Photo: Raymond Knapman · CC BY-SA 2.0Labour holds a majority on Hyndburn Borough Council
Accrington is run by Hyndburn Borough Council and Lancashire County Council. Labour has a majority on Hyndburn Borough Council. Reform UK has a majority on Lancashire County Council. Its MP is Sarah Smith (Labour), member for Hyndburn.
How Accrington’s politics has changed since 2021
A majority on Hyndburn Borough Council
Labour holds a majority on Hyndburn Borough Council: 18 of its 35 seats as elected. Reform UK holds 8, the Conservatives 7, the Greens 1 and independents 1. Who’s in charge ↓
Lancashire changed hands in 2025
Lancashire County Council, which runs schools, social care and roads, went from a Conservative majority (47 of 84 seats in 2021) to a Reform UK majority at the May 2025 election: Reform UK won 53 of 84 seats. Lancashire ↓
The 2026 vote
Across Accrington’s wards, Reform UK took 38.9%, Labour took 21.9% and the Conservatives took 16% of votes in May 2026. In 2024, Reform UK had 0%. How Accrington has voted ↓
Council tax
A Band D bill in Accrington is £2,465 for 2026–27; Hyndburn Borough Council keeps 11% of it. The council area’s Band D has risen 51% 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.
Who holds the seats on Accrington’s councils
Seats by party as elected. A party needs 18 of Hyndburn’s 35 or 43 of Lancashire’s 84 seats to run the council alone.
- Labour18
- Reform UK8
- Conservative7
- Green1
- Independent1
Latest election: May 2026.
- Reform UK53+53
- Conservative8−39
- Independent7+7
- Labour5−28
- Liberal Democrat5+3
- Green4+2
- Our West Lancashire2+2
Change against the council before the 1 May 2025 election.
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.
Two tiers of council, no parish tier
Accrington has two tiers of council: the county runs the big services, the district the local ones.
Bins and recycling, planning, housing, environmental health, leisure, and collecting council tax.
Website ↗Schools, social care, roads and transport, libraries and waste disposal.
Website ↗Transport, skills and regeneration across several council areas.
Who to ask
From GOV.UK’s “Understand how your council works”: in two-tier areas the district or borough runs local services and the county the big ones.
All of Accrington is unparished: there is no parish or town council, so the council runs local matters itself and no parish precept is added to the bill.
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 council to Westminster
Every elected tier that speaks for Accrington, from the most recent elections.
- 1Hyndburn Borough Council8 wards · 13 councillorsLabour 7 · Reform UK 3 · Green 1 · Independent 1 · Conservative 1 · all 13
- 2Lancashire County Council3 divisions · 3 councillorsAshley JoynesSohail AsgharJoel Michael Tetlow
- 3Police and crime commissionerLancashire Constabulary · elected May 2024Clive Grunshaw
- 4House of CommonsHyndburn
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.
13 councillors for 8 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.
- Mohammed Shabir FazalGreen · May 2024
- Sohail AsgharIndependent · May 2026
- Munsif DadLabour · May 2024
- Joel Michael TetlowReform UK · May 2026
- Paul Ian CoxLabour · May 2023
- Clare Elizabeth McKennaLabour · May 2024
- Michael David BoothLabour · May 2023
- Ashley JoynesReform UK · May 2026
- Clare PritchardLabour · May 2024
- David James HeapConservative · February 2025 · by-election
- Edward BlakeLabour · May 2024
- Anthony David MitchellReform UK · May 2026
- Stewart Thurston EavesLabour · May 2024
Show as a table, with Lancashire County Council’s 3 divisions (3 councillors)
| Ward | Seats | Elected | When |
|---|---|---|---|
| Centralall in Accrington · 6,181 residents1 seat · May 2024 | 1 | Mohammed Shabir Fazal | May 2024 |
| Spring Hillall in Accrington · 5,586 residents2 seats · May 2026, May 2024 | 2 | Sohail AsgharMunsif Dad | May 2026, May 2024 |
| Milnshawall in Accrington · 4,888 residents2 seats · May 2026, May 2023 | 2 | Joel Michael TetlowPaul Ian Cox | May 2026, May 2023 |
| Barnfieldall in Accrington · 4,707 residents2 seats · May 2024, May 2023 | 2 | Clare Elizabeth McKennaMichael David Booth | May 2024, May 2023 |
| Peelall in Accrington · 4,451 residents2 seats · May 2026, May 2024 | 2 | Ashley JoynesClare Pritchard | May 2026, May 2024 |
| Baxendenmostly in Accrington · 3,613 residents2 seats · February 2025, May 2024 | 2 | David James Heapby-electionEdward Blake | February 2025, May 2024 |
| Huncoatmostly in Accrington · 3,442 residents1 seat · May 2026 | 1 | Anthony David Mitchell | May 2026 |
| Church38% in Accrington · 2,029 residents1 seat · May 2024 | 1 | Stewart Thurston Eaves | May 2024 |
Lancashire County Council: county divisions
| Division | Seats | Elected | When |
|---|---|---|---|
| Accrington South EDmostly in Accrington · 16,213 residents1 seat · May 2025 | 1 | Ashley Joynes | May 2025 |
| Accrington West & Oswaldtwistle Central EDmostly in Accrington · 13,796 residents1 seat · May 2025 | 1 | Sohail Asghar | May 2025 |
| Accrington North EDall in Accrington · 4,888 residents1 seat · May 2025 | 1 | Joel Michael Tetlow | May 2025 |
Councillors can resign, change party or sit as independents between elections; a by-election winner replaces someone not named here. Hyndburn 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).
Labour led each vote to 2024; Reform UK led in 2026
Share of all votes cast for candidates in Accrington’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 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Green | 0% | 0% | 0.9% | 27% | 14.6% |
| Labour | 52% | 51.4% | 53.2% | 40.7% | 21.9% |
| Independent | 0% | 5% | 9.1% | 0.5% | 8.6% |
| Conservative | 48% | 42.6% | 36.8% | 29.7% | 16% |
| Reform UK | 0% | 1% | 0% | 0% | 38.9% |
In 2026, Reform UK won 3 and independents won 1 of the 4 seats up in Accrington’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.
Hyndburn council election, May 2026
Results in the wards that make up Accrington, as declared. Percentages are of votes cast for candidates in each ward; where a ward elects several councillors, each voter has that many votes.
4 wards voted. Hyndburn elects a third of its councillors at a time, so a third of the seats were up.
- 12 November 2026Council by-election, Huncoat (Hyndburn)4 candidates: Mark Conlon (Restore Britain), Shahed Mahmood (Conservative), Jackie Rawstron (Labour), Anna Stanislawska (Reform UK)
1,463 votes for candidates
1,219 votes for candidates
898 votes for candidates
Every ward’s result (1 more)
1,418 votes for candidates
Candidates and results: Democracy Club (CC BY 4.0), from councils’ declared results; polling dates from Democracy Club’s EveryElection.
Accrington is in Hyndburn constituency
The constituency’s MP and the 4 July 2024 general election, the whole constituency’s result (it reaches beyond Accrington).
36,374 votes for candidates · majority 1,687
Labour, MP since 4 July 2024.
turnout in July 2024: 36,374 votes from 67,147 registered voters. England: 60%.
Majority 1,687 of 36,374 votes (4.6%): the 87th-narrowest of 543 in England.
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.
Accrington’s Band D council tax is £2,465 a year
Where a Band D bill goes, what it has cost over the years, and what the councils plan to spend per resident.
Hyndburn Borough Council keeps £276.46 of a Band D bill (11%); the rest goes to Lancashire County Council, the Lancashire police and crime commissioner and the Lancashire Fire and Rescue Authority.
Band D since 1993
Hyndburn’s Band D bill has risen 51% in ten years, from £1,633.70 in 2016–17, against England’s average (56%). It was £634.50 in 1993–94.
Your bill by band
A Band D home in the unparished part of Hyndburn, 2026–27, before discounts. The Valuation Office Agency’s band search gives any home’s band.
Lancashire’s councils
Average Band D in each council area, 2026–27, parish precepts included; the 11 nearest of 14. Bars start at £2,200.
Council budgets per resident, 2026–27
Show as a table, with Lancashire
| Hyndburn + Lancashire | Accrington’s councils | Lancashire | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Adult social care | £522 | £533 | £487 |
| Children’s social care | £249 | £295 | £290 |
| Roads and transport | £49 | £44 | £41 |
| Housing (not council homes’ rents) | £26 | £24 | £61 |
| Bins, street cleaning, environment | £136 | £135 | £119 |
| Libraries, leisure, culture | £51 | £56 | £44 |
| Planning and development | £27 | £16 | £26 |
| Public health | £78 | £92 | £78 |
| Running the council | £100 | £73 | £59 |
| Other | £0 | £13 | £19 |
| Total, schools apart | £1,238 | £1,281 | £1,234 |
Net budgeted service spending, MHCLG Revenue Account budget 2026–27, per resident (ONS mid-2025 estimates). Both tiers added: Hyndburn per its residents plus Lancashire per the county’s. Schools are left out: academies are paid for directly by government, so council school budgets depend on how many schools have converted. Lancashire 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 Accrington 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.
hyndburnbc.gov.uk ↗Anyone can comment while an application is open for consultation.
hyndburnbc.gov.uk ↗The rules, nomination papers and guidance for council candidates.
Electoral Commission ↗Questions about how Accrington is run
Which council runs Accrington?
The county council runs schools, social care and roads; the district runs bins, planning and housing.
Does Accrington have a town council?
No. Accrington is unparished, so there is no town or parish council and no parish precept.
Who is the MP for Accrington?
Sarah Smith (Labour) is the MP for Hyndburn, which covers Accrington.
How many councillors does Accrington have?
13 ward councillors represent Accrington’s 8 wards, and 3 county councillors its county divisions.
When are the next elections in Accrington?
The next poll is on 12 November 2026: Council by-election, Huncoat (Hyndburn).
How much is council tax in Accrington?
Band D council tax in Accrington is £2,465 for 2026–27. Your bill depends on your home’s band, from A (6/9 of Band D) to H (18/9).
Who controls Hyndburn Borough Council?
Labour has a majority: 18 of 35 seats as elected. The council’s website lists who leads it now.
Who controls Lancashire County Council?
Reform UK has a majority: 53 of 84 seats as elected.
Who won the 2026 council election in Accrington?
In Accrington’s wards on 7 May 2026, Reform UK 3 · Independent 1 of the 4 seats up. Reform UK had the largest share of votes, 38.9%.
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.