Your guide to May's local elections in Ipswich

On Thursday, 7 May, Ipswich residents will be asked to vote in not one but two local elections on the same day.

All 75 seats on Suffolk County Council are up for election across the county, spread across 63 divisions — 12 of which return two councillors each. Within Ipswich, 12 county council divisions will each return one county councillor. At the same time, 16 of Ipswich Borough Council's wards will elect one borough councillor each — a third of the council's 48 seats in total.

The two elections are being administered together by Ipswich Borough Council, meaning most voters in the town will receive two ballot papers when they arrive at their polling station.

What is the current political landscape?

At Suffolk County Council, the Conservatives have a majority, currently holding 44 of the council's 75 seats. The Greens hold nine, Reform UK six, Labour five, the Liberal Democrats five, and Independents account for the remaining six seats — making the Greens & Independents the official opposition to the Conservative-led authority.

The picture at Ipswich Borough Council tells a very different story. Labour currently controls the council with commanding numbers, holding seats across the vast majority of the town's wards. The Conservatives hold seats in Bixley and Castle Hill, while St Margaret's is represented entirely by Liberal Democrats. Labour's grip on the borough has been firm in recent years, but with Reform UK fielding candidates in every single ward and division this time around, the political map could shift significantly. It is worth pointing out, though, that with only a third of seats up for grabs, Reform cannot take control of Ipswich Borough Council until the 2027 local elections for the new Ipswich and South Suffolk unitary authority.

Who is standing?

All candidates were confirmed on Thursday, 9 April. Every major party — Labour, Conservative, Liberal Democrats, Green, and Reform UK — has fielded candidates across all 12 county divisions and the majority of borough wards in Ipswich. Local Conservatives, a separate grouping from the national Conservative Party, are also standing in a small number of wards.

Below is the full list of candidates for both elections, ward by ward and division by division.

Suffolk County Council

Here's who's running for the Ipswich divisions of Suffolk County Council.

One notable absence is David Goldsmith of the Local Conservatives, who withdrew his nomination before the deadline, leaving Whitton as the only county division in the county with no Conservative candidate on the ballot. Councillor Murray, who represents the Whitehouse and Whitton division on Suffolk County Council, had been selected for the seat but was told whilst away "through a third party, that the seat had been given to someone else even though this person didn't want to restand." She added: "The Conservative candidate has withdrawn, leaving no Conservative option on the ballot paper this year." Councillor Murray said she "fought tooth and nail to the end" to stand in the division. It follows her spat with SCC leader Matthew Hicks earlier this year.

Ipswich Borough Council

And here are the candidates for Ipswich Borough Council.

Key dates and deadlines

There are several important deadlines in the coming weeks. Missing them could mean losing your chance to vote.

• Monday, 20 April — Last day to register to vote (by 23:59). Those who have previously registered only need to do so again if their name, address or nationality has changed. You can register online at gov.uk/register-to-vote.
• Tuesday, 21 April — Deadline to apply for a postal vote (by 17:00). Apply online at gov.uk/apply-postal-vote.
• Tuesday, 28 April — Deadline to apply for a proxy vote (by 17:00) and the last day to apply for a Voter Authority Certificate (by 17:00).
• Thursday, 7 May — Polling day. Stations open at 07:00 and close at 22:00.
• Thursday, 7 May (from 22:00) — Verification and counting begins immediately after polls close.
• Friday, 8 May — Results expected.

What ID do I need?

Anyone voting in person must bring a valid form of photo identification. Accepted forms of ID include a passport issued by the UK, the Channel Islands, the Isle of Man or a British Overseas Territory; a driving licence (including provisional) issued by the UK, the Channel Islands, the Isle of Man or a European Economic Area state; a blue badge; or an older or disabled person's bus pass funded by the UK Government.

If you do not have a valid form of photo ID, you can apply for a free Voter Authority Certificate (VAC) here. The deadline to do so is 17:00 on Tuesday, 28 April.

For more information on registering to vote, applying to vote by post or proxy, or what counts as valid ID, visit the Electoral Commission's website.

The bottom line

Whether you vote Labour, Conservative, Liberal Democrat, Green, Reform UK, or for one of the independent candidates standing across the town, the choices made on Thursday, 7 May will shape how Ipswich is governed at both borough and county level for the next twelve months, until another set of local elections will decide who governs the three new unitary authorities that will represent the biggest shakeup of local democracy in this county for decades.

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