| Election Name: | 2016 Portsmouth City Council election |
| Country: | Portsmouth |
| Type: | Parliamentary |
| Ongoing: | no |
| Previous Election: | 2015 Portsmouth City Council election |
| Previous Year: | 2015 |
| Next Election: | 2018 Portsmouth City Council election |
| Next Year: | 2018 |
| Seats For Election: | 14 of 42 seats (One Third) to Portsmouth City Council |
| Majority Seats: | 22 |
| Election Date: | 5 May 2016 |
| Leader1: | Gerald Vernon-Jackson |
| Leaders Seat1: | Milton |
| Party1: | Liberal Democrats (UK) |
| Seats1: | 8 (15 total) |
| Seat Change1: | 1 |
| Popular Vote1: | 12,795 |
| Percentage1: | 29.3% |
| Swing1: | 9.6% |
| Leader2: | Donna Jones |
| Leaders Seat2: | Hilsea |
| Party2: | Conservative Party (UK) |
| Seats2: | 4 (19 total) |
| Seat Change2: | 1 |
| Popular Vote2: | 12,016 |
| Percentage2: | 27.3% |
| Swing2: | 7.1% |
| Leader4: | John Ferrett |
| Leaders Seat4: | Paulsgrove |
| Party4: | Labour Party (UK) |
| Seats4: | 2 (4 total) |
| Popular Vote4: | 10,439 |
| Percentage4: | 23.9% |
| Swing4: | 4.5% |
| Leader5: | Colin Galloway |
| Leaders Seat5: | Nelson |
| Party5: | UK Independence Party |
| Seats5: | 0 (4 total) |
| Popular Vote5: | 6,547 |
| Percentage5: | 15.0% |
| Swing5: | 1.7% |
| Council control | |
| Posttitle: | Council control after election |
| Before Election: | No overall control |
| After Election: | No overall control |
The 2016 Portsmouth City Council election took place on 5 May 2016 to elect members of Portsmouth City Council.[1] This took place on the same day as other local elections taking place around the UK, including the London Mayoral election, Scottish Parliament and Welsh Assembly elections.
14 of 42 seats were contested during these elections within this unitary authority.
After this year's local elections, the composition of the council is now (compared to the situation immediately prior to the election):
19 (0)
15 (+1)
4 (0)
3 (0)
1 (-1)Following the election, the Conservative minority administration that had governed Portsmouth since 2014 continued in office.[2] [3]
Comparisons for the purpose of determining a gain, hold or loss of a seat, and for all percentage changes, is to the last time these specific seats were up for election in 2012.
The incumbent councillor, Aiden Grey, was elected as a Liberal Democrat but defected to Labour six months after his election.[4]