Thank you to all who submitted entries to the Council Group of the Year awards 2026. These awards are presented by the LGA Liberal Democrat Group and ALDC. They celebrate some of the very best achievements by Liberal Democrats Council Groups over the past year. Whether in administration or opposition our Council Groups work hard to deliver improvements for their local community each and every day.
Thank you to everyone who nominated a Council Group. Each and every one was truly inspiring."
Council Group Achievement of the Year
Our first award looked at the achievements of Liberal Democrat groups – in administration and opposition – who have made a liberal difference in their councils this year. We awarded both a special commendation and an overall winner in this category.
Special Commendation Award
The Council Group Achievement of the Year special commendation award went to Watford Liberal Democrats.
Lib Dem-led Watford Borough Council passed a remarkable council budget this year – in which they didn’t cut a penny from council services, improved environmental protection and even delivered a council tax freeze while keeping their council tax support grant (one of the most generous in the country) in place. They were able to pass such a remarkable budget thanks to 24 years of Liberal Democrat administration on the council.
Congratulations to our group in Watford!
Council Group Achievement of the year
The winner of the Council Group Achievement of the year went to North East Lincolnshire Liberal Democrats.
North East Lincs are a small council group who punch above their weight. As a group of just three councillors in a 42 member authority, NE Lincs Lib Dems have secured and delivered a council-wide ‘Operation Clean and Green’ initiative. This delivered additional staff and resources to target more street cleansing to the most deprived wards in the borough, as well as education and engagement activities. This initiative delivered immediate improvements including a 20 per cent fall in littering. It has now been passed by the council as a permanently funded programme – all originating from a Liberal Democrat group budget amendment showing Lib Dem community politics in action on the council.
Opposition Group of the Year
Opposition groups deliver lasting change for their communities in difficult circumstances. Often having to negotiate with other political parties, and work harder to make changes to their council. But across the UK Lib Dem hundreds of Lib Dem opposition council groups continue to deliver improvements and we are delighted to draw attention to some of these groups tonight.
Once again we gave a special commendation and an overall winner in this category.
Special Commendation Award
The special commendation for opposition group of the year went to our City of Lincoln group.
In recent years our Lincoln group has made major breakthroughs. For the first time ever they have been the formal opposition group on the council (since 2024). They have led major campaigns included providing scrutiny of the councils failed redevelopment schemes that are failing to deliver and costing tax-payers hundreds of thousands of pounds in overspends. They have also fought to save Lincoln Christmas Market from the axe and fought to save local leisure centres from closure.
Congratulations to Lincoln Liberal Democrats for moving forwards in every election since 2021, becoming the official council opposition and representing residents concerns so successfully on the council.
Opposition Group of the year
This year’s opposition group of the year award went to Durham Liberal Democrats.
Durham were the first group to beat Reform UK in a by-election in the country. Having spent four years leading a coalition administration on Durham County Council, the Lib Dem group has emerged with a highly positive reputation showing it is able to hold all it’s seats against Reform and also gain seats from them. They have adapted to become an opposition group again and continuing to represent their communities as they become a leading case study in how to oppose, and win against, Reform.
Council Group of the Year Special commendation award
Our special commendation in the Council Group of the Year category went to West Berkshire Liberal Democrats.
West Berkshire Council has managed to achieve some remarkable positives across the services over the last year, notably being one of only three authorities nation-wide to achieve a QCC rating of ‘Good’ for Adult Social Care, an Ofsted rating of ‘Good’ for Children and Family Services, a ‘Green’ rating for its roads by the Department for Transport and to be in the top quartile nationwide for recycling rates. In addition they have increased their food recycle rate by 25 per cent, upgraded local leisure centres and doubled the number of highway schemes delivered by the council so that 63km of road resurfacing took place last year!
Congratulations to the West Berkshire group on an amazing year full of achievements.
Council Group of the Year 2026
This year’s Council Group of the Year winner is Wokingham Liberal Democrats.
In the fourth year of running Wokingham Borough Council, the Lib Dem Group has gained overall control, and continued to deliver value for residents against a very challenging financial backdrop.
Recent Impower rankings placed Wokingham Borough Council as the second most productive unitary authority in the country!
Under Lib Dem leadership the council is making great strides in improving road safety through a new Speed Limit Policy, achieved a good rating from CQC for Adult Social Care in August, and has made great improvements in managing SEND services.
Through the council’s Climate Emergency Action Plan they are very close to building a major solar farm to power 10500 homes, and they were one of the biggest improvers in the Council Climate Scorecards in June 2025.
All of this external recognition is a reflection of the huge dedication of the whole council group and how well they work with officers and each other.
Congratulations to Wokingham Liberal Democrats on winning this year’s Council Group of the Year awards