Despite clinging on to control of Greenwich Council in the 2026 local elections, Labour took many more hits than expected from the rising Greens, ending the day with 35 seats out of 55.
Batting off threats from both sides, the once dominant party has weathered the biggest threat to their control of Greenwich in the past 55 years.
Greenwich was supposedly one of the safest Labour councils in London, yet with the Greens stealing 13 seats, their councillors have been left wondering what went wrong, and how they should change.
Anthony Okereke, Leader of the party and councillor for Woolwich Common, said: “We’ve lost some colleagues, and that’s been really tough.
“It’s hurtful, it’s sore, and it’s painful, and that’s part of politics.
“For every candidate that has lost today, they won’t stop being a local champion of communities.”
Okereke tried to remain optimistic about working with a politically diverse council, saying that he hopes consensus can be reached, and disagreements can be expressed respectfully.
While they were braced for a push from the left, gains on the right shocked incumbent Labour councillors, especially as Reform’s Paul Trevor Bank took the very first seat of the day.
What followed was a shaken sense of optimism from Labour’s supporters, cheering for their victorious councillors with increasing caution, as more seats were lost to the Greens.
Banks, Eltham Page’s newly elected Reform councillor, said: “I’ve made history.
“I hope to prove that I am capable enough to get people who didn’t vote for me this time to vote Reform in the future.”
Despite vastly divergent political views, Labour’s opposition were united by a frustration with the party’s 50 year long domination of Greenwich Council.
Tamsin Rhymes, a new Green councillor to Shooters Hill, said: “This should give us a chance to make sure different voices are heard.
“We’re very happy with the way this election is going, it’s a great start to the day.”
Likewise Alan Cecil, standing for Reform in Woolwich Common, said: “A victory for Reform in Greenwich would pretty much be getting rid of some Labour councillors.”
This election also saw a 25% growth in turnout compared to last year, as well as swathes of councillors standing for the first time.
Green candidate Richard Graham, one of many newcomers, said he was driven to stand because of recent national and local Labour failures – a sentiment repeated by many candidates from both the Green Party and Reform.
Labour holds a weakened control over Greenwich Council, and if the Greens can make strides into one of Labour’s greatest London strongholds, the question remains, where is safe for them?
You can check out all of South East Londoner’s local election coverage here.
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