London local elections 2026: Who will win in Waltham Forest?
After wrestling over Waltham Forest since the borough was created, Labour and the Conservatives now face a new threat from the Greens.
The Conservatives and Labour have played pass the parcel with Waltham Forest since its inception in 1965.
Control of the borough has switched as much as eight times since its formation in 1965, floating between the Tories, Labour and no overall control.
But in the last 16 years Labour has managed to increase its majority at every election.
In 2022, Labour clinched another 0.3 per cent as it retained 46 seats and picked up an extra one. The Tories held 13.
Three Tory councillors have fled to Reform since the election, whilst three Labour now sit as independents.
Results for the 2026 election are expected to come at around 3pm on Friday 8th May.
Greens hope to weaken Labour’s hold
The tussle is expected to continue in the latest election but the Greens hope to turn the one-on-one into a three-way. A strong performance from the Greens could tip Waltham Forest from Labour majority to no overall control with Labour as the biggest party.
The borough, which sits in the North East of London, shares a northern body with the county of Essex. It has a mix of older homes and newer blocks of flats, with a population of 279,737.
Waltham Forest’s council tax sits in Band D and at £2,386.96. This has gone up 4.8 per cent in the last year, posing questions for the council’s leaders, who have said there was “no responsible alternative” to keeping budgets intact.
Locals too may be concerned that their cash isn’t being used to fix key voter concerns. It was one of three London boroughs to have been given the worst rating possible for potholes, though officials accused Department for Transport data of being innacuate.
The potholes row and questions over funding for areas such as Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) could provide a political opening.
The Greens are running a near-full slate of candidates in the borough, standing on a platform of “accountable, fair and community-focused local government”.
Labour are hoping to use an e-bike sweetener to garner votes after pledging to lift a previous ban on the likes of Lime, Forest, Voi and other operators.
Waltham Forest deputy leader Councillor Clyde Loakes told My London that Labour feels they can create a scheme that fosters “improved levels of responsibility and accountability”.
The party has said it will introduce the scheme if re-elected in May.
Tory councillor Emma Best accused the U-turn as stemming from fears the party was “haemorrhaging votes to the Greens”.
Morning Wire is previewing local election votes taking place in every London borough. Click here for a full overview of May 7.