Suffolk County Council now under Reform control
The Conservatives were in control of the council for two decades
Reform UK has gained control of Suffolk County Council which was under Conservative control for two decades, in what is being described as one of the biggest political shifts the county has seen in years.
The results
Final results have confirmed the win, as Reform UK gained 41 seats across the authority.
The Green Party were the closest competitor with 13 seats, followed by the Conservatives with 9.
Labour won just three seats, ahead of the Liberal Democrats and Independents with two.
This adds to the party's wins across the country, including nearby in Essex.
All 70 seats on Suffolk County Council were contested following boundary changes introduced ahead of the election.
What does this mean for Suffolk?
The result represents a major political realignment in Suffolk.
For years, Suffolk County Council had been firmly Conservative-run, with the party holding comfortable majorities across large parts of the county.
But this election saw voters shift away from the traditional two-party system, with Reform UK emerging as the dominant force in many areas and the Greens also continuing to build support.
Councillors who were in the running said the results suggest frustration with national politics played a major role in how people voted.
Green Party councillor Robert Lindsay, who retained the Cosford division despite a close challenge from Reform, told us many voters appeared to be using the election to “send a message to Westminster”.
He said:
“People are just ignoring the fact that this is a local election and not looking at the track record of candidates.”
Meanwhile, Conservative figures had already been warning of a difficult night before the first results were declared.
Conservatives lose ground, but Hicks survives
Despite the scale of Conservative losses elsewhere, Suffolk County Council leader Matthew Hicks managed to retain his seat in Thredling.
Mr Hicks has led the authority since 2018 and remains one of the party’s most recognisable political figures in Suffolk.
However, his party’s overall losses mean the political landscape at County Hall has changed dramatically.
Many of the seats lost by the Conservatives went directly to Reform UK, which campaigned heavily on issues including immigration, opposition to net zero policies and criticism of Westminster politics.
What happened in Ipswich?
While Reform made major breakthroughs at county level, the political picture in Ipswich became increasingly fragmented.
At Ipswich Borough Council elections, Reform UK took several seats from Labour, including Sprites, Priory Heath and Whitehouse wards.
The Green Party also narrowly won Alexandra ward from Labour by just 41 votes.
However, Labour managed to retain several key seats, including Ipswich Borough Council leader Neil MacDonald in St John’s ward and Ipswich Mayor Stefan Long in Rushmere.
Although Labour remains the largest party on the borough council, the results suggest growing support for smaller parties across the town.
Why are these elections important?
Suffolk County Council controls some of the county’s biggest public services, including:
- roads and highways
- schools and SEND provision
- adult social care
- children’s services
- libraries
- public transport funding
The results will shape decisions affecting residents across Suffolk for years to come.
However, the newly elected councillors may not serve a full four-year term.
The Government is currently pursuing plans for local government reorganisation and devolution, which could eventually replace Suffolk’s current council structure altogether.
That means another major local election could take place within the next two years.
A changing political map
The Suffolk results mirror trends being seen across parts of England, with Reform UK making gains in areas previously dominated by both Conservatives and Labour.
But in Suffolk, the scale and spread of the results suggest something broader than isolated protest votes.
Instead, the county now appears politically fragmented between several competing parties — with Reform, the Greens, Labour, Liberal Democrats and Conservatives all holding influence in different areas.
After decades of relative political stability, Suffolk’s electoral map has changed dramatically overnight.