Party representatives contesting the Hampshire County Council elections have set out why they believe residents should back them ahead of voting on May 7.

A total of 130 candidates are standing in the elections— the first to be held since 2021.

The Conservative Party currently leads the authority with 56 councillors, followed by the Liberal Democrats on 17. The Labour Party holds three seats, alongside two independent councillors.

All 78 seats are up for grabs in what is expected to be a closely watched contest, with Reform UK currently leading in the polls.

Here are the statements from each party ahead of polling day on Thursday, May 7.

Hampshire Conservatives are standing in this election on a clear, honest platform: delivering practical solutions, not false promises.

We are responsible for running one of the largest and best-performing county councils in the country, managing a £3.3 billion budget while keeping council tax among the lowest of comparable areas. Our approach is straightforward — competence, experience, and honesty in how we manage public services and your money.

Our priorities reflect what residents tell us matters most. We are focused on fixing Hampshire’s roads, identifying an additional £15 million this year to provide sustained investment in long-term resurfacing and holding utility companies properly to account when they disrupt our highways. Alongside this, we are committed to doing all we can to protect Hampshire’s countryside from inappropriate development, supporting local businesses and high streets, and ensuring every pound of taxpayers’ money is spent wisely and transparently.

We also recognise that a strong county looks after its most vulnerable residents. That is why we are continuing to invest in children’s services, expand SEND provision, and support older people to live independently with dignity.

Our track record demonstrates delivery. We have launched Hampshire’s largest ever Highways Recovery Plan, expanded specialist school places, modernised services, and secured a landmark devolution deal bringing new powers and investment to the county.

This election comes at a time of real financial pressure and change for councils across the country. The choice facing voters is between experienced leadership that understands how to manage these challenges responsibly, and alternatives that risk instability.

Hampshire deserves steady, competent leadership that protects what matters most while planning responsibly for the future.

“When there’s a Green in the room, the conversation changes — and communities benefit.”

The Green Party is standing in this year’s Hampshire County Council elections because residents deserve councillors who put communities first, listen carefully, and work constructively to deliver practical improvements across the county. Our candidates are rooted in their local areas and are committed to protecting the services people rely on, supporting local businesses, and taking responsible action on the environmental challenges facing Hampshire.

Across the county, Green councillors have shown that a constructive, independent-minded approach can make a real difference. Greens have helped secure investment in walking and cycling routes, supported schools to cut energy costs, strengthened community transport, and worked with residents on issues ranging from road safety and flooding to access to local services. We believe in evidence-based decision-making, open communication, and working collaboratively with parish and town councils, community groups, and volunteers.

Hampshire faces significant pressures: overstretched services, rising costs, and the growing impact of climate and environmental change on our rivers, roads, and communities. Many people feel that everyday life is becoming more difficult — from accessing healthcare and essential services locally, to the cost of living and opportunities for young people. These pressures point to deeper problems that need long-term solutions.

That’s why Greens are focused on practical, long-term action — helping residents with the cost of living, protecting vital services, improving public transport, safeguarding green spaces, tackling pollution, supporting local businesses, and ensuring that development comes with the infrastructure communities need and is planned sustainably.

We also believe residents deserve transparency and accountability. Green councillors are free to vote in the best interests of their communities, and we work hard to ensure residents’ voices are heard in council decisions.

A fairer, greener, more resilient Hampshire starts with a Green at the table.

No response received.

Only the Liberal Democrats can win across Hampshire to offer hope for our County. The Conservatives have left our finances on the edge of bankruptcy. It is time for change.

We need to fix our roads. Hampshire’s road repair backlog means roads will be resurfaced every 100 years, yet pothole repairs often last less than 100 hours. Portsmouth is rated “green” by government for its roads. It can be done.

We need to help save our NHS. Lib Dems want to see more time and energy spent keeping people healthy to avoid them needing the NHS. Public health investment leads to healthier, happier and longer lives.

We need to give hope to young people. From special education where £millions that could be spent on teachers are spent on taxis, to tackling employment for young job starters and the chronic housing crisis of unaffordable homes.

And we need a Council that listens, by working in partnerships and engaging with residents rather than telling them how to live their lives.

Local government reorganisation the Liberal Democrats did not support is being forced on us. The Conservatives pushed Hampshire into a quick reorganisation, wanted the New Forest and Test Valley led from Southampton, and East Hampshire merged with Basingstoke. All that to get last year’s elections cancelled, so they could stay camped out at County Hall, denying voters’ democratic rights.

This election can only be won by the Liberal Democrats or the Conservatives. The Liberal Democrats topped the polls in elections across Hampshire last year, winning more seats and more votes. Reform cannot win. They have failed to win any County seat, ever, or even come close. It is increasingly only the Liberal Democrats you see all year round. We can win, with your support, and help rebuild hope for our County.

Conservative-controlled Hampshire County Council is almost ‘bankrupt’, despite loads of cuts. Meanwhile the town council Andy Tree leads is financially strong and successfully delivering, with results from EHDC since elected there in 2023 too!

Whilst the national parties (Conservatives, Lib Dems, Reform etc.) battle it out to decide who is responsible for Hampshire County Council’s financial ‘mess’ and how much extra council tax and cuts are needed, we NEED Andy Tree elected there to stand up for the residents of Whitehill, Bordon and Lindford!

Andy has a track record of supporting budgets that serve Whitehilll, Bordon and Lindford with funding and saving the tip but speaking out against budgets that raise council tax and do not deliver for us!

You do not have to stop supporting the national political party of your choice to vote for Andy Tree locally.

With so much focus on national politics, please help us ensure local priorities are not forgotten.

Andy can make his decisions based on what is best for our community, not a national political party!

Electing Andy Tree on May 7, 2026 to Hampshire County Council will maintain Whitehill & Bordon Community Party’s positive momentum across all the local councils and areas, sending a message to all the national political parties that Whitehill, Bordon and Lindford residents are important!

The current election has an element of the surreal to it as it comes at a time when the last rites have already been read over the county’s government and its just a matter of (unknown) time until it is dead and buried. Nevertheless, this has not stopped a panoply of candidates appearing, creating a crowded field in many divisions. This is more about positioning for the future for most parties rather than the immediate challenge of governing in the short-term over an ever-worsening financial situation. This is evident in the parlous state of the roads, which usually get a pre-election smattering of pothole filling, which is not evident this time.

No one except the Libertarian Party seems overly concerned about the accumulated bloat at all levels of government and at no level are administrations slimming down to “fit into the wedding dress” for the upcoming nuptials between the likes of Test Valley (which is in robust financial health) and the remnant authority with which it will merge. Its “someone else’s problem” it seems. Our candidate in the Andover South division is Christopher Ecclestone, a long-time resident of Andover, who has also been a councillor at Borough and Town levels. He is well-known for advocating reductions in costs by eliminating administrative creep, unnecessary duplication and excessive salaries. The time for pussy-footing around is past. Its Apocalypse Now in public finances and the mergers are going to expose how bad this has been and just how much has been swept under the rug. The administration at all levels needs the chainsaw applied, not the butter-knife.

No response received.

Across North East Hampshire, the same conversations keep coming up on doorsteps. Roads full of potholes. Council Tax climbing every year for the same or fewer services. Planning decisions made without consulting the people who actually live here. Green spaces under threat from overdevelopment. And a growing sense that the council simply isn’t listening.

Reform UK is standing candidates in every ward because we believe local government should be exactly that – local. Our candidates aren’t career politicians. They’re a retired RAF engineer, a firefighter, a parish councillor, teachers, accountants, small business owners and tech leaders. They live here, they use the same roads, the same GP surgeries, the same schools. They understand the problems because they experience them every day.

We’re asking a straightforward question: where is your money going? Residents pay more each year and get less in return. Contracts go unchallenged. Money gets spent on pet projects while basic services decline. That has to change.

Our priorities are practical, not ideological. Fix the roads. Hold developers to account. Protect our green spaces and farmland. Demand transparency on how your council tax is spent. Support local businesses instead of letting our high streets hollow out. And ensure that residents – not Whitehall targets – drive planning decisions.

Hampshire has a proud heritage, strong communities, and people who care deeply about where they live. What it lacks is councillors who will fight for those things rather than manage their decline.

Reform UK candidates will hold regular surgeries, answer to you directly, and put your priorities ahead of party politics. We’re not asking you to trust us on faith. We’re asking you to give us the chance to deliver.

Time for change. Vote Reform on 7th May.

I am a local businessman and have a vast experience in local challenges in our constituency.

I became involved in local politics having lost faith in the conservatives who have become entrenched in party politics instead of representing the people who voted for them.

The people of Winchester constituency have told me they have had enough of the same old messages with the same old outcome. Broken promises and mismanagement at the highest level with no thought or consideration for the electors who have become disengaged with local and national issues which is a sad reality of this current Tory government and it’s alternatives.

Nationally I believe our country is no longer in safe hands from the established parties, and especially the “establishment”, I now want to return to the Britain I once knew and cherished.

One which positively encourages free-speech no matter how uncomfortable, maintains its sovereignty and borders, does not bend the knee to international organisations which do not have our interests at heart, and, a country whose proud and successful past informs our children’s future.

I know that the majority of British people think the way we in Reform UK do, and they have been continually punished by the international globalists, and those within our own parliament, since we did not vote the way we were told in 2016. Therefore, I genuinely feel there is a strong chance Reform UK will win big at the General Election 2024, and I want to play my part in that.

If you feel that you, your children and your country’s future are ebbing away before your very eyes, then support me and all the other brave and honourable Reform UK candidates actively standing up for Britain. We will stand up for everyone who believes in our beautiful country.

No response received.

Since the 1970s, Wessex Regionalists have advocated for devolution in South and South-West England, building the case for regional governance on a par with what is now in Scotland and Wales. Though cynics might see Wessex as a long-dead kingdom, its heritage was nonetheless fertile enough in Victorian times for novelist Thomas Hardy to use the name to depict the distinctiveness of this part of England.

This use continues today.

But it is not just regional pride which motivates us: regionalism would grant voters more of a say in all levels of government. County politics is undoubtedly already the arena of many important decisions – our candidate James Crabb is campaigning, for example, for better scrutiny of the infrastructural and ecological effects of urban development — but local administrations are also increasingly pressured by problems of a larger scale, e.g. adult social care.

While Labour perceives some need for devolution, its plans will likely have the opposite effect: metro mayoralties being too small in size and limited in powers for the regional level, and larger, unitary councils devaluing the meaning of the ‘local’ in ‘local’ government.

Our Wessex alternative is clear: a devolved assembly with legislative powers, akin to Scotland’s and Wales’s, would be able to relieve local authorities of the larger-scale problems, while also taking back control over those services, properly regional in scale (e.g. water and the railways), which have been poorly overseen by the chaos of the Westminster Parliament.

A responsible and conscientious councillor must thus both work locally on contained local issues and network regionally for real change where this alternative does not yet exist. It is this unique regional consciousness that makes Wessex Regionalists uniquely placed to meet the needs of local government in our day.

No response received.

The All In Party was founded in 2025 to continue the work of the Basingstoke branch of the Women’s Equality Party after that party ended. All In was created to bring an equality lens to every issue, because equality is better for every single one of us. It means better politics, more inclusive policies, a more vibrant economy, a workforce that draws on the talents of the whole population and a society that’s at ease with itself.

Societies that are more equal do better on every metric. They are happier, healthier and wealthier; they have better environmental policies – they even go to war less often. And crucially, this benefit holds true for all members of those societies: men and women, old and young, every race, class, ability and background.

The All In team applies this focus along with a proactive and innovative response to all residents’ issues. We do the work year-round – not just at election time – to understand what our communities want and need: canvassing doors, being active at community events, and holding regular surgeries. All In Leader and Basingstoke and Deane Borough Councillor for Hatch Warren and Beggarwood, Cllr Stacy Hart, won her seat in 2024 by clearly demonstrating both this work ethic and our original approach to local politics.

As a new and independent political force we bring a fresh lens to local governance, unencumbered by party lines and spin. We are collaborative rather than partisan, honest and accountable, proactive and communicative. Because serving residents is more important than who has power, and because those commitments, matched with our equality focus, is the best way to serve our community.

The Community Campaign have been part of a cohesive administration on Hart District Council since 2017. We pride ourselves on focusing on getting stuff done for the communities we represent and not getting distracted by pointless political arguments. A local council has enough challenges dealing with waste collection, housing and planning without wasting time on the national issues which are beyond our control.

With the upcoming Local Government Reorganisation (LGR) it is important that the members of the current councils (County & Districts) work together to ensure that the new authority when it takes over is best placed to serve the needs of residents. This requires hard working councillors, with experience and a pragmatic approach towards getting things done.

When talking to voters we ask them to set aside how they would vote in a general election and to factor in who would serve them best at a community level on their local authority. With 11 councillors already sitting on Hart District Council, it is clearly a message which resonates with many. As a group we have no national political party affiliations, although our members span the whole spectrum of political views, we don’t follow someone else’s imposed agenda we do what is right for the residents who elected us. No matter what your view is on immigration it has no bearing on the fight for a community centre or ensuring that the council continues to deliver cost effective services.

These concerns inspired me to stand up for Bishopstoke & Fair Oak. I’ve been privileged and proud to have received so much support from my local community, now currently representing local people on Hampshire County Council (since 2022) Eastleigh Borough Council (Since 2018) and Bishopstoke Parish (since 2016). successfully run for the Parish Council election in 2016. Together with the local community and my Independent colleagues I have helped to convince the Local Planning Inspector that the potentially 5000+ buildings proposal in the north of our villages would be destructive and I am now actively seeking the same area be protected as a nature reserve. After three years of campaigning for safer indication of the junior school and slower speeds, I was thrilled, that within my first 6months at Hampshire, warning lights and a 20mph limit has been installed. I have sought to influence decision makers.

Including: speaking up on behalf of residents at local meetings; helping residents experiencing difficulties with developments; challenging policies on fly-tipping; and, pushed for new footpaths. Bishopstoke has always been home. I went to the local Infant and Junior school, I’m a member of Bishopstoke Players and Bishopstoke History Society. I grew up with its ancient woodland & Itchen and want to see these preserved for future generations”

If elected I will: continue to fight eco-vandalism that could devastate our ancient woodland, countryside and the Itchen; keep local people informed of the decisions that will affect us and listen to their views; support services and policies which contribute to the health and wellbeing of local people, our environment and wildlife.