Labour has lost control of Wandsworth Council after just one term, following a tense night that saw the results hang in the balance until the final moment. The South London borough has moved to no overall control, with the Conservatives winning the most seats but falling just short of a two-seat majority.
Election Results
Overall, the Conservatives now hold 29 seats on Wandsworth Council, an increase of seven from the 22 seats they secured in 2022, and just one seat shy of the 30 needed for a majority. Labour now has 28 seats, down seven from the 35 seats they won at the last election. Independent councillor Malcolm Grimston retained his seat with the highest number of votes, 4,081.
Conservative Reaction
Conservative leader Aled Richards-Jones expressed his delight at the results, stating that the Tories would "take back control" of the council. He said: "It's a great result for us. It's a great result for the borough. We can now get the borough's finances back in order, we can improve services, we can protect weekly bin collections - those things that residents rely on - and we can also put more police officers on our streets and get young people a fairer deal on housing."
Richards-Jones added: "I think this election was, first and foremost, a thoroughly local verdict on the last four years of Wandsworth Labour running a failing council. But, of course, there's also an opportunity to express dissatisfaction with the Labour Government as well - I think both of those factors play their part."
Labour's Disappointment
The night was bitterly disappointing for Labour, a far cry from 2022 when the party took control of the former Tory stronghold for the first time since 1978, ending 44 years of Conservative control. However, the Conservatives failed to secure a majority in what was once known as Margaret Thatcher's favourite council, at the forefront of the Right to Buy scheme and privatisation of local services.
Pre-Election Predictions
Forecasters had predicted a tight race, with PollCheck estimating a Conservative minority as the most likely outcome, with 29 seats for the Tories and 24 for Labour. It also predicted Independent Grimston would keep his seat, while the Greens, Lib Dems, and Reform UK would each gain a seat.
Labour had 34 of the council's 58 seats going into this election after losing a by-election to the Tories in 2024, while the Conservatives had 21 seats after Councillor Mark Justin defected to Reform. Councillor Justin has now lost his seat to the Tories in Nine Elms, which was the first ward declared.
Key Ward Results
Labour leader Simon Hogg comfortably held his seat in Falconbrook with 1,257 votes, alongside Labour councillor Kate Stock with 1,133 votes. Tory leader Aled Richards-Jones kept his seat in Northcote with 2,583 votes, and the Conservatives also secured the ward's other seat with new councillor James Kenton Craig elected with 2,551 votes.
The Tories gained two seats from Labour in St Mary's and West Putney, along with a seat each in Trinity, Wandle, and Battersea Park. Although the Greens did not win any seats, they managed to take votes from the main parties, particularly in Tooting Bec and Tooting Broadway, where Green candidates followed the three Labour winners in each ward by number of votes.
Party Manifestos
The Conservatives based their manifesto on reining in Labour's borrowing and spending plans, protecting core services, funding more police officers, and giving more renters a chance to own their homes. Labour promised to keep the borough's low council tax, build another 1,000 council homes on top of the 1,000 already being delivered under the Homes for Wandsworth scheme, double street cleaning, and roll out neighbourhood wardens in every town centre.
Labour, Conservatives, Lib Dems, and Reform UK each stood 58 candidates in Wandsworth, while the Green Party put forward 53 candidates. A total of six Independents also contested seats.
