Green Party Secures Control of Lewisham and Norwich Councils, Gains 27 Seats in Lambeth

The Green Party of England and Wales has made substantial inroads into Labour's traditional electoral strongholds, notably in south London, where Sir Keir Starmer's party has lost control of Lewisham and Lambeth.

London Gains and National Impact

In Lewisham, the Green Party secured a majority, overturning Labour's dominance, which had persisted since 1971. The last local election in 2022 saw Labour win every seat in the borough. Green Party leader Zack Polanski asserted that his party was now 'replacing' Labour.

In Lambeth, the Greens gained 27 seats, becoming the largest party, though they did not achieve an outright majority. This outcome marks the first time Labour has been out of power in Lambeth since 2006. The party also gained control of Waltham Forest and Hackney in north-east London, giving them three councils in the capital.

Nationally, the Green Party gained more than 440 councillors across England and elected its first-ever mayors in Hackney and Lewisham.

Beyond the Capital

Outside London, the Green Party's most notable success was in Norwich, where it seized control of the city council from Labour. The party also made significant gains in Hastings, where no single party previously held control, and picked up seats in areas including Salford, Oxford, Southampton, Exeter, and Manchester, securing 17 new seats on the Manchester City Council.

In Wales, the party saw its first two members elected to the Senedd, while the Scottish Greens achieved their first constituency wins in Holyrood elections.

Polanski declared that two-party politics was 'dead and buried', framing the 'new politics' as a contest between the Green Party and Reform UK. While the Green gains were more modest than those of Reform UK, these results represent the Green Party's best-ever election performance.