Peter Taylor, mayor since 2018, is the Lib Dem candidate for Watford MP. He took 14,583 votes in May; Labour won the seat in 2024 with 15,708.

Peter Taylor, Watford’s Elected Mayor since 2018, is standing to become the town’s MP as the Liberal Democrat candidate. The Watford Liberal Democrats now present him on their website as “Watford’s Mayor and next MP”.

The party’s campaign page says he “is standing to be Watford’s next MP because he wants to get a better deal for everyone in our area”. It says he wants to take his approach as mayor “to Westminster, fighting for lower bills, better local services and a stronger voice for our community”. The page also carries a survey asking residents what matters to them.

The quick answer

  • Who: Peter Taylor, Liberal Democrat, Elected Mayor of Watford since May 2018 and county councillor for Central Watford and Oxhey.
  • What: the Lib Dem candidate for the Watford parliamentary seat at the next general election.
  • The seat now: held by Labour’s Matt Turmaine, who won it in July 2024 with a majority of 4,723.
  • When: no general election date is set. One must be held by August 2029.
  • His job as mayor: his current term runs to May 2028, so standing does not end it.

How the numbers stack up

The Lib Dems came third in Watford at the 2024 general election. Their candidate, Ian Stotesbury, won 7,577 votes, 17.0% of the total. The full result was:

Candidate Party Votes Share
Matt Turmaine Labour 15,708 35.3%
Dean Russell Conservative 10,985 24.7%
Ian Stotesbury Liberal Democrat 7,577 17.0%
Gary Ling Reform UK 4,930 11.1%
Khalid Chohan Workers Party of Britain 2,659 6.0%
Arran Bowen-la Grange Green 2,428 5.5%
Sarah Knott Heritage Party 168 0.4%

Turnout was 60.8% of an electorate of 73,100.

Taylor’s own record in Watford is stronger than his party’s parliamentary one. At the mayoral election on 7 May 2026 he was re-elected for a third term with 14,583 of the 27,768 votes cast, 52.5%. Reform UK’s Mark Dixon was second on 4,972. Labour’s candidate came fourth, on 2,742.

Those two results cannot be added up or compared directly, for three reasons:

  • Turnout: 37.17% voted in May’s mayoral election, against 60.8% at the general election.
  • Boundaries: the mayor is elected by the borough’s 12 wards. The parliamentary seat covers those 12 plus Bushey North, which is in Hertsmere, under the Boundary Commission’s 2023 review.
  • The question: a vote for a mayor and a vote for an MP are different choices, and people often split them.

Where his mayoral term stands

Taylor was first elected mayor in May 2018. In May he was re-elected for two years rather than the usual four, because the government planned to abolish Watford Borough Council on 1 April 2028. That reorganisation was paused on 7 September, and nothing has yet been published about what happens to the mayoralty if the timetable slips. Our earlier report sets out the detail.

On the published dates, his term as mayor ends in May 2028, before the latest possible date for a general election. He has also been the Hertfordshire county councillor for Central Watford and Oxhey since May 2025.

He takes over as the party’s candidate from Ian Stotesbury, who stood in 2024. Stotesbury is now the council’s portfolio holder for transport and sustainability.

What it means for you

If you live in Watford, nothing changes yet. Taylor remains your mayor, and the council’s decisions and services carry on as before. No general election has been called.

If you want to put a question to him. His party’s campaign page carries a survey for residents. As mayor, he can be contacted through Watford Borough Council.

If you are not sure you are registered. You need to be on the electoral roll to vote in any election. You can register online at gov.uk/register-to-vote, and it takes about five minutes.

Sources