Hampshire County Council will meet later this week for the first time since the local elections held on 7 May 2026, as councillors move to establish a new administration that will run the authority over the next two years.
The vote saw a turnout of 45 per cent, but no single party won overall control of the 78-seat council.
Since the results were declared, political groups have been holding talks to decide how the council will be governed. At the Annual General Meeting on 21 May, councillors will choose a new Leader of the County Council, along with a Chairman and Vice Chairman. The first Cabinet meeting of the new administration is expected in June.
Once in place, the leadership will set out its priorities for the rest of the term, overseeing services for Hampshire’s 1.4 million residents through to April 2028. These include education, highways and road repairs, adult and children’s social care, libraries, waste and recycling, Trading Standards, and the running of country parks.
Full results and the list of elected councillors for each division are available on the council’s website.
The final seat breakdown is:
- Conservatives – 27 seats
- Liberal Democrats – 26 seats
- Reform UK – 20 seats
- Green Party – 1 seat
- Labour – 1 seat
- Independent – 1 seat
- Whitehill & Bordon Community Party – 1 seat
- Community Campaign (Hart) – 1 seat