Milton Keynes sets new wards and 2026 full council vote

If you live, teach, or study in Milton Keynes, the way you choose councillors is changing. The Local Government Boundary Commission for England has completed its review and the changes are now law under the Milton Keynes (Electoral Changes) Order 2025. We’ll walk you through what happens in 2026, how elections work from 2027 onwards, and what “retire by lot” really means. According to legislation.gov.uk and Milton Keynes City Council, this is about fair representation as the city grows.

First, a quick map check. The Order abolishes the old wards and creates 21 new ones for city elections. There will be 60 councillors in total: 19 wards will elect three councillors each, New Bradwell will elect two, and Hanslope will elect one. This mix reflects the Commission’s final recommendations and is set out in Schedule 1 of the Order.

In May 2026, Milton Keynes will hold a “whole council” election, meaning every seat in every ward is up at the same time. English local elections are held on the ordinary day of election, which in law is the first Thursday in May; councils such as Woking already flag Thursday 7 May 2026 for their next poll. Newly elected Milton Keynes councillors take office on the fourth day after polling day.

From 2027, the council goes back to elections “by thirds”. In simple terms, roughly a third of the councillors will stand each year for three years, with no city council election in the fourth year. The Order sets out who retires when: one councillor per three-member ward in 2027, another in 2028, and the final one in 2030. That gap year in 2029 is normal for councils that elect by thirds.

How do we decide which councillor serves one, two, or four years after the 2026 reset? The Order says it’s based on the number of votes each winning candidate receives in 2026. The winner with the fewest votes retires first (in 2027), the next retires in 2028, and the highest-placed winner serves to 2030. If there’s a tie-or if a ward contest is not contested-the council must draw lots at its next practicable meeting to decide who retires when. That’s what “retire by lot” means.

When you vote in England’s local elections you use first-past-the-post. Your ballot will list candidates and you can put a cross next to as many names as there are seats in your ward. In a three-member ward, you can vote for up to three candidates; in New Bradwell, up to two; in Hanslope, one. The candidates with the most votes win the seats. This is standard Electoral Commission guidance.

Try this in class. Imagine a three-councillor ward in 2026 where the winning candidates get 2,800, 2,450 and 2,420 votes. All three are elected. The person on 2,420 retires in 2027, the person on 2,450 retires in 2028, and the person on 2,800 serves to 2030. It’s a helpful way to show how vote totals in a single election can set the rhythm for the next four years.

Parish councils are changing too in 2027 to match the new city wards. The Order redraws parish wards in Broughton & Milton Keynes, Kents Hill & Monkston, Stantonbury and Walton, and for the first time creates two parish wards in Whitehouse. Whitehouse East will have three parish councillors and Whitehouse West will have four. These parish arrangements apply from the ordinary day of parish elections in 2027, with preparatory steps beginning in October 2026.

For Bletchley & Fenny Stratford parish, the changes arrive in 2028. The parish is divided into nine parish wards, including Central Bletchley, Newton Leys and Manor South, each with a set number of parish councillors listed in the Order. Preparatory steps begin in October 2027, with the new wards used at the ordinary day of parish elections in 2028.

If you’re wondering where to see the new boundaries, the Order says the official map is available to inspect at the Local Government Boundary Commission for England’s offices and online via the Commission’s Milton Keynes review page. Teachers can use the online map to compare old and new ward lines in lessons.

What if you live in Hanslope or New Bradwell? In Hanslope, you’ll elect one city councillor in 2026 and won’t vote again for that seat until 2030. In New Bradwell, two councillors are elected in 2026; one of those seats is due again in 2028 and the other in 2030. This is all set out in the Order’s retirement schedule.

Here’s a quick recap you can share with your class. A “whole council” election is when all seats are elected on the same day-Milton Keynes will do this in May 2026. “Elections by thirds” means one councillor per three-member ward retires each year for two years, then the last retires in year four, with a fallow year in between. “Retire by lot” is a fair draw to settle ties or uncontested situations. With those three ideas in place, the 2026–2028 timeline becomes much easier to follow.