Photo: Jonathan Clitheroe · CC BY-SA 2.0Labour holds a majority on Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council
Rotherham is run by Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council. Labour has a majority on Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council. Most of Rotherham is in Rotherham (MP Sarah Champion, Labour); 12% of residents are in Rother Valley (MP Jake Richards, Labour).
£2,321
Band D, a year, the middle band every council sets its tax from.
Where it goes →How Rotherham’s politics has changed since 2021
A majority on Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council
Labour holds a majority on Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council: 33 of its 59 seats as elected (it held 34 before the May 2024 election). The Conservatives hold 13, independents 9, the Liberal Democrats 3 and Reform UK 1. Who’s in charge ↓
The 2024 vote
Across Rotherham’s wards, Labour took 38%, independents took 27% and the Conservatives took 18.5% of votes in May 2024. In 2021, Labour had 43.8%. How Rotherham has voted ↓
Council tax
A Band D bill in Rotherham is £2,320 for 2026–27; Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council keeps 84% of it. The council area’s Band D has risen 50% 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
Seats by party as elected. A party needs 30 of Rotherham’s 59 seats to run the council alone.
- Labour33−1
- Conservative13−5
- Independent9+8
- Liberal Democrat3−1
- Reform UK1+1
- Rotherham Democratic Party0−2
Change against the council before the 2 May 2024 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.
The councils that run Rotherham
One council runs every main service here.
Every main council service: schools, social care, roads, bins, planning, housing and libraries.
Website ↗Transport, skills and regeneration across several council areas.
Who to ask
From GOV.UK’s “Understand how your council works”: here one council runs every main service.
98% of Rotherham 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 Rotherham, from the most recent elections.
- 1Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council7 wards · 19 councillorsLabour 9 · Independent 8 · Conservative 2 · Reform UK 1 · all 20
- 2Police and crime commissionerSouth Yorkshire Police · elected May 2021Alan Billings
- 3House of CommonsSplit between 2 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.
19 councillors for 7 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.
- Angham AhmedLabour · May 2024
- Haroon RashidLabour · May 2024
- Rukhsana Bibi HaleemLabour · May 2024
- Taiba YasseenIndependent · May 2024
- Ashiq HussainIndependent · May 2024
- Saghir AlamLabour · May 2024
- Ian Paul JonesIndependent · May 2024
- Eve Rose KeenanLabour · May 2024
- Cameron McKiernanLabour · May 2024
- Tony HarrisonReform UK · July 2025 · by-election
- Gill GarnettLabour · May 2024
- Carole FosterLabour · May 2024
- Sid CurrieIndependent · May 2024
- David Frank FisherConservative · May 2024
- Paul Stewart ThorpConservative · May 2024
- Mick BowerIndependent · May 2024
- Linda BeresfordLabour · May 2024
- Rob ElliottIndependent · May 2024
- Michael Bennett-SylvesterIndependent · May 2024
- Jodie RyallsIndependent · May 2024
Show as a table
| Ward | Seats | Elected | When |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rotherham Eastall in Rotherham · 16,748 residents3 seats · May 2024 | 3 | Angham AhmedHaroon RashidRukhsana Bibi Haleem | May 2024 |
| Boston Castleall in Rotherham · 14,948 residents3 seats · May 2024 | 3 | Taiba YasseenAshiq HussainSaghir Alam | May 2024 |
| Rotherham Westall in Rotherham · 14,619 residents3 seats · May 2024 | 3 | Ian Paul JonesEve Rose KeenanCameron McKiernan | May 2024 |
| Keppelmostly in Rotherham · 9,190 residents3 seats · July 2025, May 2024 | 3 | Tony Harrisonby-electionGill GarnettCarole FosterSid Currie | July 2025, May 2024 |
| Sitwellmostly in Rotherham · 8,553 residents3 seats · May 2024 | 3 | David Frank FisherPaul Stewart ThorpMick Bower | May 2024 |
| Greasbrough47% in Rotherham · 3,645 residents2 seats · May 2024 | 2 | Linda BeresfordRob Elliott | May 2024 |
| Dalton & Thrybergh33% in Rotherham · 3,058 residents2 seats · May 2024 | 2 | Michael Bennett-SylvesterJodie Ryalls | May 2024 |
Councillors can resign, change party or sit as independents between elections; a by-election winner replaces someone not named here. Rotherham Metropolitan 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 has led every council vote since 2021
Share of all votes cast for candidates in Rotherham’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 | 2024 |
|---|---|---|
| Green | 2.7% | 8.3% |
| Labour | 43.8% | 38% |
| Independent | 7.4% | 27% |
| Conservative | 18.1% | 18.5% |
| Rotherham Democratic Party | 21.2% | 0% |
In 2024, Labour won 9, independents won 8 and the Conservatives won 2 of the 19 seats up in Rotherham’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.
Rotherham council election, May 2024
Results in the wards that make up Rotherham, as declared. Percentages are of votes cast for candidates in each ward; where a ward elects several councillors, each voter has that many votes.
7 wards voted. Every seat in the town’s wards was up.
No election is scheduled yet for Rotherham’s wards in Democracy Club’s list. Councils publish a notice of election about five weeks before polling day.
Who can I vote for? ↗5,611 votes for candidates · 3 seats, so 3 votes each
9,595 votes for candidates · 3 seats, so 3 votes each
6,470 votes for candidates · 3 seats, so 3 votes each
Every ward’s result (4 more)
6,902 votes for candidates · 3 seats, so 3 votes each
9,784 votes for candidates · 3 seats, so 3 votes each
2,111 votes for candidates · 2 seats, so 2 votes each
2,838 votes for candidates · 2 seats, so 2 votes each
Candidates and results: Democracy Club (CC BY 4.0), from councils’ declared results; polling dates from Democracy Club’s EveryElection.
Rotherham is split between 2 constituencies
The constituencies’ MP and the 4 July 2024 general election, the whole constituency’s result.
Labour, MP since 29 November 2012
88% of Rotherham’s residents live in this constituency.
Turnout 49% (England 60%).
Majority 5,490 of 36,932 votes (14.9%): wider than in 52% of England’s 543 constituencies.
Labour, MP since 4 July 2024
12% of Rotherham’s residents live in this constituency.
Turnout 60% (England 60%).
Majority 998 of 41,608 votes (2.4%): the 47th-narrowest of 543 in England.
36,932 votes for candidates · majority 5,490
Labour, MP since 29 November 2012.
turnout in July 2024: 36,932 votes from 75,929 registered voters. England: 60%.
Majority 5,490 of 36,932 votes (14.9%): wider than in 52% of England’s 543 constituencies.
Rother Valley
41,608 votes for candidates · majority 998
Labour, MP since 4 July 2024.
turnout in July 2024: 41,608 votes from 69,459 registered voters. England: 60%.
Majority 998 of 41,608 votes (2.4%): the 47th-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.
Rotherham’s Band D council tax is £2,320 a year
Where a Band D bill goes, what it has cost over the years, and what the councils plan to spend per resident.
Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council keeps £1,944.52 of a Band D bill (84%); the rest goes to the South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority and the South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Authority.
Across the whole town the average Band D is £2,321 (parishes differ; weighted by residents).
Band D since 1993
Rotherham’s Band D bill has risen 50% in ten years, from £1,584.58 in 2016–17, against England’s average (56%). It was £696.38 in 1993–94.
Your bill by band
A Band D home in the unparished part of Rotherham, 2026–27, before discounts. The Valuation Office Agency’s band search gives any home’s band.
South Yorkshire’s councils
Average Band D in each council area, 2026–27, parish precepts included. Bars start at £2,000.
Council budgets per resident, 2026–27
Show as a table, with South Yorkshire
| Rotherham | Rotherham’s councils | South Yorkshire | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Adult social care | £524 | £528 | £487 |
| Children’s social care | £336 | £333 | £290 |
| Roads and transport | £36 | £67 | £41 |
| Housing (not council homes’ rents) | £27 | £45 | £61 |
| Bins, street cleaning, environment | £95 | £120 | £119 |
| Libraries, leisure, culture | £54 | £51 | £44 |
| Planning and development | £27 | £37 | £26 |
| Public health | £81 | £94 | £78 |
| Running the council | £36 | £47 | £59 |
| Other | £0 | £2 | £19 |
| Total, schools apart | £1,216 | £1,323 | £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. South Yorkshire 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 Rotherham 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.
rotherham.gov.uk ↗Anyone can comment while an application is open for consultation.
rotherham.gov.uk ↗The rules, nomination papers and guidance for council candidates.
Electoral Commission ↗Questions about how Rotherham is run
Does Rotherham have a town council?
No. Rotherham is unparished, so there is no town or parish council and no parish precept.
Who is the MP for Rotherham?
Rotherham is split between 2 constituencies: Rotherham (Sarah Champion, Labour) and Rother Valley (Jake Richards, Labour). Parliament’s Find your MP service matches a postcode to its MP.
How many councillors does Rotherham have?
19 ward councillors represent Rotherham’s 7 wards.
When are the next elections in Rotherham?
No election is scheduled yet in Democracy Club’s list for Rotherham’s wards. The next UK general election must be held by August 2029.
How much is council tax in Rotherham?
Band D council tax in Rotherham is £2,321 for 2026–27. Your bill depends on your home’s band, from A (6/9 of Band D) to H (18/9).
Who controls Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council?
Labour has a majority: 33 of 59 seats as elected. The council’s website lists who leads it now.
Who won the 2024 council election in Rotherham?
In Rotherham’s wards on 2 May 2024, Labour 9 · Independent 8 · Conservative 2 of the 19 seats up. Labour had the largest share of votes, 38%.
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.