Walsall
West Midlands borough; projected to swing from Labour to Reform UK on 7 May 2026.
Last refreshed: 6 May 2026 · Appears in 1 active topic
Why is Walsall projecting a 20-plus point Labour collapse in a single election cycle?
Timeline for Walsall
Mentioned in: Reform projected to 2,342 council seats
UK Local Elections 2026- Is Walsall projected to go Reform UK in the 2026 local elections?
- Yes. YouGov's West Midlands MRP projects Reform UK leading in Walsall, with Labour vote share projected to fall more than 20 points — part of a 11-council projected Reform sweep across the West Midlands.Source: YouGov
- What is Walsall known for historically?
- Walsall is known for its metalworking and leather goods manufacturing heritage, particularly saddle and bridle making. The town centre has a significant market tradition and the New Art Gallery Walsall holds the Garman Ryan Collection.
Background
Walsall is a metropolitan borough in the West Midlands with a population of approximately 285,000, bordering Wolverhampton and Birmingham. YouGov's West Midlands MRP projects Reform UK leading in 11 of 13 West Midlands councils; Walsall is among those projected to leave Labour's column. Labour vote share in Walsall is projected to fall more than 20 points — part of the wider Black Country collapse seen across the region.
Walsall has been Labour-controlled for the majority of its modern history, with its economy built around metalworking, leather goods and light manufacturing. Like Wolverhampton and Sandwell, Walsall recorded a strong Leave majority in the 2016 Brexit referendum and has seen persistent patterns of economic deprivation. Reform UK's campaign in the West Midlands has been built on themes of immigration control and opposition to perceived metropolitan priorities.
Walsall South constituency returned a Labour MP in the 2024 general election with a reduced majority. The council and Westminster trajectories are diverging: Labour is in Westminster government but projected to lose Walsall locally, illustrating the disconnect between the party's national and local electoral positions.