Photo: David Dixon · CC BY-SA 2.0Blackburn was decided by 132 votes in 2024
Blackburn is run by Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council. No party holds a majority on Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council. Blackburn is split between 4 parliamentary constituencies.
£2,449
Band D, a year, the middle band every council sets its tax from.
Where it goes →How Blackburn’s politics has changed since 2021
No majority on Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council
Labour, the largest group, holds 23 of its 51 seats as elected, 3 short of the 26 needed (it held 34 before the May 2026 election). Independents hold 14, Reform UK 9 and the Conservatives 5. Who’s in charge ↓
The 2026 vote
Across Blackburn’s wards, independents took 32.4%, Reform UK took 24% and Labour took 22.5% of votes in May 2026. In 2024, independents had 43.3%. How Blackburn has voted ↓
A close seat
Mr Adnan Hussain (Independent) won Blackburn by 132 votes in July 2024, 0.34% of votes cast: the 12th-narrowest result of 543 in England. Parliament ↓
Council tax
A Band D bill in Blackburn is £2,450 for 2026–27; Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council keeps 84% 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 26 of Blackburn with Darwen’s 51 seats to run the council alone.
- Labour23−11
- Independent14+6
- Reform UK9+9
- Conservative5−4
Change against the council before the 7 May 2026 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, and a parish tier
Blackburn has two tiers of council: the county runs the big services, the district the local ones.
The parish council for the part of Blackburn inside Livesey parish.
5% of Blackburn’s residents · Band D precept £10
Every main council service: schools, social care, roads, bins, planning, housing and libraries.
95% of Blackburn’s residents
Website ↗Bins and recycling, planning, housing, environmental health, leisure, and collecting council tax.
Who runs Blackburn: same source as Who runs Blackburn, above.
Website ↗Bins and recycling, planning, housing, environmental health, leisure, and collecting council tax.
Who runs Blackburn: same source as Who runs Blackburn, above.
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.
90% of Blackburn’s residents live outside any parish, with no parish council.
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 Blackburn, from the most recent elections.
- 1Town or parishParish tierLivesey parish council
- 2Council wards15 wards · 41 councillorsLabour 17 · Independent 14 · Conservative 5 · Reform UK 5 · all 41
- 3Lancashire County Council1 division · 1 councillorSteve Atkinson
- 4Police and crime commissionerLancashire Constabulary · elected May 2024Clive Grunshaw
- 5House of CommonsSplit between 4 constituencies
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.
41 councillors for 15 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.
- Aadil ChopdatIndependent · May 2026
- Amin KapadiaIndependent · May 2024
- Salim SidatLabour · May 2023
- Andy MahonReform UK · May 2026
- Tony HumphrysLabour · May 2024
- Vicky McGurkLabour and Co-operative · May 2023
- John Alan ClaytonReform UK · May 2026
- Ashley Richard WhalleyLabour · May 2024
- Jim CaseyLabour · May 2023
- Maulana Siddiq PatelIndependent · May 2026
- Iqbal MastersIndependent · May 2024
- Quesir MahmoodLabour · May 2023
- Tasleem FazalIndependent · May 2026
- Waqar HussainIndependent · May 2024
- Jackie FloydLabour · May 2023
- Hussain AkhtarLabour · May 2026
- Muntazir PatelIndependent · May 2024
- Salma PatelLabour · May 2023
- Haroon KhanIndependent · May 2026
- Tiger PatelIndependent · May 2024
- Mustafa Ali DesaiLabour · May 2023
- Zamir KhanLabour · May 2026
- Terri MahmoodIndependent · May 2024
- Mahfooz HussainLabour · May 2023
- Sajid AliIndependent · May 2026
- Imran AhmedIndependent · May 2024
- Phil RileyLabour · May 2023
- Shakeel ChoudhryIndependent · May 2026
- Rana KhanIndependent · May 2024
- Shaukat HussainLabour · May 2023
- Stephen James HartleyReform UK · May 2026
- Julie GunnLabour · May 2024
- Damian TalbotLabour · May 2023
- Daniel MatchettReform UK · May 2026
- Liz JohnsonLabour · May 2024
- John SlaterConservative · May 2023
The other 3 wards
- Helen A R VoegtReform UK · May 2026
- Mark RussellConservative · May 2024
- Paul MarrowConservative · May 2023
- Sue BibbyConservative · May 2023
- Stuart HirstConservative · May 2023
- No election on record since May 2021
Show as a table, with Lancashire County Council’s 1 division (1 councillor)
| Ward | Seats | Elected | When |
|---|---|---|---|
| Audley & Queen's ParkBlackburn with Darwen · all in Blackburn · 10,905 residents3 seats · May 2026, May 2024, May 2023 | 3 | Aadil ChopdatAmin KapadiaSalim Sidat | May 2026, May 2024, May 2023 |
| Blackburn South EastBlackburn with Darwen · all in Blackburn · 10,288 residents3 seats · May 2026, May 2024, May 2023 | 3 | Andy MahonTony HumphrysVicky McGurk | May 2026, May 2024, May 2023 |
| EwoodBlackburn with Darwen · all in Blackburn · 9,581 residents3 seats · May 2026, May 2024, May 2023 | 3 | John Alan ClaytonAshley Richard WhalleyJim Casey | May 2026, May 2024, May 2023 |
| Wensley FoldBlackburn with Darwen · all in Blackburn · 9,505 residents3 seats · May 2026, May 2024, May 2023 | 3 | Maulana Siddiq PatelIqbal MastersQuesir Mahmood | May 2026, May 2024, May 2023 |
| Billinge & BeardwoodBlackburn with Darwen · all in Blackburn · 9,485 residents3 seats · May 2026, May 2024, May 2023 | 3 | Tasleem FazalWaqar HussainJackie Floyd | May 2026, May 2024, May 2023 |
| Shear Brow & Corporation ParkBlackburn with Darwen · all in Blackburn · 9,362 residents3 seats · May 2026, May 2024, May 2023 | 3 | Hussain AkhtarMuntazir PatelSalma Patel | May 2026, May 2024, May 2023 |
| Little Harwood & WhitebirkBlackburn with Darwen · all in Blackburn · 9,319 residents3 seats · May 2026, May 2024, May 2023 | 3 | Haroon KhanTiger PatelMustafa Ali Desai | May 2026, May 2024, May 2023 |
| Blackburn CentralBlackburn with Darwen · all in Blackburn · 9,276 residents3 seats · May 2026, May 2024, May 2023 | 3 | Zamir KhanTerri MahmoodMahfooz Hussain | May 2026, May 2024, May 2023 |
| Roe LeeBlackburn with Darwen · all in Blackburn · 9,251 residents3 seats · May 2026, May 2024, May 2023 | 3 | Sajid AliImran AhmedPhil Riley | May 2026, May 2024, May 2023 |
| Bastwell & DaisyfieldBlackburn with Darwen · all in Blackburn · 9,021 residents3 seats · May 2026, May 2024, May 2023 | 3 | Shakeel ChoudhryRana KhanShaukat Hussain | May 2026, May 2024, May 2023 |
| Mill Hill & MoorgateBlackburn with Darwen · all in Blackburn · 8,344 residents3 seats · May 2026, May 2024, May 2023 | 3 | Stephen James HartleyJulie GunnDamian Talbot | May 2026, May 2024, May 2023 |
| Blackburn South & Lower DarwenBlackburn with Darwen · all in Blackburn · 7,571 residents3 seats · May 2026, May 2024, May 2023 | 3 | Daniel MatchettLiz JohnsonJohn Slater | May 2026, May 2024, May 2023 |
| Livesey with PleasingtonBlackburn with Darwen · mostly in Blackburn · 7,366 residents3 seats · May 2026, May 2024, May 2023 | 3 | Helen A R VoegtMark RussellPaul Marrow | May 2026, May 2024, May 2023 |
| Wilpshire & RamsgreaveRibble Valley · mostly in Blackburn · 2,632 residents2 seats · May 2023 | 2 | Sue BibbyStuart Hirst | May 2023 |
| Clayton-le-Dale & SalesburyBlackburn with Darwen · mostly in Blackburn · 936 residents | – | No election on record since May 2021 |
Lancashire County Council: county divisions
| Division | Seats | Elected | When |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ribble Valley South West ED19% in Blackburn · 3,568 residents1 seat · May 2025 | 1 | Steve Atkinson | May 2025 |
Councillors can resign, change party or sit as independents between elections; a by-election winner replaces someone not named here. Blackburn with Darwen 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).
Who led each council vote, 2021–2026
Share of all votes cast for candidates in Blackburn’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% | 1.1% | 2.3% | 11.7% |
| Labour | 62% | 64.5% | 66.4% | 35.9% | 22.5% |
| Independent | 0.5% | 5.4% | 0.7% | 43.3% | 32.4% |
| Conservative | 37% | 30.1% | 30% | 18.6% | 8.9% |
| Reform UK | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 24% |
In 2026, independents won 6, Reform UK won 5 and Labour won 2 of the 13 seats up in Blackburn’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.
Blackburn with Darwen council election, May 2026
Results in the wards that make up Blackburn, as declared. Percentages are of votes cast for candidates in each ward; where a ward elects several councillors, each voter has that many votes.
13 wards voted. Blackburn with Darwen elects a third of its councillors at a time, so a third of the seats were up.
No election is scheduled yet for Blackburn’s wards in Democracy Club’s list. Councils publish a notice of election about five weeks before polling day.
Who can I vote for? ↗2,302 votes for candidates
1,803 votes for candidates
2,021 votes for candidates
Every ward’s result (10 more)
2,658 votes for candidates
2,800 votes for candidates
3,007 votes for candidates
2,197 votes for candidates
2,105 votes for candidates
2,638 votes for candidates
2,855 votes for candidates
1,951 votes for candidates
2,343 votes for candidates
3,346 votes for candidates
Candidates and results: Democracy Club (CC BY 4.0), from councils’ declared results; polling dates from Democracy Club’s EveryElection.
Blackburn is split between 4 constituencies
The constituencies’ MP and the 4 July 2024 general election, the whole constituency’s result.
38,887 votes for candidates · majority 132
Independent, MP since 4 July 2024.
turnout in July 2024: 38,887 votes from 73,263 registered voters. England: 60%.
Majority 132 of 38,887 votes (0.34%): the 12th-narrowest of 543 in England.
| Constituency | MP | Share of town |
|---|---|---|
| Hyndburn | Sarah Smith | 2% |
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.
Blackburn’s Band D council tax is £2,450 a year
Where a Band D bill goes, what it has cost over the years, and what the councils plan to spend per resident.
Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council keeps £2,062.96 of a Band D bill (84%); the rest goes to the Lancashire police and crime commissioner and the Lancashire Fire and Rescue Authority.
Across the whole town the average Band D is £2,449 (parishes differ; weighted by residents).
Band D since 1993
Blackburn with Darwen’s Band D bill has risen 58% in ten years, from £1,549.77 in 2016–17, against England’s average (56%). It was £621.00 in 1993–94.
Your bill by band
A Band D home in the unparished part of Blackburn with Darwen, 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
| Blackburn with Darwen | Blackburn’s councils | Lancashire | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Adult social care | £549 | £533 | £487 |
| Children’s social care | £432 | £295 | £290 |
| Roads and transport | £33 | £44 | £41 |
| Housing (not council homes’ rents) | £38 | £24 | £61 |
| Bins, street cleaning, environment | £109 | £135 | £119 |
| Libraries, leisure, culture | £55 | £56 | £44 |
| Planning and development | £39 | £16 | £26 |
| Public health | £125 | £92 | £78 |
| Running the council | £43 | £73 | £59 |
| Other | £25 | £13 | £19 |
| Total, schools apart | £1,448 | £1,281 | £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. 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 Blackburn 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.
blackburn.gov.uk ↗Anyone can comment while an application is open for consultation.
blackburn.gov.uk ↗The rules, nomination papers and guidance for council candidates.
Electoral Commission ↗Questions about how Blackburn is run
Does Blackburn have a town council?
Parts of it do: Livesey parish council.
Who is the MP for Blackburn?
Blackburn is split between 4 constituencies: Blackburn (Mr Adnan Hussain, Independent), Rossendale and Darwen (Andy MacNae, Labour), Ribble Valley (Maya Ellis, Labour) and Hyndburn (Sarah Smith, Labour). Parliament’s Find your MP service matches a postcode to its MP.
How many councillors does Blackburn have?
41 ward councillors represent Blackburn’s 15 wards, and 1 county councillors its county divisions.
When are the next elections in Blackburn?
No election is scheduled yet in Democracy Club’s list for Blackburn’s wards. The next UK general election must be held by August 2029.
How much is council tax in Blackburn?
Band D council tax in Blackburn is £2,449 for 2026–27. Your bill depends on your home’s band, from A (6/9 of Band D) to H (18/9).
Who controls Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council?
No party has a majority. As elected, Labour 23 · Independent 14 · Reform UK 9 · Conservative 5 of 51 seats; a majority needs 26. The council’s website lists who leads it now.
Who won the 2026 council election in Blackburn?
In Blackburn’s wards on 7 May 2026, Independent 6 · Reform UK 5 · Labour 2 of the 13 seats up. Independents had the largest share of votes, 32.4%.
Is Blackburn a marginal seat?
Mr Adnan Hussain (Independent) won it by 132 votes in July 2024, 0.34% of votes cast: the 12th-narrowest result of 543 in England.
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.