What you need to know as Westminster heads into local elections

The turnout was 31.9% and there was a swing of 4.7% from the Conservatives to Labour. Labour took control of the council for the first time.

Labour: 31 seats (+12)

Conservative: 23 seats (-18)

Boundary changes had reduced the number of seats from 60 to 54.

Since the 2022 election, one councillor has defected from Labour to the Conservatives and two Conservatives have defected to Reform UK. In addition, the Tories won two by-elections from Labour.

Professor Tony Travers, of the London School of Economics, said: "Westminster was won by Labour for the first time ever in 2022 - big headlines at the time. Buckingham Palace ends up in a Labour borough for the first time, all of that.

"This time, Labour is really fighting for its life. The government has introduced a number of policies that really haven't helped Labour in Westminster and all things being equal the Greens might win the odd seat in Westminster.

"Looks as if the Conservatives will almost certainly win it back."

At the moment, Labour are dominant in London - they have 21 of its 32 councils, a record-equalling high.

The Conservatives run just five - having lost their former "crown-jewel" councils of Wandsworth and Westminster to Labour at the last borough elections in 2022.

The Liberal Democrats run three councils in south-west London and will be looking to gain Merton from Labour.

The Aspire Party run Tower Hamlets and two boroughs are currently in no overall control.

Nick Bowes, insight director from the London Communications Agency, said: "These are likely to be the most consequential elections in London, certainly for the past 20 years - possibly since the first borough elections in 1964."

He added: "The ways things are fragmenting in the polls it's very difficult to predict exactly what's going to happen but it does look like being a very bad night for Labour and the Conservatives in London."

More than six million Londoners can vote in the council elections on Thursday 7 May 2026.

All 32 London boroughs are up for election.

There are also elections for the mayor in five boroughs: Croydon, Hackney, Lewisham, Newham and Tower Hamlets.

All candidates in Westminster Council election are listed on the borough's website.

Use our tool to see what elections are being held in your area.

The deadline to register to vote is Monday 20 April 2026.

The deadline to apply for a postal vote is Tuesday 21 April 2026 at 17:00 BST - you must be registered to vote before you can receive a postal vote.

The deadline to change existing postal or proxy voting arrangements is also Tuesday 21 April 2026 at 17:00.

The deadline to apply for a proxy vote is Tuesday 28 April 2026 at 17:00.

Photographic voter ID is required to vote at a polling station - if you do not have valid Voter ID, the deadline to apply for photo ID to vote (called a Voter Authority Certificate) for this election is Tuesday 28 April 2026 at 17:00.

Election Day: Thursday 7 May 2026 from 07:00 to 22:00.

You can find more information about voting on the City of Westminster website.

Where is it? The City of Westminster is in central London and is bordered by Brent, Camden, Kensington and Chelsea and the River Thames.

What's it like? The political and historic heart of the UK, Westminster combines world-famous tourist landmarks with a transient, highly international population. It also extends from the river into the north London suburbs.

Neighbourhoods: Mayfair, Belgravia, Knightsbridge, Soho, Covent Garden, Fitzrovia, St John's Wood, Marylebone, Paddington, St James's, Pimlico, Queen's Park, Lisson Grove.

Places of interest: Palace of Westminster, National Gallery, Westminster Abbey, Hyde Park, Covent Garden, Oxford Street, Abbey Road, Lord's Cricket Ground, Downing Street, Whitehall, Hyde Park, and many more.

Pub quiz fact: Westminster has been a centre of royal authority for more than 10 centuries and was declared a city by King Henry VIII in 1540 upon the establishment of the Diocese of Westminster.

Population (2024 estimate): 209,996.

Demographics: According to the 2021 census 55.2% identify as white,16.8% as Asian, 8.1% as black, and 13.5% other ethnic groups.

Westminster council said 85 languages were spoken in the borough and 26% of residents did not have English as their main language.

Average property price: According to the Office for National Statistics (ONS), the average house price in Westminster in December 2025 was£888,000.

Average monthly rent: The ONS reported that the average monthly rent in January 2026 was £3,181.

Council tax: Band D council tax in the borough for 2026/27 is £1,047.

Transport: There are 32 Tube stations, three Elizabeth line stations and about 495 bus stops and four piers run by Transport for London in Westminster.

You can find more information about Westminster here.

The origins of Westminster date back to an Anglo-Saxon settlement west of Roman London that developed in the 5th Century.

In the mid-11th Century, Edward the Confessor began the construction of an abbey at Westminster, only the foundations of which survive today. Between the abbey and the river he built a palace.

The City of Westminster and the City of London were separate - then beginning in the 16th Century, houses and commercial buildings were built on roads linking them. This urban spread became densely populated.

There was also building in parishes to the north and west, including Marylebone and Pimlico.

Despite having city status since the 16th Century, Westminster was not incorporated as a borough for local government purposes until 1900.

What is the borough's electoral history? Westminster City Council was a Conservative-controlled borough from its formation in 1965 until the last election in 2022.

Labour had always had a presence on the council, and in the 1970s and 1980s there were one or two residents' councillors elected.

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