Greens win control of their third London council
The Greens have toppled a huge Labour majority in Lewisham to take control of their third London council.
The party won a majority by winning 30 of the first 39 results to be announced, with Labour taking just nine.
The successful Green candidates included Liam Shrivastava in Crofton Park Ward, although he will give up his council seat after winning the Lewisham mayoral election on Friday.
Labour had 50 seats on the previous council and the Greens only four, and Lewisham became the 12th London council where Sir Keir Starmer’s party lost control, with Hackney and Waltham Forest also being taken by the Greens.
The Conservatives won Westminster, while Barnet, Brent, Enfield, Haringey, Lambeth, Newham, Southwark and Wandsworth all slipped into no overall control.
One of Labour’s most powerful figures outside Westminster, the West Yorkshire mayor Tracy Brabin, has warned the government it faces “oblivion” at the next general election without a renewed “boldness” from ministers.
Brabin described the local election losses as “catastrophic” after Labour lost overall control of several councils in her region to a Reform UK surge, including Leeds, Bradford, Wakefield, Calderdale and Kirklees. Labour had led many of these authorities for decades.
Brabin stopped short of calling for Keir Starmer to stand aside but said:
“This is a catastrophic set of results for the Labour Party. Here in West Yorkshire, and across the country, we’ve lost dedicated councillors who have served their communities tirelessly without self interest."
“I’m proud to have worked with many of them over the last five years to deliver better transport, new homes and more jobs for the people we represent.
“I remain committed to building a stronger region, and will work with the newly elected leaders of our councils to deliver for people and communities across West Yorkshire.
“Two years on from a landslide general election victory, the Labour party is facing oblivion if these results are repeated. We cannot waste the opportunity of Labour being in government.”
