The 2026 Lambeth London Borough Council election took place on 7 May 2026, as part of the 2026 United Kingdom local elections. All 63 members of Lambeth London Borough Council were elected. The election took place alongside local elections in the other London boroughs.
Prior to the election, the council was under Labour majority control. At the election, the council went under no overall control. The Green Party overtook Labour to become the largest party, but fell three seats short of a majority. They chose Martin Abrams to be the new leader of the Green group on 13 May. He was subsequently formally appointed as the new leader of the council on 1 June 2026.
Background
History
The thirty-two London boroughs were established in 1965 by the London Government Act 1963. They are the principal authorities in Greater London and have responsibilities including education, housing, planning, highways, social services, libraries, recreation, waste, environmental health and revenue collection. Some of the powers are shared with the Greater London Authority, which also manages passenger transport, police and fire.
Since its formation, Lambeth has generally been under Labour control apart from one period from 1968 to 1971 of Conservative control and several periods of no overall control. The council was controlled by a Liberal Democrat-Conservative coalition from 2002 to 2006, and from 2006 until this election continuously had a Labour majority.
Changes since 2022 By-elections Following the 2022 elections, the Labour Party secured a majority on Lambeth Council with 58 seats. The Liberal Democrats formed the official opposition with three seats, while the Green Party won two.
A by-election in the Vauxhall ward was held in October 2023, following the death of Labour councillor Liam Jarnecki. Labour retained the seat, with Tom Swaine-Jameson.
Two by-elections took place in May 2024. In Knight’s Hill, Labour councillor Sonia Winifred resigned after having the party whip suspended for defying it in a Gaza ceasefire vote. Labour held the seat, with Emma Nye elected. On the same day, a by-election was held in Streatham Common and Vale following the resignation of Tom Rutland, who stepped down to focus on contesting East Worthing and Shoreham. Labour retained the seat, electing Sarah Cole.
A further by-election in Streatham Common and Vale took place in July 2024 after the resignation of Hena Shah. The seat was again held by Labour, with Dominic Armstrong elected.
In May 2025, a by-election was held in Herne Hill and Loughborough Junction following the election of Jim Dickson as MP for Dartford. The seat was gained by the Green Party, with Paul Valentine elected, making the Greens the joint opposition party on the council.
Affiliation changes Cllr Martin Abrams resigned from the Labour Party in August 2025, highlighting a culture of alleged bullying and factionalism. He was suspended by Lambeth Labour in early 2024 after voting for a ceasefire motion in Gaza. He joined the Greens in September 2025, making them the official opposition group on Lambeth Council.
In July 2025, Cllr Irfan Mohammed was suspended from Labour after being charged with a criminal offences relating to exposure, controlling behaviour and sexual assault. He sat as an Independent.
In November 2025, Cllr Christiana (Tina) Valcarcel, defected to the Liberal Democrats, making them the joint opposition party on the council.
Council composition
After 2022 election Before 2026 election After 2026 election Party Seats Party Seats Party Seats 58 54 28 3 4 26 2 4 8 0 1 1 Of the 63 seats, the Green Party won 29 seats, making it the largest party on the council for the first time but without an overall majority. Labour won 26 seats, the Liberal Democrats eight. Saiqa Ali, who was elected in Streatham St Leonard's under the Green Party banner was suspended by the party during the campaign over alleged antisemitic social media posts. Despite her suspension, electoral law required her name to remain on the ballot. A Green Party spokesman confirmed she would sit on the council as an independent, though she received a third fewer votes than the ward's top-ranked Green candidate.
Result summary
Council composition following the election in May 2026 and the suspension of a Green councillor: +↓282681
Electoral process Lambeth, as is the case all other London borough councils, elects all of its councillors at once every four years, with the previous election having taken place in 2022. The election takes place by multi-member first-past-the-post voting, with each ward being represented by two or three councillors. Electors will have as many votes as there are councillors to be elected in their ward, with the top two or three being elected.
All registered electors (British, Irish, Commonwealth and European Union citizens) living in London aged 18 or over are entitled to vote in the election. People who live at two addresses in different councils, such as university students with different term-time and holiday addresses, are entitled to be registered for and vote in elections in both local authorities. Voting in-person at polling stations takes place from 7:00 to 22:00 on election day, and voters are able to apply for postal votes or proxy votes in advance of the election.
Campaign At the beginning of March 2026, The Guardian reported on MRP modelling from data company Bombe which forecast that Lambeth would be one of the London boroughs Labour loses to the Green Party.
Labour In September 2025, Labour's candidate selections in Lambeth for the 2026 council elections were suspended after local member Mark Sheiham launched a High Court challenge against being blocked from standing.
Greens During the campaign, the Green Party faced controversy over its candidate in Streatham St Leonard's ward on Lambeth Council — the party's strongest ward in the borough, where all three sitting councillors are Green. Saiqa Ali came under scrutiny after The Spectator reported on social media posts attributed to her Instagram account. The posts included an image of a masked, armed fighter described as wearing a Hamas headband, captioned "Long live the Resistance"; a depiction of the Earth being crushed by a serpent bearing the Star of David; and a repost of a mural widely condemned as antisemitic, which had previously drawn criticism when Jeremy Corbyn was found to have engaged with it in 2018. Following contact from The Spectator, Ali's Instagram account was set to private. Questions were also raised about whether Ali met the residency or workplace requirements to stand in Lambeth, as her nomination papers listed a home address in the neighbouring borough of Croydon.
Separately, Sabine Mairey, the party's candidate in Clapham Town ward, was reported to have shared a Facebook post describing an attack on a synagogue as "not antisemitism" but "revenge," referencing a vehicle-ramming incident at a synagogue in Michigan earlier in the year. Mark Bittlestone, a comedian and history teacher also standing in Clapham Town, was found by the Daily Mail to have reposted material suggesting the October 7 attacks were a covert "false flag," and to have shared posts from other users describing Israel as a "colony of inbreds, rapists and thieves" and claiming it had no right to exist. Bittlestone deleted all his social media profiles following the exposé. Both Ali and Mairey were subsequently arrested by the Metropolitan Police on suspicion of stirring up racial hatred online, an offence under section 19 of the Public Order Act 1986. Neither candidate appeared on the Lambeth Green Party's website thereafter, and the party said the posts did not reflect its views.
Results by ward
An asterisk * at the end of a candidates name highlights an existing councillor seeking re-election Brixton Acre Lane
Brixton North
Brixton Rush Common
Brixton Windrush
Clapham Common & Abbeville
Clapham East
Clapham Park
Clapham Town
Gipsy Hill
Herne Hill & Loughborough Junction
Kennington Joanne Simpson was a councillor for Stockwell West and Larkhall ward, elected in 2022.
Knight's Hill
Myatt's Fields
Oval
St Martin's
Stockwell East Rebecca Spencer was a councillor for Gipsy Hill ward, elected in 2022.
Stockwell West and Larkhall
Streatham Common and Vale
Streatham Hill East Martin Abrams was a councillor for Streatham St Leonard's ward, elected in 2022.
Streatham Hill West and Thornton
Streatham St Leonard's During the campaign, Green Party candidate, Saiqa Ali was suspended from the party following her arrest for alleged antisemitic social media posts.
Streatham Wells
Vauxhall Liam Daley was a councillor for Kennington ward, elected in 2022. Tina Valcarcel was a councillor for Stockwell East ward, elected in 2022.
Waterloo and South Bank
West Dulwich
By-elections Clapham Park
Streatham St Leonard's
Myatt's Fields
Notes
References