Stoke & Staffordshire

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

More on this

The video playlist

Watch our pick of standout clips from Stoke and Staffordshire

Weatherfor Stoke-on-Trent

Sport

BBC Sounds: From Stoke & Staffordshire

View more

Latest Updates

  1. A shopfront with pictures of fruit in the window and an orange and red signage which reads "Iceland"

  2. Poor way to end season at home - Robins reacts to Pompey defeat

    Robins: ‘A really, really slow performance’

    Stoke City boss Mark Robins spoke BBC Radio Stoke after Saturday's 3-1 defeat by Portsmouth.

    "It was a really slow performance from both teams and we were poor," he said.

    "From start to finish we lacked energy, lacked enthusiasm and know-how. It was a really poor way to end the season [at home].

    "There were times where we think we are running and working hard, but there is not enough in that team to win football matches consistently at the level.

    "It was one of those lacklustre performances that you get on a really warm day, but to finish the season you've got to go and run.

    "Honestly, we talk about things and its rhetoric then and it doesn't mean anything. I'm disappointed, clearly."

  3. Action from Burton Albion v Exeter City

  4. Portsmouth's Adrian Segecic has his hand up as he celebrates scoring against Stoke

  5. Hazel, who is woman with white hair and glasses, is looking at the camera with a slight smile on her lips. She is wearing a black top and silver sparkly cardigan. She is sitting on a green chair and there is a brown empty chair next to her.

  6. Male and female runners running past Selfridges building in Birmingham city centre.

  7. A three‑panel image showing a firefighter standing in front of a fire engine, a person riding a quad bike in mid‑air near emergency vehicles, and a person wearing a large vegetable costume with asparagus visible.

  8. Stoke City boss Mark Robins walks towards the changing room after a game

  9. A small vase that has been painted with light green trees and dark green rolling hills. The sky has been painted a patchy pink and red colour.

  10. A man wearing a bright orange high-vis top with "fire" on his back reaches into an open drain. A woman in the same clothing assists next to him.

  11. A young man with blond curly hair wearing a grey suit sits in a radio studio and smiles at the camera. He is sat beside a purple microphone that reads "BBC Radio Stoke" on the side in white writing.

  12. A graphical image shows a woman wearing a purple hoodie and with blonde hair tied back, puts up a Polling Station sign

  13. A woman in a pink top and long brown hair next to a circus performer in black tuxedo spinning plates

  14. A man in a black polo shirt and black cap, with a lanyard around his neck. He is standing in front of large glass windows in which the reflection of buildings opposite can be seen.

  15. A man with a hat, big beard and a black jumper which says "Hugo" stands in front of two screens with BBC Sport branding on the side.

  16. Laura and Tim are sat in front of their herd of sheep. Laura has dark blonde hair, tied back in a ponytail and wears a blue overall. Tim has a green jacket on over a blue top and wears blue-rimmed glasses.

  17. Luke Orchard sits in a car. He is a white man wearing a black beanie hat, with long hair and a long beard. He has a shocked expression. On the back seat of his car can be seen two plastic skeletons, which are yellow in colour.

  18. A cockatiel pictured inside a room in a house. It is grey in colour mostly with yellow on top of its head.

  19. Port Vale manager Jon Brady claps the club's fans at the Cardiff City stadium after their relegation from League One was confirmed

  20. Two men with dark hair and dark-coloured beards are pictured with neutral expressions in front of a neutral-coloured background. Peter Nwankwo is pictured in a black t-shirt, while Lamin Jallow is wearing a white t-shirt.

  21. An anonymous picture of a police community support officer. They have black long sleeves and a gilet style jacket that is bright yellow with reflective silver and blue squares on it. In the middle on a blue background with silver writing it says "POLICE community support officer"

  22. An artistic image of comedian Russell Kane - a man with short dark hair, wearing a white shirt with white flowers on it. A rose is also in the foreground. His mouth is wide open and his arms are open.

  23. A computer-generated image showing a memorial made up of spirals of thin metal columns. A path leads up to a doorway and people can be seen inside and around the memorial. It is set in the middle of a field with trees around it.

  24. A little girl with a blue school dress and with a large blue bag, walks down the pavement hand-in-hand with an adult.