Dudley Council Election: Key Battlegrounds and Candidates as Polling Day Nears
Local elections in Dudley are poised to deliver potential shocks and surprises across key wards, where results can often prove almost impossible to predict. Polling stations will be open on May 7, as politicians gear up for hotly contested elections that will shape how the borough is governed for the coming year.
The Conservatives currently form the largest group and control Dudley Council with support from the Liberal Democrats, while Labour serves as the primary opposition. Reform UK and The Black Country Party also hold council seats, with all parties vying to win as many of the 25 available seats as possible when voters cast their ballots.
High-Profile Clashes in Key Wards
Several wards around the borough are expected to be fiercely contested. In Sedgley, a major showdown is set between big political figures Shaun Keasey of Reform UK and Bill Etheridge of the Conservatives. Both candidates are turning their backs on their political pasts in this race.
Cllr Keasey was originally elected as a Sedgley councillor for the Conservative Party in 2018, defeating Mr Etheridge who stood for UKIP at that time. After being re-elected as an independent in 2024, Keasey joined Reform UK. Mr Etheridge previously served as a Conservative member of Dudley Council before joining UKIP, where he became an MEP. Other candidates in Sedgley include Colin Drewery (Green), Tremaine Herbert (Labour), and John Slim (Lib Dem).
Notable Contests Across the Borough
In the north of the borough, former Conservative MP Marco Longhi is standing in Upper Gornal and Woodsetton for Reform UK, challenging deputy mayor Mushtaq Hussain who is defending the seat for Labour. Also contesting this ward are Charlie Hilken (Green), Zoe Bradley (Conservative), and Elaine Sheppard (Lib Dem).
The Brockmoor and Pensnett ward features another significant contest, with former Labour councillor John Martin seeking to win the seat back for his party against a strong challenge from Joel Hyde of Reform UK. This ward saw a shock by-election result in 2024 that returned a Conservative councillor in what was traditionally a safe Labour seat. Matt Snell aims to repeat this achievement for the Tories, while incumbent councillor Karen Westwood, who defected from Labour to The Black Country Party, seeks to retain her position. John Bramall is also standing for the Liberal Democrats in this ward.
Unpredictable Two-Seat Ward
The always unpredictable ward of Wollaston and Stourbridge Town represents the only Dudley ward in the 2026 election where two councillors will be chosen. Jason Griffin will be defending his seat for Labour, while a second seat is available after Labour MP for Stourbridge Cat Eccles stood down from the council.
Liberal Democrats Lois Bramall and David Sheppard hope to join fellow Lib Dem Cllr Andrew Tromans to secure a clean sweep for their party. Cllr Tromans was originally elected as a Labour councillor in 2024 before switching to the Lib Dems. Labour's Marie Fields will be hoping to fend off challenges from Reform UK's Andrew Southall and Kam Macleod.
This ward has a history of delivering close results. In 2024, three Conservative Party candidates came close to winning a seat, with Nic Barlow losing out by just 28 votes. This year, Barlow is backing the Lib Dems. Conservative candidates Richard Prosser and Steve Hancock will be in the running alongside Ruth Battersea and Linda Foster from The Green Party and Ken Moore from Freedom Alliance.
All major parties including the Conservatives, Labour, Liberal Democrats, and Reform UK are fielding a full slate of 25 candidates each, ensuring comprehensive competition across the borough. As polling day approaches, candidates continue to campaign vigorously for the right to influence Dudley's future direction from the council chambers.
