Peterborough Local Elections 2026: Everything you need to know

Of course, being well-informed doesn’t just apply to knowing who’s who on the ballot or having a good understanding of each party’s policies.

Being well-informed also means being savvy about the actual voting process, from knowing what time to head out to vote to being aware of things you can and cannot do inside the polling booth.

Here’s a brief overview of the main things voters need to know ahead of May 7:

What is the current make up of the council?

The council is currently run by a coalition of Labour, Liberal Democrats and the Peterborough First group. Going into these elections, Labour is the largest political group. This is how the make up of the council currently stands:

Labour: 13 councillors

Independent: 11 councillors

Conservative: 10 councillors

Peterborough First: 10 councillors

Liberal Democrat: 8 councillors

Green Party: 5 councillors

Reform UK 1: councillor

Not specified: 1 councillor

One seat is currently vacant following the sad passing of Councillor Alan Dowson.

How many seats are each of the parties defending?

Labour will be defending five seats come May 7. The Conservatives, Lib Dems, Peterborough First and Independents will all be defending three. The Green party will be defending their one seat in Ravensthorpe.

Nine of the candidates who won their wards in the 2022 local elections will not be contesting their seats again this time around.

What time does voting open?

Polling stations will open at 7am on election day (Thursday 7 May). All of the city’s polling stations will remain open until 10pm.

Voter’s polling station information is included on polling cards and also available from the council’s website. Photo ID is required to vote.

When are the results expected?

Votes will be counted overnight following the closing of polls at 10pm. The election results will be declared in the early hours of Friday, May 8.

What are voters not allowed to do in a polling booth?

One thing electors definitely cannot do in a polling booth is take photos. The Electoral Commission (which oversees UK elections) says such actions risk the secrecy of the ballot so taking a pic – even a selfie – is a really big no-no. Anyone flouting this could receive a severe punishment, such as a fine of up to £5,000 or even six months in prison.

It’s also important to remember that political discussion is banned inside polling stations. Staff will intervene if they hear any references to candidates or parties.

Pet owners are reminded that dogs (apart from assistance dogs) are not typically allowed inside polling stations.

While parents are encouraged to bring their children along when voting, little ones are not allowed to mark a vote on the ballot paper on their parents’ behalf.

Who are the candidates?

A total of 92 candidates will be standing across 18 Peterborough city wards on May 7. In alphabetical order, they are:

Bretton

John Bolton (Reform UK), Susan Glasgow (Labour Party), David Narrainen (Green Party), Scott Warren (Conservative Party), Rohan Wilson (Liberal Democrats).

Central Ward

Steve Cawley (Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition), Shaz Choudhary (Green Party), Khurram Iqbal (Labour Party), Jason Kerridge (Liberal Democrats), Shahzadi Khan (Conservative Party), Jeff Pitt (Reform UK).

Dogsthorpe

Pip Gardner (Green Party), Mohammad Haseeb (Labour Party), Ishfaq Hussain (Conservative Party), Sandra Ringler (Liberal Democrats), Petr Torak (Independent), Bryan Tyler (Reform UK).

East Ward

Ian Hardman (Liberal Democrats), Sam Heraj (Labour and Co-operative Party), Aleem Miran (Conservative Party), Nassim Rhaiem (Green Party), Dave West (Reform UK).

Eye, Thorney and Newborough

Anthony Church (Liberal Democrats), Sue Farr (Labour and Co-operative Party), Layton Mills (Reform UK), John Peach (Conservative Party), Adam Warr (Green Party)

Fletton and Stanground

Christian Hogg (Liberal Democrats), Andrew Johnson (Labour Party), Jon Lloyd (Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition), Maria Pinotes (Reform UK), Neil Seekings (Conservative Party).

Fletton and Woodston

The candidates in Fletton and Woodston are: Andy Coles (Conservative Party), Steve Harknett (Independent), Ed Murphy (Green Party), Yvonne Scarrott (Reform UK), Harvey Woodhouse (Labour Party).

Gunthorpe

Muhammad Ahmed (Labour Party), Andrew Bond (Liberal Democrats), Andrew Macfarlaine (Conservative Party), Tom Rogers (Reform UK).

Hampton Vale

Marco Cereste (Conservative Party), Steve Newson (Reform UK), Toqeer Sethi (Green Party), Simon Turp (Labour Party), Paul Wiggin (Liberal Democrats).

Hargate and Hempsted

Hamza Jarral (Labour Party), Simon Jones (Reform UK), Katherine Sharp (Green Party), Vishal Vichare (Conservative Party), Neil Walton (Liberal Democrats).

North Ward

Javed Akhtar (Conservative Party), Noreen Bi (Labour and Co-operative Party), Mohammed Munir (Green Party), Keith Sharp (Reform UK).

Orton Longueville

Olu Akinyele (Labour Party), Ruwan Madugalla (Conservative Party), Jonathan Orchard (Green Party), Nick Penniall (Independent), Philip Whitworth (Reform UK).

Orton Waterville

Stephen Arnott (Reform UK), Steve Bailey (Labour Party), Alex Bowerbanks (Green Party), Sanjaya Dodamgoda (Conservative Party), Ray Knight (Independent).

Park Ward

Murtaza Ahmed-Munir (Conservative Party), Reza Behravan (Reform UK), Tassadaq Hussain (Green Party), Fiona Radic (Independent), Beki Sellick (Liberal Democrats), Saif Yasin (Labour Party).

Paston and Walton

Iva Banyalieva (Conservative Party), Ryan Gallagher (Reform UK), Rob Petch (Your Party), Asif Shaheed (Liberal Democrats), Mohammed Yasin (Labour Party).

Ravensthorpe

Shokat Ali (Green Party), Matthew Clements (Labour Party), Gul Nawaz (Conservative Party), Ashli Philip (Reform UK), Nick Sandford (Liberal Democrats).

Stanground South

Julian Bray (Independent), Janet Brown (Conservative Party), Jane Bull (Peterborough First Independent), Charles Coster (Green Party), Andrew Deacon (Labour Party), Peter Reeve (Reform UK), Miriam Sellick (Liberal Democrats).

Werrington

Ruta Dalton (Conservative Party), Bradley Dilloway (Labour Party), Sarah Hillier (Peterborough First Werrington Independent), Chris Watson (Reform UK).