Who won the local election in Tower Hamlets?
ReutersWhat happened in Tower Hamlets in the 2026 council election, and who won?
Aspire retained control of Tower Hamlets in the 7 May election.
The results were:
Aspire: 33 seats (+9)
Green: 5 seats (+4)
Labour: 5 seats (-14)
Conservative: 1 seat (0)
Liberal Democrat: 1 seat (+1)
When were the 2026 local elections in London?
More than six million Londoners were eligible to vote in the council elections on Thursday 7 May 2026.
All 32 London boroughs were up for election.
There were also elections for the mayor in five boroughs: Croydon, Hackney, Lewisham, Newham and Tower Hamlets.
Getty ImagesWhere is Tower Hamlets and who lives there?
The London Borough of Tower Hamlets sits on the north bank of the Thames in east London and is bordered by Newham, Hackney, and the City of London.
What's it like? It spansthe historic East End of London and a swathe of the regenerated London Docklands.
In recent years, Tower Hamlets has become notable for changing demographics, with high levels of immigration, and the transformation of its skyline as a large number of skyscrapers are built.
Neighbourhoods: Bethnal Green, Bow, Mile End, Whitechapel, Stepney, Wapping, Shadwell, Spitalfields, Limehouse, Poplar, and the Isle of Dogs.
Places of interest Victoria Park, Tower of London, Brick Lane, Spitalfields, Mile End Park, Young V&A, London Museum Docklands, St Katharine Docks, Wilton's Music Hall, Whitechapel Gallery and Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park - part of which falls inside Tower Hamlets.
Pub quiz fact: It is the youngest borough in the UK, with a median age of just 30. It is also the most densely populated borough in England.
Population: 331,886 in 2024, according to 2024 estimate.
Demographics: According to the 2021 census, 44% as Asian, 39% identify as white, 7% as black, 5% as mixed race and 2% as another ethnic group.
Tower Hamlets is the youngest borough in London and the average age of its residents is 30 - 21.5% of the population are under 20 years old and 45.1% are aged from 20 to 39 years old.
Average property price: According to the Office for National Statistics (ONS), the average residential property price in Tower Hamlets in December 2025 was £464,000.
Average monthly rent: The ONS reported that the average monthly rent in February 2026 in Tower Hamlets was £2,389.
Council tax: Band D council tax in the borough for 2026/27 is £1,837.78.
Transport: The borough is served by nine Tube stations: Aldgate East, Bethnal Green, Bow Road, Bromley-by-Bow, Canary Wharf, Mile End, Stepney Green, Tower Hill and Whitechapel, according to Transport for London.
It has several rail, Overground and DLR stations including Limehouse, Langdon Park, Poplar, Wapping, All Saints and Westferry.
Getty ImagesWhat is the local history of Tower Hamlets?
The name Tower Hamlets originated in the 16th Century to describe the small settlements, or hamlets, to the east of the Tower of London where inhabitants were required to defend the Tower.
Historically, it is characterised by the East End of London.
By the 18th and 19th centuries, areas such as Whitechapel and Stepney became densely populated, driven by the London docks and textile and manufacturing industries.
The borough was a centre for successive waves of migrants, including Huguenots, Irish, Jews, and later Bangladeshi communities, especially around Brick Lane.
Heavy bombing during World War Two caused widespread destruction, followed by post-war rebuilding. The London docks began to decline in the late 20th Century, but the Isle of Dogs was regenerated, creating Canary Wharf as a global financial hub.
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