All 50 hammersmith and fulham council seats go to the polls on May 7, with Labour the likely holder after more than a decade in charge. Stephen Cowan leads the administration that took control from the Conservatives in 2014, and several wards are expected to be hard-fought.
The contest matters because the borough has usually been a two-party fight between Labour and the Conservatives since its creation in the mid 1960s. Polls point to a Labour hold, but the Greens, Liberal Democrats and Reform are expected to win a larger share of the vote than they did in 2022.
Stephen Cowan and 2014
Cowan led the Labour administration that took control from the Conservatives in 2014. Before that, the Conservatives had run the west London council since 2006.
The borough’s longer record shows a shifting balance. Before 2014, control moved between Labour and Tory rule, apart from 1978 to 1986, when the council had no overall control.
Hammersmith and Fulham Candidates
Labour, the Conservatives and Reform are each standing 50 candidates. The Liberal Democrats are putting forward 43 candidates, while the Green Party is standing 29. Two independents are also standing.
The Green Party said it does not have a local manifesto for Hammersmith and Fulham. Reform UK did not respond after being contacted on several occasions.
May 7 Ward Contests
For voters, the immediate test is whether Labour can keep control while smaller parties turn more votes into seats in the harder-fought wards. The full result on May 7 will show whether the borough stays with the pattern that has defined its politics since the mid 1960s.
