How one day transformed the political map of the capital

Labour has lost control of more than half of its London boroughs in a dire set of elections for Sir Keir Starmer and his premiership.

Mayor of London Sadiq Khan accused his party of taking the capital “for granted for too long” and failing to deliver the change it had promised.

Labour went into the local elections as a dominant force, controlling 21 of the city’s 32 boroughs.

But it managed to hold on to just ten town halls in a bruising night which has reshaped the political map.

The graphics below show how the political makeup of the capital has changed.

Sir Sadiq, who has won a record three elections to lead City Hall, described the results as “bitterly disappointing” as he acknowledged Londoners were “frustrated with the slow pace of change and are impatient to see the delivery they were promised”.

He added: “London has been taken for granted for too long.

This must change.

“We need more investment in our public services and infrastructure, which would not only boost the economy and living standards for Londoners, but lead to jobs, wealth and prosperity right across the country.”
Zack Polanski’s Green Party were the main beneficiaries from Labour’s plummeting popularity in the capital, taking control of Lewisham, Hackney and Waltham Forest in a series of historic wins.

Meanwhile, Brent, Enfield, Haringey Southwark and Lambeth fell to no overall control after decades of Labour rule.

Westminster, one of three flagship Conservative boroughs Labour seized control of for the first time in 2022, was also lost to the Tories.

The other two - Barnet and Wandsworth - are now no overall control.

Overall Labour lost over 350 seats in the capital.

Despite the huge losses it still remains comfortably the party with the most seats on local councils in the capital, with 695.

Sir Sadiq said: “Mid-term elections can sometimes be difficult for the party in national government, but this is different.

Local elections 2026: London results in full
What happens at the 7 London councils where no party won a majority?

Labour loses former stronghold councils in further London election disaster
Winter escapes and activities to end the year in style
“These results speak to a far-reaching disillusionment and fracturing in our politics, which cannot be downplayed, spun or dismissed.

“Labour has lost votes in London to a variety of different parties, but the biggest change has been Labour voters switching to the Greens.”
Green leader Zack Polanski said Labour had been “decisively rejected”.

Speaking from Hackney, where Zoe Garbett won the mayoral race , he said: “Years ago, Hackney would have been a Labour stronghold.

“Zoe didn’t just win by a little bit.

Labour was so decisively rejected.

“But people didn’t just vote against the Labour Party.

People very clearly voted for Zoe and the Green Party because she’s offering a vision and a plan that people are excited about, people are hopeful about, and our country needs that so much right now.”
Across the country, Labour lost more than 1,400 seats.

Plaid Cymru became the biggest party in Wales after 27 years of Labour control and the SNP won for a fifth successive time in Scotland.

Sir Keir visited activists and candidates in Ealing, one of the boroughs where Labour managed to cling on for a fifth term, on Friday.

He told them: “Results are tough, they are very tough and there is no sugarcoating this.

We have lost brilliant Labour representatives across the country.

“These are people who put so much into their communities, so much into our party and our movement.

And that hurts and it should hurt.

“And I take responsibility.

When voters send a message like this, we must reflect and we must respond.”
On Saturday, the Prime Minister appointed two Labour veterans to his government in a bid to begin resetting his premiership amid growing leadership challenge rumours.

Gordon Brown, the former PM and longstanding Chancellor, was given a role as special envoy on global finance.

Downing Street said Sir Keir has committed to boosting the country’s security and resilience and “in this role, Gordon Brown will advise on how global finance cooperation can help to achieve this”.

Former deputy leader Baroness Harriet Harman as his adviser on women and girls.

Andy Burnham has been tipped as a frontrunner to replace Sir Keir, alongside Ilford North MP Wes Streeting and former deputy prime minister Angela Rayner.

Labour faced a hammering in local elections in the North West and Greater Manchester Mayor Mr Burnham would need to win a Westminster seat if he is to make a challenge.

Labour MP Connor Naismith, who has called for a change in leadership, dismissed suggestions that the Mayor would struggle to win a by-election to enter Parliament.

The Crewe and Nantwich MP said Mr Burnham would be able to defy that trend.

He said: “Andy is the most popular Labour politician in the country.

The suggestion that he wouldn’t be able to win in some of the seats Labour is currently struggling to win is just wrong.

“Ironically, this is precisely why we need him back on the front line of national politics.”
Labour MP Tony Vaughan said the party was “hamstrung” by Sir Keir Starmer ’s mistakes in office, including winter fuel cuts, benefits reform, the Prime Minister’s comments on Gaza and appointment of Lord Mandelson.

The Folkestone and Hythe MP said: “We must give the public a Labour leader with a clear vision, conviction and the ability to inspire if we are to stand any chance of turning things around.

“So, I strongly believe that there must be an orderly transition of leadership well before the local elections next year.

“Otherwise, we are conceding defeat to (Nigel) Farage before we have even started.”
Based on full results from 129 of the 136 councils in England that held elections on Thursday, Labour won 47% of the seats it was defending, while the Conservatives won 63% of their seats.

The Tories did particularly well in the capital holding back the Reform surge seen across the rest of the country and retaining all of its councils - Bexley, Bromley, Kensington & Chelsea, Croydon, Harrow and Hillingdon - and winning back control of Westminster.

Nigel Farage’s party did win its first London council of Havering and took more than 1,400 new town hall seats across the country.