{
  "title": "2026 Cohort — councils that changed hands at the 7 May 2026 election (verification map)",
  "compiled": "2026-05-10",
  "source": "Wikipedia 2026 UK local elections + cross-source verification via UK egress",
  "scope_note": "Every council in this list changed party control at the 7 May 2026 election. The watch list is intentionally cross-party (Reform, Lib Dem, Green, Labour) so the tracker is not framed as Reform-only.",
  "councils": [
    {
      "name": "Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council",
      "type": "Metropolitan borough",
      "region": "South Yorkshire",
      "controlling_party": "Reform UK",
      "previous_control": "Labour",
      "council_website": "https://www.barnsley.gov.uk/",
      "councillors_url": "https://www.barnsley.gov.uk/services/council-and-democracy/councillors-and-council-meetings/",
      "press_releases": "https://www.barnsley.gov.uk/news/",
      "primary_local_paper": "Barnsley Chronicle",
      "primary_local_paper_url": "https://www.barnsleychronicle.com/",
      "secondary_papers": ["BBC South Yorkshire", "Yorkshire Post"],
      "notes": "Reform took control 7 May 2026. Confirmed by BBC News article c4g843867w1o (8 May 2026). Reform ended 50 years of Labour leadership."
    },
    {
      "name": "Calderdale Metropolitan Borough Council",
      "type": "Metropolitan borough",
      "region": "West Yorkshire",
      "controlling_party": "Reform UK",
      "previous_control": "Labour",
      "council_website": "https://www.calderdale.gov.uk/",
      "councillors_url": "https://new.calderdale.gov.uk/council/councillors-and-decision-making/your-councillors",
      "press_releases": "https://www.calderdale.gov.uk/v2/news",
      "primary_local_paper": "Halifax Courier",
      "primary_local_paper_url": "https://www.halifaxcourier.co.uk/",
      "secondary_papers": ["Yorkshire Post", "BBC Leeds"],
      "notes": "Reform took control 7 May 2026 per Wikipedia 2026 UK local elections."
    },
    {
      "name": "Gateshead Metropolitan Borough Council",
      "type": "Metropolitan borough",
      "region": "Tyne and Wear",
      "controlling_party": "Reform UK",
      "previous_control": "Labour",
      "council_website": "https://www.gateshead.gov.uk/",
      "councillors_url": "https://gateshead.moderngov.co.uk/mgMemberIndex.aspx?bcr=1",
      "press_releases": "https://www.gateshead.gov.uk/news",
      "primary_local_paper": "Chronicle Live (Newcastle)",
      "primary_local_paper_url": "https://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/",
      "secondary_papers": ["BBC Newcastle", "Northern Echo"],
      "notes": "Reform took control 7 May 2026 per ITV Tyne Tees + Wikipedia."
    },
    {
      "name": "Havering London Borough Council",
      "type": "London borough",
      "region": "London (East)",
      "controlling_party": "Reform UK",
      "previous_control": "No overall control",
      "council_website": "https://www.havering.gov.uk/",
      "councillors_url": "https://democracy.havering.gov.uk/mgMemberIndex.aspx",
      "press_releases": "https://www.havering.gov.uk/news",
      "primary_local_paper": "Romford Recorder",
      "primary_local_paper_url": "https://www.romfordrecorder.co.uk/",
      "secondary_papers": ["MyLondon", "BBC London"],
      "notes": "Reform took control 7 May 2026. Notable as the only London borough Reform won."
    },
    {
      "name": "Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council",
      "type": "Metropolitan borough",
      "region": "West Midlands",
      "controlling_party": "Reform UK",
      "previous_control": "Labour",
      "council_website": "https://www.sandwell.gov.uk/",
      "councillors_url": "https://www.sandwell.gov.uk/council/find-local-councillor",
      "press_releases": "https://www.sandwell.gov.uk/news",
      "primary_local_paper": "Birmingham Mail",
      "primary_local_paper_url": "https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/",
      "secondary_papers": ["Express & Star", "BBC West Midlands"],
      "notes": "Reform took control 7 May 2026 per Wikipedia."
    },
    {
      "name": "South Tyneside Council",
      "type": "Metropolitan borough",
      "region": "Tyne and Wear",
      "controlling_party": "Reform UK",
      "previous_control": "Labour",
      "council_website": "https://www.southtyneside.gov.uk/",
      "councillors_url": "https://www.southtyneside.gov.uk/councillors",
      "monitor_url": "https://opencouncil.network/contact_councillors/south-tyneside",
      "press_releases": "https://www.southtyneside.gov.uk/news",
      "primary_local_paper": "Shields Gazette",
      "primary_local_paper_url": "https://www.shieldsgazette.com/",
      "secondary_papers": ["Chronicle Live", "BBC Newcastle"],
      "notes": "Reform took control 7 May 2026 per ITV Tyne Tees + Wikipedia."
    },
    {
      "name": "St Helens Council",
      "type": "Metropolitan borough",
      "region": "Merseyside",
      "controlling_party": "Reform UK",
      "previous_control": "Labour",
      "council_website": "https://www.sthelens.gov.uk/",
      "councillors_url": "https://sthelens.moderngov.co.uk/mgMemberIndex.aspx?bcr=1",
      "press_releases": "https://www.sthelens.gov.uk/news",
      "primary_local_paper": "St Helens Star",
      "primary_local_paper_url": "https://www.sthelensstar.co.uk/",
      "secondary_papers": ["Liverpool Echo", "BBC Merseyside"],
      "notes": "Reform took control 7 May 2026 per Wikipedia."
    },
    {
      "name": "Sunderland City Council",
      "type": "Metropolitan borough (city)",
      "region": "Tyne and Wear",
      "controlling_party": "Reform UK",
      "previous_control": "Labour",
      "council_website": "https://www.sunderland.gov.uk/",
      "councillors_url": "https://www.sunderland.gov.uk/article/12569/Councillors",
      "monitor_url": "https://opencouncil.network/contact_councillors/sunderland",
      "press_releases": "https://www.sunderland.gov.uk/news",
      "primary_local_paper": "Sunderland Echo",
      "primary_local_paper_url": "https://www.sunderlandecho.com/",
      "secondary_papers": ["Chronicle Live", "BBC Newcastle"],
      "notes": "Reform took control 7 May 2026 per ITV Tyne Tees + Wikipedia. Sunderland was named in Paul's structural-tests v1 piece as a Test 2 northern-metro all-out council."
    },
    {
      "name": "Wakefield Council",
      "type": "Metropolitan borough",
      "region": "West Yorkshire",
      "controlling_party": "Reform UK",
      "previous_control": "Labour",
      "council_website": "https://www.wakefield.gov.uk/",
      "councillors_url": "https://wakefield.moderngov.co.uk/mgMemberIndex.aspx?bcr=1",
      "press_releases": "https://www.wakefield.gov.uk/news",
      "primary_local_paper": "Wakefield Express",
      "primary_local_paper_url": "https://www.wakefieldexpress.co.uk/",
      "secondary_papers": ["Yorkshire Post", "BBC Leeds"],
      "notes": "Reform took control 7 May 2026 per Wikipedia."
    },
    {
      "name": "Walsall Council",
      "type": "Metropolitan borough",
      "region": "West Midlands",
      "controlling_party": "Reform UK",
      "previous_control": "Conservative",
      "council_website": "https://www.walsall.gov.uk/",
      "councillors_url": "https://www.walsall.gov.uk/councillors",
      "monitor_url": "https://opencouncil.network/contact_councillors/walsall",
      "press_releases": "https://www.walsall.gov.uk/news",
      "primary_local_paper": "Express & Star",
      "primary_local_paper_url": "https://www.expressandstar.com/",
      "secondary_papers": ["Birmingham Mail", "BBC West Midlands"],
      "notes": "Reform took control 7 May 2026 per Wikipedia. Pack's 2025 cohort had Graham Eardley (Walsall) suspended by Reform UK."
    },
    {
      "name": "Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough Council",
      "type": "Borough council",
      "region": "Staffordshire",
      "controlling_party": "Reform UK",
      "previous_control": "No overall control",
      "council_website": "https://www.newcastle-staffs.gov.uk/",
      "councillors_url": "https://moderngov.newcastle-staffs.gov.uk/mgMemberIndex.aspx",
      "press_releases": "https://www.newcastle-staffs.gov.uk/news",
      "primary_local_paper": "Stoke Sentinel",
      "primary_local_paper_url": "https://www.stokesentinel.co.uk/",
      "secondary_papers": ["BBC Stoke", "Express & Star"],
      "notes": "Reform took control 7 May 2026 per ITV Central + Murphy 8 May 2026 video. NOT on Wikipedia's headline list (probably because it's a borough not a metropolitan council). Pack's 2025 cohort had Lynn Dean (Newcastle-under-Lyme) suspended by Reform UK and resigned as a councillor."
    },
    {
      "name": "Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council",
      "type": "Metropolitan borough",
      "region": "Greater Manchester",
      "controlling_party": "Liberal Democrats",
      "previous_control": "No overall control",
      "council_website": "https://www.stockport.gov.uk/",
      "councillors_url": "https://www.stockport.gov.uk/councillors",
      "press_releases": "https://www.stockport.gov.uk/news",
      "primary_local_paper": "Manchester Evening News",
      "primary_local_paper_url": "https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/",
      "secondary_papers": ["BBC North West", "Stockport Nub News"],
      "notes": "Liberal Democrats took majority control 7 May 2026 (was NOC). The party's only single-council majority gain at the 2026 election."
    },
    {
      "name": "London Borough of Hackney",
      "type": "London borough",
      "region": "London (East)",
      "controlling_party": "Green",
      "previous_control": "Labour",
      "council_website": "https://www.hackney.gov.uk/",
      "councillors_url": "https://www.hackney.gov.uk/council-and-elections/mayor-cabinet-and-councillors/councillors/your-councillors",
      "press_releases": "https://news.hackney.gov.uk/",
      "primary_local_paper": "Hackney Citizen",
      "primary_local_paper_url": "https://www.hackneycitizen.co.uk/",
      "secondary_papers": ["Hackney Gazette", "MyLondon", "BBC London"],
      "notes": "Greens took control 7 May 2026 from Labour. One of three Green-from-Labour London-borough takeovers (with Lewisham and Waltham Forest)."
    },
    {
      "name": "London Borough of Lewisham",
      "type": "London borough",
      "region": "London (South-East)",
      "controlling_party": "Green",
      "previous_control": "Labour",
      "council_website": "https://lewisham.gov.uk/",
      "councillors_url": "https://lewisham.gov.uk/councillors",
      "press_releases": "https://lewisham.gov.uk/news",
      "primary_local_paper": "News Shopper",
      "primary_local_paper_url": "https://www.newsshopper.co.uk/",
      "secondary_papers": ["MyLondon", "South London Press", "BBC London"],
      "notes": "Greens took control 7 May 2026 from Labour. One of three Green-from-Labour London-borough takeovers."
    },
    {
      "name": "London Borough of Waltham Forest",
      "type": "London borough",
      "region": "London (North-East)",
      "controlling_party": "Green",
      "previous_control": "Labour",
      "council_website": "https://www.walthamforest.gov.uk/",
      "councillors_url": "https://democracy.walthamforest.gov.uk/mgMemberIndex.aspx",
      "press_releases": "https://www.walthamforest.gov.uk/news",
      "primary_local_paper": "Waltham Forest Echo",
      "primary_local_paper_url": "https://walthamforestecho.co.uk/",
      "secondary_papers": ["MyLondon", "BBC London"],
      "notes": "Greens took control 7 May 2026 from Labour. One of three Green-from-Labour London-borough takeovers."
    },
    {
      "name": "London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham",
      "type": "London borough",
      "region": "London (West)",
      "controlling_party": "Labour",
      "previous_control": "No overall control",
      "council_website": "https://www.lbhf.gov.uk/",
      "councillors_url": "https://www.lbhf.gov.uk/councillors-and-democracy/about-hammersmith-fulham-council/councillors",
      "monitor_url": "https://democracy.lbhf.gov.uk/mgMemberIndex.aspx",
      "press_releases": "https://www.lbhf.gov.uk/articles",
      "primary_local_paper": "MyLondon",
      "primary_local_paper_url": "https://www.mylondon.news/",
      "secondary_papers": ["BBC London", "Fulham Chronicle"],
      "notes": "Labour regained majority control 7 May 2026 (was NOC). Included to demonstrate cross-party tracker scope; Labour-cohort change is symmetric in methodology with Reform/Green/LD takeovers."
    }
  ]
}