most hotly anticipated results of the day.

6:00pm: Camden, usually safely held by Labour but with the potential to sway Green, will give results.

Birmingham,Kingston, Southwark, East Surrey, East Sussex, Kirklees, Lambeth, Newham, Southwark,Swindon and West Surrey will all declare, electing full councils.

Adur, Hastings, Wakefield, Winchester and Worthing, using the thirds model, will give results. No overall control is predicted except forWinchester, held by the Lib Dems.

7:00pm: Bromley, traditionally a safe bet for the Tories, could be lost to Reform.Cherwellwill give results too.

8:30pm: Calderdalewill declare, with all its seats up for election.