Labour has retained control of Barking and Dagenham Council despite significant gains for Reform UK and the Green Party in the borough elections. The final results in the 2026 local elections saw Labour win 38 of the council's 51 seats, down from a clean sweep at the previous election. Reform UK secured nine seats after previously having none, while the Green Party increased its representation from three councillors to four. Turnout across the borough rose sharply to 33.93 per cent, compared with just 24.5 per cent in 2022 – previously the lowest turnout in London.
Reform UK Breakthroughs
Reform UK made early breakthroughs in Eastbrook and Rush Green, where candidates Ron Emin and Ben Suter took both seats from Labour. Speaking after his victory, Suter described Reform as "a real chance for radical change" and said the result was "something we've not seen in many years". The party went on to gain all three seats in Goresbrook and Parsloes, while also picking up one seat in Valence. Earlier in the day, Suter had said Reform believed it had a chance to "possibly even take control" of the council, though he acknowledged the scale of Labour's existing dominance.
Labour Response
Labour leader Dominic Twomey rejected suggestions of a major Reform surge after retaining his Eastbury seat alongside fellow Labour candidates Mohammed Sadruzzaman Khan and Maureen Worby. Speaking after the declaration, Twomey said Labour had "delivered and we'll continue to deliver" and pledged there would be "no rise of populist politicians in this borough". He added: "We'll be bringing people together, rather than the politics of division that Reform sow in communities."
Green Party Gains
The Green Party also recorded gains, winning two seats in Gascoigne and increasing its presence in Longbridge to two councillors. Former Labour councillor Moin Quadri, who defected to the Greens last year and won a seat in Gascoigne, said younger voters had been motivated by issues including Palestine, LGBT+ rights and university tuition fees.
Final Composition
Labour nevertheless held comfortably in most wards across the borough, including Eastbury, Beam, Barking Riverside, Whalebone, Chadwell Heath and Northbury. The final composition of Barking and Dagenham Council is: Labour 38 seats, Reform UK 9 seats, Green Party 4 seats.
