Local elections 2026: Candidate predicts Lib Dems will keep control of Portsmouth council

As the Portsmouth City Council local election count gets under way, politicians and party representatives have so far been cautious about predicting the outcome.

However, Cllr Mark Jeffery, Liberal Democrat candidate for St Thomas, who is defending his seat, has shared his impressions of the count so far.

He said that Labour, which is defending five seats tonight, “have done really badly”.

He added that Reform UK, which is expected to make gains in the north of the city, has not “done as well as they’ve been expecting”.

The Liberal Democrats currently hold 18 of the council’s 42 seats, forming a minority administration. A party needs 22 seats or more to secure a majority.

He said he expects the Lib Dems to be “making gains tonight” and speculated that “Liberal Democrats are close to being a majority party – but it’s very close.”

He added that turnout appears to be relatively high this year, saying there has been support for “positive policies and what we’re doing in the city but I also picked up a lot of anti-Reform voting – certainly in my ward.”

Voter turnout has been higher than usual, with Milton, St Jude and Baffins recording 45, 43 and 47 per cent respectively.

In 2024, those same wards recorded turnouts of 32, 33 and 28 per cent respectively.