Fact checks and analysis on the 2026 local elections taking place across England.
Politics
A campaign video posted by the Green Party candidate for the Mayor of Newham has been widely shared online with false claims it shows the Greens celebrating an election win in a foreign language. Read
Politics
An image of a map claiming to show all the councils Reform UK controls in the UK does not include county councils run by the party or councils that did not have elections in May 2026. Read
Politics
Now that the elections are over, we’ve compared six of the dodgy or unreliable bar charts highlighted in our investigation with the actual results. Things often worked out rather differently. Read
Politics
Claims that one of Reform UK’s newly elected councillors in Norfolk, George Boyd, doesn’t actually exist have been circulating online. They are completely false. Read
Politics
Our AI-assisted analysis of over 19,000 posts shows that the economy was the topic most commonly discussed, with health not far behind. Read
Politics
We received dozens of tips over the course of the campaign, with many about bar charts in leaflets or councils’ delivery on local issues. Read
Economy, Business & Finance
We’ve taken a look at the figures after Reform UK and the Conservatives made seemingly contrasting claims about council tax rises. Read
Politics
Ahead of the 2026 elections, we’ve seen posts on social media suggesting it may be safer to cast your vote in pen rather than pencil to avoid vote tampering - but is that true? Read
Politics
As voters prepare to head for the polls, Full Fact editor Steve Nowottny looks back on a campaign which featured both new uses of technology and old political tricks Read
Politics
We’ve found over a dozen leaflets making claims about how people are likely to vote which are misleading, unsourced or not backed with reliable evidence. Read
