Photo: Stephen Craven · CC BY-SA 2.0No party holds a majority on Burnley Borough Council
Burnley is run by Burnley Borough Council and Lancashire County Council. No party holds a majority on Burnley Borough Council. Reform UK has a majority on Lancashire County Council. Its MP is Oliver Ryan (Labour), member for Burnley.
£2,542
Band D, a year, the middle band every council sets its tax from.
Where it goes →How Burnley’s politics has changed since 2021
No majority on Burnley Borough Council
Labour, the largest group, holds 12 of its 45 seats as elected, 11 short of the 23 needed (it held 19 before the May 2026 election). Reform UK holds 11, independents 8, the Liberal Democrats 5, the Conservatives 5, the Greens 3 and Burnley and Padiham independent Party 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 Burnley’s wards, Reform UK took 42.1%, independents took 15.5% and the Liberal Democrats took 13.6% of votes in May 2026. In 2024, Reform UK had 0%. How Burnley has voted ↓
Council tax
A Band D bill in Burnley is £2,540 for 2026–27; Burnley Borough Council keeps 14% 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 Burnley’s councils
Seats by party as elected. A party needs 23 of Burnley’s 45 or 43 of Lancashire’s 84 seats to run the council alone.
- Labour12−7
- Reform UK11+11
- Independent8+3
- Conservative5−2
- Liberal Democrat5−2
- Green3−2
- Burnley and Padiham independent Party1−1
Change against the council before the 7 May 2026 election.
- Reform UK53+53
- Conservative8−39
- Independent7+7
- Labour5−28
- Liberal Democrat5+3
- Green4+2
- Our West Lancashire2+2
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
Burnley has two tiers of council: the county runs the big services, the district the local ones.
The parish council for the part of Burnley inside Briercliffe parish.
4% of Burnley’s residents · Band D precept £20
The parish council for the part of Burnley inside Ightenhill parish.
Who runs Burnley: same source as Who runs Burnley, above.
The parish council for the part of Burnley inside Worsthorne-with-Hurstwood parish.
Who runs Burnley: same source as Who runs Burnley, above.
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.
89% of Burnley’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 Burnley, from the most recent elections.
- 1Town or parish3 parish councilsBriercliffe parish councilIghtenhill parish councilWorsthorne-with-Hurstwood parish council
- 2Burnley Borough Council13 wards · 39 councillorsLabour 10 · Reform UK 9 · Independent 8 · Liberal Democrat 5 · Green 3 · Conservative 3 · Burnley and Padiham independent Party 1 · all 39
- 3Lancashire County Council6 divisions · 6 councillorsUsman ArifEddie KutaviciusMaheen KamranLiam ThomsonMark PoultonTom Pickup
- 4Police and crime commissionerLancashire Constabulary · elected May 2024Clive Grunshaw
- 5House of CommonsBurnley
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.
39 councillors for 13 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.
- Shah HussainIndependent · May 2026
- Saeed Akhtar ChaudharyIndependent · May 2024
- Nussrat KazmiLabour · May 2023
- Liam ThomsonReform UK · May 2026
- Ashley Stephen BrownLabour · May 2024
- Paul ReynoldsLabour · May 2023
- Afrasiab AnwarIndependent · May 2026
- Lubna KhanIndependent · May 2024
- Sehrish LoneLabour · May 2023
- Jim HalsteadReform UK · May 2026
- Shiraz AhmedIndependent · November 2025 · by-election
- Andy WaddingtonLabour · May 2024
- Zulkernehn HayatIndependent · May 2026
- Musharaf ParvezIndependent · November 2025 · by-election
- Aurangzeb AliIndependent · May 2024
- Jeff SumnerReform UK · May 2026
- Bill HorrocksLabour · May 2024
- Margaret BrindleLabour · May 2023
- Josh GrahamReform UK · May 2026
- Shaun SprouleLabour · May 2024
- Mark TownsendLabour and Co-operative · May 2023
- Kev ShackellReform UK · May 2026
- Martyn HurtGreen · May 2024
- Alex HallGreen · October 2023 · by-election
- Angela RadcliffeReform UK · May 2026
- Gemma HaighLabour and Co-operative · May 2024
- Charlie BriggsBurnley and Padiham independent Party · May 2023
- Chris WeekesReform UK · May 2026
- Don WhitakerConservative · May 2024
- Lee James AshworthConservative · May 2023
- Gordon BirtwistleLiberal Democrat · May 2026
- Jacqueline InckleLiberal Democrat · May 2024
- Howard BakerLiberal Democrat · May 2023
- Mark PoultonReform UK · May 2026
- Margaret Ann LishmanLiberal Democrat · May 2024
- Anne Rosemarie KellyLiberal Democrat · May 2023
The other 1 wards
- Gavin TheakerReform UK · May 2026
- Ivor Christopher EmoConservative · May 2024
- Beki HughesGreen · May 2023
Show as a table, with Lancashire County Council’s 6 divisions (6 councillors)
| Ward | Seats | Elected | When |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daneshouse with Stoneyholmeall in Burnley · 7,889 residents3 seats · May 2026, May 2024, May 2023 | 3 | Shah HussainSaeed Akhtar ChaudharyNussrat Kazmi | May 2026, May 2024, May 2023 |
| Rosegrove with Lowerhouseall in Burnley · 7,099 residents3 seats · May 2026, May 2024, May 2023 | 3 | Liam ThomsonAshley Stephen BrownPaul Reynolds | May 2026, May 2024, May 2023 |
| Bank Hallall in Burnley · 6,798 residents3 seats · May 2026, May 2024, May 2023 | 3 | Afrasiab AnwarLubna KhanSehrish Lone | May 2026, May 2024, May 2023 |
| Laneheadall in Burnley · 6,779 residents3 seats · May 2026, November 2025, May 2024 | 3 | Jim HalsteadShiraz Ahmedby-electionAndy Waddington | May 2026, November 2025, May 2024 |
| Queensgateall in Burnley · 6,677 residents3 seats · May 2026, November 2025, May 2024 | 3 | Zulkernehn HayatMusharaf Parvezby-electionAurangzeb Ali | May 2026, November 2025, May 2024 |
| Rosehill with Burnley Woodall in Burnley · 6,660 residents3 seats · May 2026, May 2024, May 2023 | 3 | Jeff SumnerBill HorrocksMargaret Brindle | May 2026, May 2024, May 2023 |
| Brunshawall in Burnley · 6,264 residents3 seats · May 2026, May 2024, May 2023 | 3 | Josh GrahamShaun SprouleMark Townsend | May 2026, May 2024, May 2023 |
| Trinityall in Burnley · 6,069 residents3 seats · May 2026, May 2024, October 2023 | 3 | Kev ShackellMartyn HurtAlex Hallby-election | May 2026, May 2024, October 2023 |
| Gannowall in Burnley · 5,912 residents3 seats · May 2026, May 2024, May 2023 | 3 | Angela RadcliffeGemma HaighCharlie Briggs | May 2026, May 2024, May 2023 |
| Whittlefield with Ightenhillall in Burnley · 5,850 residents3 seats · May 2026, May 2024, May 2023 | 3 | Chris WeekesDon WhitakerLee James Ashworth | May 2026, May 2024, May 2023 |
| Coal Clough with Deerplayall in Burnley · 5,084 residents3 seats · May 2026, May 2024, May 2023 | 3 | Gordon BirtwistleJacqueline InckleHoward Baker | May 2026, May 2024, May 2023 |
| Briercliffemostly in Burnley · 4,763 residents3 seats · May 2026, May 2024, May 2023 | 3 | Mark PoultonMargaret Ann LishmanAnne Rosemarie Kelly | May 2026, May 2024, May 2023 |
| Cliviger with Worsthorne48% in Burnley · 2,422 residents3 seats · May 2026, May 2024, May 2023 | 3 | Gavin TheakerIvor Christopher EmoBeki Hughes | May 2026, May 2024, May 2023 |
Lancashire County Council: county divisions
| Division | Seats | Elected | When |
|---|---|---|---|
| Burnley North East EDall in Burnley · 20,254 residents1 seat · May 2025 | 1 | Usman Arif | May 2025 |
| Burnley South West EDall in Burnley · 19,671 residents1 seat · May 2025 | 1 | Eddie Kutavicius | May 2025 |
| Burnley Central East EDall in Burnley · 14,153 residents1 seat · May 2025 | 1 | Maheen Kamran | May 2025 |
| Burnley Central West EDall in Burnley · 11,919 residents1 seat · May 2025 | 1 | Liam Thomson | May 2025 |
| Burnley Rural EDmostly in Burnley · 7,185 residents1 seat · May 2025 | 1 | Mark Poulton | May 2025 |
| Padiham & Burnley West ED28% in Burnley · 5,084 residents1 seat · May 2025 | 1 | Tom Pickup | May 2025 |
Councillors can resign, change party or sit as independents between elections; a by-election winner replaces someone not named here. Burnley 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 Burnley’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 | 18.2% | 17.7% | 18.1% | 10.9% | 8.4% |
| Labour | 35% | 39% | 41% | 30.8% | 11.4% |
| Liberal Democrat | 12% | 14.7% | 15.5% | 10.5% | 13.6% |
| Independent | 0% | 0.2% | 0.5% | 24.9% | 15.5% |
| Conservative | 26.7% | 22.2% | 19.5% | 23% | 9.1% |
| Reform UK | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 42.1% |
| Burnley and Padiham independent Party | 7.8% | 6.2% | 4.9% | 0% | 0% |
In 2026, Reform UK won 9, independents won 3 and the Liberal Democrats won 1 of the 13 seats up in Burnley’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.
Burnley council election, May 2026
Results in the wards that make up Burnley, 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. Burnley elects a third of its councillors at a time, so a third of the seats were up.
No election is scheduled yet for Burnley’s wards in Democracy Club’s list. Councils publish a notice of election about five weeks before polling day.
Who can I vote for? ↗1,912 votes for candidates
1,595 votes for candidates
1,612 votes for candidates
Every ward’s result (10 more)
2,119 votes for candidates
1,704 votes for candidates
1,583 votes for candidates
1,571 votes for candidates
1,190 votes for candidates
1,643 votes for candidates
2,129 votes for candidates
1,682 votes for candidates
1,967 votes for candidates
2,355 votes for candidates
Candidates and results: Democracy Club (CC BY 4.0), from councils’ declared results; polling dates from Democracy Club’s EveryElection.
Burnley is in Burnley constituency
The constituency’s MP and the 4 July 2024 general election, the whole constituency’s result (it reaches beyond Burnley).
39,719 votes for candidates · majority 3,420
Labour, MP since 4 July 2024.
turnout in July 2024: 39,719 votes from 74,954 registered voters. England: 60%.
Majority 3,420 of 39,719 votes (8.6%): the 159th-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.
Burnley’s Band D council tax is £2,540 a year
Where a Band D bill goes, what it has cost over the years, and what the councils plan to spend per resident.
Burnley Borough Council keeps £351.44 of a Band D bill (14%); the rest goes to Lancashire County Council, the Lancashire police and crime commissioner and the Lancashire Fire and Rescue Authority.
Across the whole town the average Band D is £2,542 (parishes differ; weighted by residents).
Band D since 1993
Burnley’s Band D bill has risen 51% in ten years, from £1,683.70 in 2016–17, against England’s average (56%). It was £627.75 in 1993–94.
Your bill by band
A Band D home in the unparished part of Burnley, 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
| Burnley + Lancashire | Burnley’s councils | Lancashire | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Adult social care | £522 | £533 | £487 |
| Children’s social care | £249 | £295 | £290 |
| Roads and transport | £41 | £44 | £41 |
| Housing (not council homes’ rents) | £22 | £24 | £61 |
| Bins, street cleaning, environment | £127 | £135 | £119 |
| Libraries, leisure, culture | £70 | £56 | £44 |
| Planning and development | £6 | £16 | £26 |
| Public health | £78 | £92 | £78 |
| Running the council | £89 | £73 | £59 |
| Other | £0 | £13 | £19 |
| Total, schools apart | £1,203 | £1,281 | £1,234 |
Net budgeted service spending, MHCLG Revenue Account budget 2026–27, per resident (ONS mid-2025 estimates). Both tiers added: Burnley 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 Burnley 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.
burnley.gov.uk ↗Anyone can comment while an application is open for consultation.
burnley.gov.uk ↗The rules, nomination papers and guidance for council candidates.
Electoral Commission ↗Questions about how Burnley is run
Which council runs Burnley?
The county council runs schools, social care and roads; the district runs bins, planning and housing.
Does Burnley have a town council?
Parts of it do: Briercliffe parish council, Ightenhill parish council and Worsthorne-with-Hurstwood parish council.
Who is the MP for Burnley?
Oliver Ryan (Labour) is the MP for Burnley, which covers Burnley.
How many councillors does Burnley have?
39 ward councillors represent Burnley’s 13 wards, and 6 county councillors its county divisions.
When are the next elections in Burnley?
No election is scheduled yet in Democracy Club’s list for Burnley’s wards. The next UK general election must be held by August 2029.
How much is council tax in Burnley?
Band D council tax in Burnley is £2,542 for 2026–27. Your bill depends on your home’s band, from A (6/9 of Band D) to H (18/9).
Who controls Burnley Borough Council?
No party has a majority. As elected, Labour 12 · Reform UK 11 · Independent 8 · Liberal Democrat 5 · Conservative 5 · Green 3 · Burnley and Padiham independent Party 1 of 45 seats; a majority needs 23. 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 Burnley?
In Burnley’s wards on 7 May 2026, Reform UK 9 · Independent 3 · Liberal Democrat 1 of the 13 seats up. Reform UK had the largest share of votes, 42.1%.
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.