Photo: Stephen Craven · CC BY-SA 2.0No party holds a majority on the City of Bradford Metropolitan District Council
Bradford is run by the City of Bradford Metropolitan District Council. No party holds a majority on the City of Bradford Metropolitan District Council. Bradford is split between 5 parliamentary constituencies.
£2,334
Band D, a year, the middle band every council sets its tax from.
Where it goes →How Bradford’s politics has changed since 2021
No majority on the City of Bradford Metropolitan District Council
Reform UK, the largest group, holds 28 of its 90 seats as elected, 18 short of the 46 needed. The Conservatives hold 18, Labour 17, the Greens 9, Your Bradford Independent group 9, the Liberal Democrats 4 and independents 4. Who’s in charge ↓
Council tax
A Band D bill in Bradford is £2,333 for 2026–27; the City of Bradford Metropolitan District Council keeps 84% of it. The council area’s Band D has risen 67% 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 46 of Bradford’s 90 seats to run the council alone.
- Reform UK28
- Conservative18
- Labour17
- Green9
- Your Bradford Independent group9
- Independent4
- Liberal Democrat4
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 Bradford
One council runs every main service here.
The parish council for the part of Bradford inside Clayton parish.
3% of Bradford’s residents · Band D precept £34
Every main council service: schools, social care, roads, bins, planning, housing and libraries.
99% of Bradford’s residents
Website ↗Every main council service: schools, social care, roads, bins, planning, housing and libraries.
Who runs Bradford: same source as Who runs Bradford, above.
Website ↗Transport, skills and regeneration across several council areas. It is led by an elected mayor.
Mayor: Tracy Brabin (Labour and Co-operative), elected May 2024
Who to ask
From GOV.UK’s “Understand how your council works”: here one council runs every main service.
89% of Bradford’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 Bradford, from the most recent elections.
- 1Town or parishParish tierClayton parish council
- 2Council wards17 wards · 51 councillorsReform UK 17 · Labour 14 · Your Bradford Independent group 8 · Green 5 · Liberal Democrat 4 · Independent 2 · all 50
- 3Mayor of West Yorkshire Combined AuthorityWest Yorkshire Combined Authority · elected May 2024Tracy Brabin
- 4House of CommonsSplit between 5 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.
51 councillors for 17 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.
- Rizwana JamilLabour and Co-operative · May 2026
- Imran Ahmed KhanLabour and Co-operative · May 2026
- Hassan Uzzaman KhanLabour and Co-operative · May 2026
- Muhammed Ali IslamYour Bradford Independent group · May 2026
- Muhammad Haseeb KhanYour Bradford Independent group · May 2026
- Mohammed SalissYour Bradford Independent group · May 2026
- Talat SajawalYour Bradford Independent group · May 2026
- Taj SalamYour Bradford Independent group · May 2026
- Noor ElahiYour Bradford Independent group · May 2026
- Nazam AzamLabour · May 2026
- Sajawal HussainLabour · May 2026
- Shakeela Jan LalLabour · May 2026
- Riaz AhmedLiberal Democrat · May 2026
- Ibrar AliYour Bradford Independent group · May 2026
- Zafar IqbalLabour · May 2026
- Kamran HussainLabour · May 2026
- Arshad HussainIndependent · May 2026
- Zohair KamranIndependent · May 2026
- Matt EdwardsGreen · May 2026
- Celia HicksonGreen · May 2026
- Iain McInnesGreen · May 2026
- Jayne Margaret MorganReform UK · May 2026
- John Keith Riley-HolmesReform UK · May 2026
- Selina Ward-NicholsonReform UK · May 2026
- Abdul JabarLabour · May 2026
- Vasim AkhtarLabour · May 2026
- Joanne Margaret DoddsLabour · May 2026
- Richard BrownReform UK · May 2026
- Carol Ann ThirkillLabour · May 2026
- Suhail ChoudhryLabour · May 2026
- Jon BarrasReform UK · May 2026
- Md Zafar NiazLabour · May 2026
- Rachel Emma SunderlandLiberal Democrat · June 2026
- Alun Owen GriffithsLiberal Democrat · June 2026
- Aislin NaylorLiberal Democrat · June 2026
The other 5 wards
- Khalid MahmoodGreen · May 2026
- Nargus RangzebGreen · May 2026
- Ishtiaq AhmedYour Bradford Independent group · May 2026
- Oliver Darryl Bolton-WilliamsReform UK · May 2026
- Stephen Anthony PlaceReform UK · May 2026
- Tony WooffittReform UK · May 2026
- Steve BurdReform UK · May 2026
- Darren Peter InghamReform UK · May 2026
- Jason Mark TownendReform UK · May 2026
- Ian ReedReform UK · May 2026
- Adam Thompson-DayReform UK · May 2026
- Ian WalkerReform UK · May 2026
- Lester Graham MartinReform UK · May 2026
- Melanie Jane MilnesReform UK · May 2026
- John SharplesReform UK · May 2026
Show as a table
| Ward | Seats | Elected | When |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bowling & BarkerendBradford · all in Bradford · 22,758 residents3 seats · May 2026 | 3 | Rizwana JamilImran Ahmed KhanHassan Uzzaman Khan | May 2026 |
| ManninghamBradford · all in Bradford · 22,153 residents3 seats · May 2026 | 3 | Muhammed Ali IslamMuhammad Haseeb KhanMohammed Saliss | May 2026 |
| Little HortonBradford · all in Bradford · 22,079 residents3 seats · May 2026 | 3 | Talat SajawalTaj SalamNoor Elahi | May 2026 |
| CityBradford · all in Bradford · 21,929 residents3 seats · May 2026 | 3 | Nazam AzamSajawal HussainShakeela Jan Lal | May 2026 |
| Bradford MoorBradford · all in Bradford · 21,791 residents3 seats · May 2026 | 3 | Riaz AhmedIbrar AliZafar Iqbal | May 2026 |
| TollerBradford · all in Bradford · 20,853 residents3 seats · May 2026 | 3 | Kamran HussainArshad HussainZohair Kamran | May 2026 |
| Holme Wood & BierleyBradford · all in Bradford · 20,072 residents3 seats · May 2026 | 3 | Matt EdwardsCelia HicksonIain McInnes | May 2026 |
| EccleshillBradford · all in Bradford · 20,017 residents3 seats · May 2026 | 3 | Jayne Margaret MorganJohn Keith Riley-HolmesSelina Ward-Nicholson | May 2026 |
| Great HortonBradford · all in Bradford · 19,692 residents3 seats · May 2026 | 3 | Abdul JabarVasim AkhtarJoanne Margaret Dodds | May 2026 |
| Clayton & Fairweather GreenBradford · all in Bradford · 18,239 residents3 seats · May 2026 | 3 | Richard BrownCarol Ann Thirkill | May 2026 |
| Bolton & UndercliffeBradford · all in Bradford · 17,897 residents3 seats · May 2026 | 3 | Suhail ChoudhryJon BarrasMd Zafar Niaz | May 2026 |
| Idle & ThackleyBradford · all in Bradford · 17,275 residents3 seats · June 2026 | 3 | Rachel Emma SunderlandAlun Owen GriffithsAislin Naylor | June 2026 |
The other 5 wards
| Ward | Seats | Elected | When |
|---|---|---|---|
| Heaton & FrizinghallBradford · mostly in Bradford · 17,039 residents3 seats · May 2026 | 3 | Khalid MahmoodNargus RangzebIshtiaq Ahmed | May 2026 |
| RoydsBradford · all in Bradford · 16,720 residents3 seats · May 2026 | 3 | Oliver Darryl Bolton-WilliamsStephen Anthony PlaceTony Wooffitt | May 2026 |
| Wibsey & OdsalBradford · all in Bradford · 16,706 residents3 seats · May 2026 | 3 | Steve BurdDarren Peter InghamJason Mark Townend | May 2026 |
| WykeBradford · mostly in Bradford · 14,765 residents3 seats · May 2026 | 3 | Ian ReedAdam Thompson-DayIan Walker | May 2026 |
| Thornton & AllertonBradford · mostly in Bradford · 11,675 residents3 seats · May 2026 | 3 | Lester Graham MartinMelanie Jane MilnesJohn Sharples | May 2026 |
Councillors can resign, change party or sit as independents between elections; a by-election winner replaces someone not named here. City of Bradford Metropolitan District 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).
Bradford council election, June 2026
Results in the wards that make up Bradford, as declared. Percentages are of votes cast for candidates in each ward; where a ward elects several councillors, each voter has that many votes.
1 ward voted. Not every seat in the town’s wards was up this time.
No election is scheduled yet for Bradford’s wards in Democracy Club’s list. Councils publish a notice of election about five weeks before polling day.
Who can I vote for? ↗14,650 votes for candidates · 3 seats, so 3 votes each
Candidates and results: Democracy Club (CC BY 4.0), from councils’ declared results; polling dates from Democracy Club’s EveryElection.
Bradford is split between 5 constituencies
The constituencies’ MP and the 4 July 2024 general election, the whole constituency’s result.
37,216 votes for candidates · majority 6,189
Labour, MP since 7 May 2015.
turnout in July 2024: 37,216 votes from 75,164 registered voters. England: 60%.
Majority 6,189 of 37,216 votes (16.6%): wider than in 59% of England’s 543 constituencies.
| Constituency | MP | Share of town |
|---|---|---|
| Shipley | Anna Dixon | 1% |
| Leeds West and Pudsey | Rachel Reeves | 1% |
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.
Bradford’s Band D council tax is £2,333 a year
Where a Band D bill goes, what it has cost over the years, and what the councils plan to spend per resident.
City of Bradford Metropolitan District Council keeps £1,965.28 of a Band D bill (84%); the rest goes to the West Yorkshire Combined Authority and the West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Authority.
Band D since 1993
Bradford’s Band D bill has risen 67% in ten years, from £1,414.28 in 2016–17, against England’s average (56%). It was £517.50 in 1993–94.
Your bill by band
A Band D home in the unparished part of Bradford, 2026–27, before discounts. The Valuation Office Agency’s band search gives any home’s band.
West Yorkshire’s councils
Average Band D in each council area, 2026–27, parish precepts included. Bars start at £2,100.
Council budgets per resident, 2026–27
Show as a table, with West Yorkshire
| Bradford | Bradford’s councils | West Yorkshire | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Adult social care | £386 | £435 | £487 |
| Children’s social care | £450 | £312 | £290 |
| Roads and transport | £15 | £25 | £41 |
| Housing (not council homes’ rents) | £45 | £42 | £61 |
| Bins, street cleaning, environment | £103 | £119 | £119 |
| Libraries, leisure, culture | £40 | £61 | £44 |
| Planning and development | £35 | £22 | £26 |
| Public health | £106 | £89 | £78 |
| Running the council | £73 | £64 | £59 |
| Other | £94 | £13 | £19 |
| Total, schools apart | £1,347 | £1,182 | £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. West 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 Bradford 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.
bradford.gov.uk ↗Anyone can comment while an application is open for consultation.
bradford.gov.uk ↗The rules, nomination papers and guidance for council candidates.
Electoral Commission ↗Questions about how Bradford is run
Does Bradford have a town council?
Parts of it do: Clayton parish council.
Who is the MP for Bradford?
Bradford is split between 5 constituencies: Bradford East (Imran Hussain, Labour), Bradford West (Naz Shah, Labour), Bradford South (Judith Cummins, Labour), Shipley (Anna Dixon, Labour) and Leeds West and Pudsey (Rachel Reeves, Labour). Parliament’s Find your MP service matches a postcode to its MP.
How many councillors does Bradford have?
51 ward councillors represent Bradford’s 17 wards.
When are the next elections in Bradford?
No election is scheduled yet in Democracy Club’s list for Bradford’s wards. The next UK general election must be held by August 2029.
How much is council tax in Bradford?
Band D council tax in Bradford is £2,334 for 2026–27. Your bill depends on your home’s band, from A (6/9 of Band D) to H (18/9).
Who controls the City of Bradford Metropolitan District Council?
No party has a majority. As elected, Reform UK 28 · Conservative 18 · Labour 17 · Green 9 · Your Bradford Independent group 9 · Liberal Democrat 4 · Independent 4 of 90 seats; a majority needs 46. The council’s website lists who leads it now.
Who won the 2026 council election in Bradford?
In Bradford’s wards on 18 June 2026, Reform UK 17 · Labour 14 · Your Bradford Independent group 8 · Green 5 · Liberal Democrat 4 · Independent 2 of the 50 seats up. Labour had the largest share of votes, 25.4%.
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.