Photo: Gareth James · CC BY-SA 2.0No party holds a majority on Wokingham Borough Council
Wokingham is run by Wokingham Borough Council, with Wokingham parish council for local matters. No party holds a majority on Wokingham Borough Council. Its MP is Clive Jones (Liberal Democrat), member for Wokingham.
£2,486
Band D, a year, the middle band every council sets its tax from.
Where it goes →How Wokingham’s politics has changed since 2021
No majority on Wokingham Borough Council
The Liberal Democrats, the largest group, hold 28 of its 60 seats as elected, 3 short of the 31 needed. The Conservatives hold 21, Labour 8. Who’s in charge ↓
The 2026 vote
Across Wokingham’s wards, the Liberal Democrats took 35.9%, the Conservatives took 28.3% and Reform UK took 19.6% of votes in May 2026. In 2024, the Liberal Democrats had 44.3%. How Wokingham has voted ↓
Council tax
A Band D bill in Wokingham is £2,497 for 2026–27; Wokingham Borough Council keeps 81% of it. The council area’s Band D has risen 58% in ten years, against England’s 56%. Council money ↓
Written from the data on this page: Democracy Club results since May 2021, the UK Parliament Members API and MHCLG council tax.
No party has a majority
Seats by party as elected. A party needs 31 of Wokingham’s 60 seats to run the council alone.
- Liberal Democrat28
- Conservative21
- Labour8
Latest election: May 2026.
Seats are counted from election results: each ward’s most recent winners until its seats are filled. Councillors who have since changed party or resigned aren’t reflected, and which parties lead the council, and who is leader, comes from the council itself.
Results: Democracy Club (CC BY 4.0), elections since May 2021; seats per ward from its EveryElection.
The councils that run Wokingham
One council runs every main service here.
Local matters: allotments, play areas, halls, footpaths and benches; it is consulted on planning and adds a precept to the council tax bill. A town council is a parish council by another name.
75% of Wokingham’s residents · Band D precept £80
The parish council for the part of Wokingham inside Finchampstead parish.
Who runs Wokingham: same source as Who runs Wokingham, above.
The parish council for the part of Wokingham inside Barkham parish.
Who runs Wokingham: same source as Who runs Wokingham, above.
Every main council service: schools, social care, roads, bins, planning, housing and libraries.
Website ↗Who to ask
From GOV.UK’s “Understand how your council works”: here one council runs every main service.
Councils from ONS lookups (wards and councils May 2026, parishes 2025), names and websites from GOV.UK’s local council finder; parish councils from MHCLG’s 2026–27 list of precepting parishes.
From the parish to Westminster
Every elected tier that speaks for Wokingham, from the most recent elections.
- 1Town or parish3 parish councilsWokingham parish councilFinchampstead parish councilBarkham parish council
- 2Wokingham Borough Council6 wards · 18 councillorsLiberal Democrat 12 · Conservative 5 · Labour 3 · all 20
- 3Police and crime commissionerThames Valley Police · elected May 2024Matthew Barber
- 4House of CommonsWokingham
Party colours are neutral on purpose: they tell parties apart and aren’t the parties’ own. Tap an MP’s name for their contact page on parliament.uk.
18 councillors for 6 wards
Wards with at least 2% of the town’s residents, or half their own inside it. Each shows who won its most recent elections, newest first, until its seats are filled.
- Basit Sajjad AlviLiberal Democrat · May 2026
- Rachel Bishop-FirthLiberal Democrat · May 2024
- Imogen Shepherd-DuBeyLiberal Democrat · May 2024
- Chris CookeLiberal Democrat · May 2026
- Jane AinslieLiberal Democrat · May 2024
- Rob ComberLiberal Democrat · May 2024
- Richa SinghLiberal Democrat · May 2026
- Mark AshwellLiberal Democrat · May 2024
- Lou TimlinLiberal Democrat · May 2024
- Adrian MatherLiberal Democrat · May 2024
- Peter HarperConservative · May 2026
- Charles MargettsConservative · May 2024
- Rebecca Jane MargettsConservative · May 2024
- Nagi NagellaLabour · May 2026
- Rachel BurgessLabour · May 2024
- Marie-Loise WeighillLabour · May 2024
- Mohima BoseLiberal Democrat · May 2026
- Adrian John BetteridgeLiberal Democrat · May 2024
- Joseph Michael BarleyConservative · May 2024
- George Daniel EvansConservative · May 2024
Show as a table
| Ward | Seats | Elected | When |
|---|---|---|---|
| Emmbrookall in Wokingham · 9,931 residents3 seats · May 2026, May 2024 | 3 | Basit Sajjad AlviRachel Bishop-FirthImogen Shepherd-DuBey | May 2026, May 2024 |
| Wescottall in Wokingham · 9,834 residents3 seats · May 2026, May 2024 | 3 | Chris CookeJane AinslieRob Comber | May 2026, May 2024 |
| Evendonsall in Wokingham · 9,526 residents3 seats · May 2026, May 2024 | 3 | Richa SinghMark AshwellLou TimlinAdrian Mather | May 2026, May 2024 |
| Finchampsteadmostly in Wokingham · 9,442 residents3 seats · May 2026, May 2024 | 3 | Peter HarperCharles MargettsRebecca Jane Margetts | May 2026, May 2024 |
| Norreysmostly in Wokingham · 8,477 residents3 seats · May 2026, May 2024 | 3 | Nagi NagellaRachel BurgessMarie-Loise Weighill | May 2026, May 2024 |
| Barkham & Arborfield24% in Wokingham · 2,179 residents3 seats · May 2026, May 2024 | 3 | Mohima BoseAdrian John BetteridgeJoseph Michael BarleyGeorge Daniel Evans | May 2026, May 2024 |
Councillors can resign, change party or sit as independents between elections; a by-election winner replaces someone not named here. Wokingham Borough Council’s website lists who sits now.
Results from Democracy Club’s candidates database (CC BY 4.0; elections since May 2021) and ward seats from its EveryElection, matched to ONS wards (May 2026) and county divisions (May 2025).
The Liberal Democrats have led every council vote since 2024
Share of all votes cast for candidates in Wokingham’s wards at each scheduled council election since 2021. A gap is a year with no election here.
Seats won at each election
Show as a table
| Party | 2024 | 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Green | 2.2% | 8.6% |
| Labour | 16.4% | 7.5% |
| Liberal Democrat | 44.3% | 35.9% |
| Conservative | 36.9% | 28.3% |
| Reform UK | 0% | 19.6% |
In 2026, the Liberal Democrats won 4, Labour won 1 and the Conservatives won 1 of the 6 seats up in Wokingham’s wards.
Results: Democracy Club (CC BY 4.0). Where a ward elects several councillors at once, each voter has that many votes; all of them count here.
Wokingham council election, May 2026
Results in the wards that make up Wokingham, as declared. Percentages are of votes cast for candidates in each ward; where a ward elects several councillors, each voter has that many votes.
6 wards voted. Wokingham elects a third of its councillors at a time, so a third of the seats were up.
No election is scheduled yet for Wokingham’s wards in Democracy Club’s list. Councils publish a notice of election about five weeks before polling day.
Who can I vote for? ↗4,102 votes for candidates
3,489 votes for candidates
3,491 votes for candidates
Every ward’s result (3 more)
4,219 votes for candidates
3,165 votes for candidates
3,353 votes for candidates
Candidates and results: Democracy Club (CC BY 4.0), from councils’ declared results; polling dates from Democracy Club’s EveryElection.
Wokingham is in Wokingham constituency
The constituency’s MP and the 4 July 2024 general election, the whole constituency’s result (it reaches beyond Wokingham).
53,999 votes for candidates · majority 8,345
Liberal Democrat, MP since 4 July 2024.
turnout in July 2024: 53,999 votes from 75,082 registered voters. England: 60%.
Majority 8,345 of 53,999 votes (15.5%): wider than in 55% of England’s 543 constituencies.
MPs and results: UK Parliament Members API (Open Parliament Licence v3.0); constituencies from ONS (2024 boundaries). Percentages are of valid votes; turnout is votes cast over the electorate.
Wokingham’s Band D council tax is £2,497 a year
Where a Band D bill goes, what it has cost over the years, and what the councils plan to spend per resident.
Wokingham Borough Council keeps £2,027.40 of a Band D bill (81%); the rest goes to the Wokingham parish council, the Thames Valley police and crime commissioner and the Berkshire Fire and Rescue Authority.
Across the whole town the average Band D is £2,486 (parishes differ; weighted by residents).
Band D since 1993
Wokingham’s Band D bill has risen 58% in ten years, from £1,580.11 in 2016–17, against England’s average (56%). It was £550.13 in 1993–94.
Your bill by band
A Band D home in Wokingham, 2026–27, before discounts. The Valuation Office Agency’s band search gives any home’s band.
Berkshire’s councils
Average Band D in each council area, 2026–27, parish precepts included. Bars start at £1,800.
Council budgets per resident, 2026–27
Show as a table, with Berkshire
| Wokingham | Wokingham’s councils | Berkshire | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Adult social care | £428 | £465 | £487 |
| Children’s social care | £228 | £286 | £290 |
| Roads and transport | £83 | £37 | £41 |
| Housing (not council homes’ rents) | £18 | £46 | £61 |
| Bins, street cleaning, environment | £100 | £116 | £119 |
| Libraries, leisure, culture | £-3 | £20 | £44 |
| Planning and development | £24 | £17 | £26 |
| Public health | £36 | £56 | £78 |
| Running the council | £91 | £55 | £59 |
| Other | £0 | £2 | £19 |
| Total, schools apart | £1,005 | £1,101 | £1,234 |
Net budgeted service spending, MHCLG Revenue Account budget 2026–27, per resident (ONS mid-2025 estimates). Schools are left out: academies are paid for directly by government, so council school budgets depend on how many schools have converted. Berkshire and England: all their councils together. Police, fire and transport authorities aren’t included.
Band D: MHCLG Band D council tax 2026–27 (each authority’s own figure, excluding parish precepts) and Council Tax statistics for town and parish councils 2026–27; since 1993–94, MHCLG’s area averages including parishes.
Having a say in how Wokingham is run
It takes about five minutes online; the deadline is 12 working days before a poll.
gov.uk ↗Type a postcode to write to each of its councillors and its MP.
WriteToThem ↗GOV.UK sends the report to the council that looks after the road.
gov.uk ↗Council and committee meetings are open to the public, with agendas and minutes online.
wokingham.gov.uk ↗Anyone can comment while an application is open for consultation.
wokingham.gov.uk ↗The rules, nomination papers and guidance for council candidates.
Electoral Commission ↗Questions about how Wokingham is run
Which council runs Wokingham?
Wokingham is run by Wokingham Borough Council.
Does Wokingham have a town council?
Yes: Wokingham has its own parish-tier council (Wokingham parish council; town councils are parish councils by another name), which adds £80 to a Band D bill in 2026–27.
Who is the MP for Wokingham?
Clive Jones (Liberal Democrat) is the MP for Wokingham, which covers Wokingham.
How many councillors does Wokingham have?
18 ward councillors represent Wokingham’s 6 wards.
When are the next elections in Wokingham?
No election is scheduled yet in Democracy Club’s list for Wokingham’s wards. The next UK general election must be held by August 2029.
How much is council tax in Wokingham?
Band D council tax in Wokingham is £2,486 for 2026–27. Your bill depends on your home’s band, from A (6/9 of Band D) to H (18/9).
Who controls Wokingham Borough Council?
No party has a majority. As elected, Liberal Democrat 28 · Conservative 21 · Labour 8 of 60 seats; a majority needs 31. The council’s website lists who leads it now.
Who won the 2026 council election in Wokingham?
In Wokingham’s wards on 7 May 2026, Liberal Democrat 4 · Labour 1 · Conservative 1 of the 6 seats up. The Liberal Democrats had the largest share of votes, 35.9%.
Sources: ONS ward, county division, parish, constituency lookups (Census 2021 output areas; Open Government Licence v3.0) · GOV.UK local council finder · Democracy Club candidates (CC BY 4.0) and EveryElection · UK Parliament Members API (Open Parliament Licence v3.0) · MHCLG Band D council tax, parish precepts and Revenue Account budgets 2026–27 (OGL v3.0) · ONS mid-2025 population estimates. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0.
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Contains HM Land Registry data © Crown copyright and database right 2026. Contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right 2026 (ONS boundaries). Northern Ireland: Source: NISRA; contains Land & Property Services data and Ordnance Survey of Northern Ireland information, © Crown copyright, licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Scotland: contains National Records of Scotland data, Registers of Scotland data and SEPA data, © Crown copyright / © SEPA 2025, licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.