UK's 2026 Local Elections: Why Africans Should Pay Attention

Over the weekend, the United Kingdom (UK’s) local council elections for 2026 were held across the country. The election saw Prime Minister Keir Starmer and his Labour Party suffer major losses in the elections.

Pan-Atlantic Kompass reports that these losses are a reflection of growing unpopularity with Starmer’s tenure, which has been beset by a weak economy, backlash over his appointment of an ambassador with ties to Jeffrey Epstein, and a surge in antisemitism that has been declared a “national emergency.”

Starmer and his center-left Labour Party swept to power and defeated the center-right Conservative Party in July 2024. But less than two years later, Labour lost the most seats of any party in last week’s regional elections.

While Labour faltered, right-wing populist Reform UK, led by Nigel Farage – an ally of U.S President Donald Trump and central figure in the Brexit movement – made significant gains. Other groups, particularly the left-wing Green Party, also recorded notable wins.

About 5,000 seats were up for grabs at the 2026 UK’s local council elections on Thursday.

The Labour Party won just over 1,000 of the seats that were contested, losing more than 1,100 seats that it had previously held. Meanwhile, the right-wing populist Reform UK party gained more than 1,400 seats.

Other parties recorded smaller wins, with the Green Party gaining more than 300 seats and the Liberal Democrats more than 150. The Conservative Party – traditionally Britain’s other dominant political force alongside Labour – also performed badly, losing over 500 seats.

These were regional elections, meaning voters chose which politicians they wanted to represent them in their local area. However, they were also sending a message to the ruling Labour Party about how they feel the country is being run.

Why this matters for Africans in the UK

The Rise of Reform UK and Immigration Policy

Perhaps the most critical takeaway for Africans is the dramatic breakthrough of Reform UK. The party, which campaigned heavily on a platform of sharply reducing immigration, secured control of four councils and gained over 580 councillors across England.

For the African diaspora, this shift is a clear indicator of the rising domestic pressure on the UK government to implement tougher border controls and visa caps. African professionals and students looking to migrate to the UK may face a more restrictive environment as local authorities influenced by Reform UK push for policies that prioritize “British first” in social services and employment.

A statement on the official website of the party reads in part: “Reform UK will implement a five-year emergency programme to identify, detain, and deport illegal migrants in the UK. We will leave the European Convention on Human Rights, repeal the Human Rights Act, and pass the Illegal Migration (Mass Deportation) Bill to ensure that anyone who enters the country illegally will be ineligible for asylum.

“We will establish a UK Deportation Command and use all the available levers of the state to identify illegal migrants and deport them, including rapidly building Secure Immigration Removal Centres with capacity for up to 24,000. The Foreign Office will secure return agreements with other countries as a matter of priority and up to five deportation flights per day will be chartered by the Home Office (with an RAF Voyager on six-hour ‘hot-spare’ readiness).”

Local councils control everyday services

Councils decide things like:

Housing allocation and waiting lists
School admissions and SEND support
Social care for elderly relatives
Waste collection and local taxes (council tax)
Licensing for shops and small businesses

So if political control changes in your area, policies affecting these services can shift too.

With Reform UK gaining ground in many areas, immigration has become a louder political issue in local debates. While councils do not control visas or national immigration policy, they do influence: