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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Watch our pick of standout clips from Hereford and Worcester

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BBC Sounds: From Hereford & Worcester

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  1. 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.

  2. 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".

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

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

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

  6. 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.

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

  8. This is a three-panel composite image made up of different scenes. Left panel: A still from a dramatic scene showing Leonardi DiCaprio and Kate Winslet standing closely together outdoors, with wind blowing and open sky behind them, a moment from the Titanic film Centre panel: A studio-style portrait of a Jeff Goldblum wearing dark-framed glasses, a black suit, and a textured shirt, set against a plain light background. Right panel: An outdoor scene in a garden or park, showing two women standing beside leafy plants, with a small sign on a post visible among the greenery.

  9. Jo Monk stands in front of foliage that is outside a brick and glass building. She has shoulder-length brown hair and is wearing a grey jacket and white blouse. She is smiling at the camera.

    • UK
    Spiers, Doran and Gill (left to right). Each of the men are wearing a grey sweatshirt. Spiers has short, brown, curly hair and is clean shaven. Doran has short, dark, curly hair and slight stubble. Gill has short, dark hair and stubble.

  11. A woman with black hair stood in a street next to a red car

  12. A woman with blonde hair tied in a ponytail in a park with green grass behind her. She is wearing a black top and silver necklace

  13. A woman wearing a black jumper and white top, as well as a Worcestershire County Council lanyard.

  14. The outside of a hotel, which has the words 'Kula' written on it, showing the lights on at night. There are also pedestrians and cyclists passing by outside.

  15. A church in a church yard with green grass in front of it. The doorway of the church is darkened by damage.

  16. A man with short brown hair, wearing a black top with yellow PMR branding on it, stands in a garage in front of two white branded racing cars.

  17. A black and white photo of a lady sat in an arm chair with a long dress on

  18. The yard where the incident happened. A forklift truck can be seen at the back of a lorry.

    • UK
    Five police mugshots are lined up next to one another. Four of the men appear to be in their late teens to early 20s whilst one defendant, Hunt, is older in appearance. He has a bald head and a grey beard. Taylor-Bates appears with brown swept back hair and a neck brace.

  20. An elderly woman with white hair, wearing a blue cardigan and a patterned scarf, sits on a cream sofa holding a large card featuring a photograph of King Charles and Queen Camilla. A bouquet of orange, yellow and peach flowers sits beside her.

  21. Ann Green is cuddling a pet dog and sitting on a sofa. She is wearing a black top and has her hair tied back in a ponytail and is wearing earrings.

  22. An image showing the head and shoulders of a man with a grey beard who is wearing glasses and smiling for the photograph. He is also wearing a white shirt and a blue tie and is standing in front of a white background.

  23. A close-up of one of the coins in the palm of someone's hand. It is silver with writing on and has mud on it.

  24. A road with obvious cracks is being laid with fresh tarmac by a large white machine. It is being rolled over by a large bright orange roller, driven by a man in orange high visibility clothing. There are several workmen wearing high visibility clothing and hard hats, sweeping the tarmac. There is a green grass verge and a hedgerow next to the road.