Labour has comfortably held onto Hammersmith and Fulham Council despite the Conservatives adding two councillors to their tally. The West London borough, once known as David Cameron's favourite council, returned 38 Labour members out of 50 available seats. While this result is slightly lower than the party's performance four years ago, it is an improvement on their pre-election numbers, having suffered two defections and a councillor becoming independent during the subsequent term.
Election Results Overview
The Green Party and Liberal Democrats were unable to secure any seats, and Reform also failed to win any despite fielding a full slate of candidates. Labour has held the borough since 2014, ending an eight-year period of Conservative control. Before that, the council alternated between Labour and the Conservatives, except from 1978 to 1986 when there was no overall control.
Polling Predictions and Final Outcomes
Polling had indicated that Labour would retain control despite the expected rise of multi-party politics and the party's declining national support. A detailed model by audience insight company Bombe even suggested Hammersmith and Fulham might be the only London borough held by Labour, with others going to opposition groups or falling under minority administrations. However, Labour also held onto Ealing, though losing some seats there.
At the last election in 2022, Labour won 40 of the 50 seats, with the Conservatives taking the remaining 10. Since then, two Labour members defected to the Green Party, and another became independent after being suspended over alleged racist and antisemitic social media posts.
Key Ward Results and Reactions
The final results, announced just after 5am on Friday (May 8), saw the Conservatives gain two seats from Labour in Sands End, taking two of the three available there. Earlier in the evening, Conservative leader Jose Afonso noted that Reform appeared to have made no notable inroads. There were also indications that the Greens were unlikely to take White City, a target ward that had seemed close before the election.
A recount in Sands End added late-night drama, ultimately confirming the Conservative gains. Archie Thomas, a Green Party candidate in White City, acknowledged the results were not what they wanted but noted many second-place finishes and strong vote totals to build on.
Cllr Afonso said: "Tonight we saw big swings towards the Conservatives here in Hammersmith and Fulham. We have won new seats for the first time in 20 years, and look forward to building towards 2030 with the new team."
Labour Leader's Response
In his valedictory speech, Labour leader Cllr Stephen Cowan said: "There is hope in the air tonight. Hope defeated despair. A unity that defeats division. And all of us coming together to say thank you to our wonderful residents who once again gave us the honour to serve. And it really is an honour."
Labour has led Hammersmith and Fulham Council since 2014, and the latest result reaffirms their control despite the Conservatives making modest gains.
