Hereford & Worcester

Local elections 2026
Local elections 2026

Why are the 2026 local elections so significant in the West Midlands?

Political editor Elizabeth Glinka explains the significance of the 14 elections across the region.
  • England

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  1. Two photos of two men are side by side. Mallabar on the left is wearing a grey top and Barker on the right is wearing white. The West Mercia Police logo is on both photos.

  2. A number of tents are in the middle of the photo, including the largest one, which is white and green. A van is also in the centre and the sky, including grey clouds, features in about half of the image.

  3. A yellow sign is stuck to the side of a screen advising motorists of the cost of petrol. The sign, in black writing, warns drivers they will be arrested if they fail to pay for their fuel

  4. Cian Adams and brother Jordan are smiling. They are wearing black tracksuit tops and have dyed orange hair. They are standing in front of a BBC Breakfast logo.

  5. Two male runners in white shirts and blue shorts at the top of Pen y Fan

  6. a mum and dad and child in London with the River Thames and the london Eye in the background. The mum, with blonde hair and sunglasses, is holding a London Marathon medal. Her son is wearing glasses and an orange t-shirt and her partner has a beard and is wearing a green t-shirt and black backpack

  7. A man and woman stood together outside their black front door. The man is bald and has a grey goatie beard. He is wearing jeans, a blue jacket and blue shirt. The woman has short, brown hair and is wearing a dark top with a blue and yellow patterned shirt

  8. A man walking past a fruit and veg stall in a market on a high street

  9. A black and white photo of a young man in military uniform. He is wearing a cap.

  10. A police officer stands with his back to the camera with his fluorescent jacket showing the "police" label.

  11. A number of blank firing guns on a wooden surface. Two are at the top, three are in the middle and two are at the bottom near part of the West Mercia Police logo.

  12. A building in the middle of the photo has the words post office in white on a green backing and to the right of that is a yellow and red post office logo.

  13. A man wearing clothes including a jacket, a tie and trousers is sitting on a bench next to a wreath and looking at the camera. Eight people are standing up on grass behind him.

  14. A man with grey hair and a beard, wearing a dark green shirt is on the right of the photo smiling at the camera. A number of vacuum cleaners are on the left in the background.

  15. Serena has brown hair and a purple sweatband on her head. She is wearing a bright yellow windbreaker and is smiling. She is standing in front of a green bush on a path.

  16. A woman and a child are sitting underneath a canopy as a man takes a selfie with them. The man is wearing a blue and grey chequered shirt and sunglasses. The woman is wearing a green coat. The child is wearing a grey t-shirt. All three are smiling and there is a body of water and a field behind them.

  17. A rectangle-shaped building which is light grey and over several floors. There are green bushes outside and a sign on the building says Farrier House.

  18. A group of two women and three men are listening to a man talking outside. The man talking is wearing a blue puffer jacket and has a hand raised as he describes something. A large church building is behind the group.

  19. A woman with very short bleach blonde hair and red lipstick is standing on a stage and is speaking into a microphone. She is wearing a black top and black and white striped trousers. Next to her is a small round wooden table with a notebook and water bottle on it. Behind her on a large screen is a red picture with white writing that says "The Rik Mayall comedy festival, Droitwich Spa, Worcs".

  20. A swan, with its white feathers and light orange beak, sits on the water on a waterway.

  21. A generic photo of the back of a police van which has yellow and orange markings.

  22. Piles of cash, bags of drugs and several mobile phones are placed on a table.

  23. A woman with blonde hair tied back stands in front of a glass door. She is wearing a black blouse with a grey knitted waistcoat. There are shrubs, car parking spaces and a corrugated metal building behind her.

  24. close up of a horse's hooves as it walks on a road