Conservatives take back City of Westminster from Labour
No seats taken by Reform or Greens
Friday, 8th May — By Tom Foot
Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch: “We are back”
THE Conservative Party won back its former stronghold from Labour on an election night where no one seemed particularly happy.
Westminster Tories have the keys to City Hall again. But they were run closer than expected in several wards and got thumped nationally by Reform.
In Westminster, Nigel Farage’s candidates failed to secure more than 200-300 votes each – nowhere near close to the winning line to take a seat.
The party had make an effort here, fielding a full slate following two high profile defections including Alan Mendoza who was comprehensibly beaten in the Abbey Road ward.
While the Green vote rose signficantly, they did not come as close as expected to getting a first ever seat in Westminster.
The Greens’ share though certainly dented Labour leaving Adam Hug and his history-makers of 2022 beaten but hardly obliterated.
Labour, now in opposition, has 22 seats – just six less that what it had in power – while the Conservatives now have 32, up eight on the 2022 election.
It all led to a strangely subdued evening with senior Labour members reflecting that the change voters had been promised nationally had not come in time for the council elections.
There was another somewhat awkward morning rally with Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch, who came to show support the Westminster team after a long night.
She said: “We have done brilliantly. We were told we would be wiped out.
“The Conservatives are coming back.
“I promised to renew this party. You can see those signs of renewal.
“This is the beginning not the end. We’re coming back to get Britain working again.”
After the results were confirmed, Conservative Leader Cllr Paul Swaddle said: “It is the privilege of my life to be elected leader of Westminster City Council.
This administration will be focused on listening to residents and delivering on their priorities – safe streets, a clean city and real action on issues such as graffiti and dockless bikes.
“I have on day one, as promised to residents, appointed Cllr Caroline Sargent as Cabinet Member Elect for Enforcement so local people can be certain they are getting value for money and results on issues such as anti-social behaviour.
“I will be announcing the rest of the Cabinet shortly.”
The count at the Royal Horticultural Society’s Lindley Hall to Belgravia Square, Belgravia, through Friday morning around 6am.
Talking points included the borough’s cycling safety supremo Max Sullivan losing a tight contest in Bayswater, Labour leader Adam Hug easily retaining his seat and the West End ward going blue following the Labour clean sweep in 2022.
The Soho Society’s former chair Tim Lord, standing as a Labour candidate for the first time, did not get elected in West End ward.
Labour’s Patrick Lilley lost out in the ward while former Labour-turned-Tory Paul Fisher won as a Conservative, alongisde Elizabeth Amos and Tim Barnes.
Pimlico North was the tightest contest with all three Labour candidates pitting the Conservatives rivals by just 40 votes.
Hyde Park ward – one of 2022’s biggest surprises is now split with two Conservative and one Labour.
Little Venice was another close contest edged by the Conservatives this time and the Lib Dems did well in Marylebone but not enough to get a first seat on the council.
Labour edged a strong challenge from the Greens in the Harrow Road ward, with just 16 votes separating Rhys Thomas and Charlie Button.
It is not clear what Labour leader Adam Hug plans to do now in terms of the local party’s leadership.
But after the results, he said: “The result in Westminster is understandably a difficult moment for the Labour Party in our city, despite the enormous efforts of all our amazing candidates and activists.
“While we can take pride in what we have been able to achieve over the last four years in power, it will be important to reflect and learn how to do better in the future.
“In any local election there are a mix of local and national factors.
“However what is clear is that, compared to the previous election in 2022, the Green vote in a number of Labour/Conservative battleground seats substantially exceeded the winning totals.
“This is clearly something that will need to be considered both locally and nationally in the weeks ahead.
“For the good of the city and our residents we wish the new administration well in their stewardship of Westminster. We will, of course, diligently hold them to account, and stand up for local people and our Labour values in the months ahead as we rebuild.
“I want to put on record again my enormous thanks to everyone who voted Labour at this election and to those who worked so hard to achieve a different result.”
Westminster’s Labour MPs Georgia Gould and Rachel Blake
For all the ward breakdowns see
