Wakefield is a metropolitan borough in West Yorkshire, a Labour council area that PollCheck projected in April 2026 as a likely Reform UK gain at the 7 May local elections, with Reform projected to win 38 of 63 seats. The 38-seat projection represents a clear working majority on a 63-seat council.

Wakefield sits in the post-industrial West Riding, an area that voted heavily for Leave in the 2016 referendum and where Labour has seen vote share erosion to Reform since the 2024 general election. The district includes Wakefield city and surrounding towns including Castleford, Pontefract and Hemsworth. It is the kind of council Labour expected to hold: a combination of urban and semi-rural seats with a strong trade union and public sector heritage.

PollCheck's Wakefield projection is part of an expanded Reform council control forecast that grew in April 2026 from three rural county councils (Essex, Norfolk, Suffolk) to include Sunderland, Wakefield, Wigan and Barnsley. The pattern suggests Reform's vote share is now sufficient to take working council majorities in northern metropolitan areas, not just rural southern counties. Whether projections translate to results will be the central electoral story of the 7 May count.

Common Questions

Is Reform UK projected to win Wakefield Council in 2026?

This was superseded by the actual result: Reform UK won 58 of 63 Wakefield council seats on 7 May 2026, cutting Labour from 48 seats to one.Source: event record

Has Labour ever lost Wakefield Council?

Yes. Labour held Wakefield for decades before the 7 May 2026 local elections, when Reform UK's sweep cut Labour's representation from 48 seats to one.Source: event record

What are the 2026 local election results in Wakefield?

Polling takes place on 7 May 2026. PollCheck projects Reform UK to win 38 of 63 seats, giving a clear majority. Results will be counted overnight on 7-8 May.Source: PollCheck

What were the 2026 Wakefield local election results?

Reform UK won 58 of Wakefield's 63 council seats on 7 May 2026, described as the most extreme single-council collapse of Labour's night nationally.Source: event record

Did a Wakefield Reform councillor join another party?

Yes. Rhys Carr, elected for Reform UK in Ackworth, North Elmsall and Upton in May 2026 and out of the party since June, joined the Social Democratic Party on 6 August 2026 as its first Wakefield member.Source: event record

How the World Sees Them

Labour

A Wakefield loss alongside Sunderland, Wigan and Barnsley would signal the collapse of Labour's post-industrial northern base, not just its rural Conservative-turned-Reform ground.

Reform UK

Treats Wakefield as the strongest evidence of northern breakthrough; 38 of 63 seats would give a clear working majority in a traditional Labour heartland.