2022 Camden London Borough Council election

2022 Camden Council election
All 55 council seats
Incumbent council control; ; Labour	; ;

The 2022 Camden London Borough Council election is due to take place on 5 May 2022. All 55 members of Camden London Borough Council will be elected. The elections will take place alongside local elections in the other London boroughs and elections to local authorities across the United Kingdom.

In the previous election in 2018, the Labour Party maintained its control of the council, winning 43 out of the 54 seats with the Conservative Party forming the primary opposition with seven of the remaining seats. The Liberal Democrats and Green Party were also elected to the council, with three seats and one seat respectively. The 2022 election will take place under new election boundaries, which will increase the number of councillors to 55.

Background[]

History[]

Result of the 2018 borough election

The thirty-two London boroughs were established in 1965 by the London Government Act 1963. They are the principal authorities in Greater London and have responsibiilites including education, housing, planning, highways, social services, libraries, recreation, waste, environmental health and revenue collection. Some of the powers are shared with the Greater London Authority, which also manages passenger transport, police and fire.^[1]

Since its formation, Camden has variously been under Labour control, no overall control and Conservative control. Only Labour, Conservative, Liberal Democrat and Green councillors have been elected to the council. The council has had an overall Labour majority since the 2010 election, in which Labour won thirty seats, the Liberal Democrats won thirteen, the Conservatives won ten and the Greens won a single seat. The Liberal Democrats lost all but one of their seats in the 2014 election, with Labour gaining ten and the Conservatives gaining two. The Green Party maintained their seat, at this point held by the party's future leader Siân Berry. The most recent election in 2018 saw Labour make further gains to win 43 seats with 47.6% of the overall vote. The Conservatives fell to five seats with 20.5% of the vote, the Liberal Democrats won three with 17.4% of the vote and Berry held her seat for the Green Party with her party winning 12.6% of the vote across the borough. The incumbent leader of the council is the Labour councillor Georgia Gould, who has held that position since 2017.

Council term[]

In November 2019, a Labour councillor for Haverstock ward, Abi Wood, resigned as a councillor.^[2] The by-election to replace her was held on 12 December 2019, the same date as the 2019 general election. The Labour candidate, Gail McAnena-Wood, won.^[3] The leader of the Liberal Democrat group on the council, Luisa Porritt, stood as her party's candidate in the 2021 London mayoral election, coming fourth with 4.4% of the vote.^[4]

In June 2021, the Liberal Democrat councillor for Fortune Green ward, Flick Rea, resigned. A by-election to replace her was held on 22 July 2021, which was won by the Liberal Democrat candidate and former councillor for the ward Nancy Jirira.^[5] A Labour councillor for Fortune Green, Lorna Russell, defected to the Green Party in November 2021, saying that her previous party had "changed a lot".^[6] In the same month, the Labour councillor Lazzaro Pietragnoli resigned first as the Labour group whip and then as a councillor after he admitted he had run an anonymous Twitter account that he used to promote himself and attack his colleagues.^[7] In February 2022, Porritt announced she would stand down as a councillor at the 2022 election, citing work commitments, after Camden Tories's leader Oliver Cooper announced he would move from his safe Tory ward to stand against her.^[8]^[9]

Along with most other London boroughs, Camden was subject to a boundary review ahead of the 2022 election. The Local Government Boundary Commission for England concluded that the council should have 55 seats, an increase of one, and produced new election boundaries following a period of consultation.^[10]

Electoral process[]

Camden, like other London borough councils, elects all of its councillors at once every four years. The previous election took place in 2018. The election will take place by multi-member first-past-the-post voting, with each ward being represented by two or three councillors. Electors will have as many votes as there are councillors to be elected in their ward, with the top two or three being elected.

All registered electors (British, Irish, Commonwealth and European Union citizens) living in London aged 18 or over will be entitled to vote in the election. People who live at two addresses in different councils, such as university students with different term-time and holiday addresses, are entitled to be registered for and vote in elections in both local authorities.^[11] Voting in-person at polling stations will take place from 7:00 to 22:00 on election day, and voters will be able to apply for postal votes or proxy votes in advance of the election.^[11]

Previous council composition[]

Council composition after the 2018 election
Council composition ahead of the 2022 election

After 2018 election			Before 2022 election
Party		Seats	Party		Seats
	Labour	43		Labour	41
	Conservative	7		Conservative	7
	Liberal Democrats	3		Liberal Democrats	3
	Green	1		Green	2
				Vacant	1

Ward results[]

Belsize (3)
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Conservative	Steve Adams *
	Conservative	Oliver Cooper †
	Liberal Democrats	Julie Dixey
	Conservative	Aarti Joshi
	Liberal Democrats	Matthew Kirk
	Liberal Democrats	Tom Simon *

† Oliver Cooper was elected to Hampstead Town ward in 2015 and 2018

Bloomsbury (3)
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%

Camden Square (2)
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%

Camden Town (2)
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%

Fortune Green (3)
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal Democrats	Will Coles
	Labour	Lorna Greenwood
	Liberal Democrats	Nancy Jirira * †
	Labour	Richard Olszewski *
	Liberal Democrats	Tracey Shackle
	Labour	Marcus Storm

† Nancy Jirira won the seat in a by-election following the resignation of Cllr. Flick Rea

Frognal (2)
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%

Gospel Oak (3)
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%

Hampstead Town (2)
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%

Haverstock (3)
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%

Highgate (3)
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Green	Sian Berry
	Green	Lorna Russell †
	Green	David Stansell

† Lorna Russell was elected as a Labour Councillor for the Fortune Green ward in 2018

Holborn & Covent Garden (3)
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%

Kentish Town North (2)
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%

Kentish Town South (3)
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%

Kilburn (3)
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%

King's Cross (3)
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%

Primrose Hill (3)
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%

Regent's Park (3)
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%

South Hampstead (3)
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%

St Pancras & Somers Town (3)
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%

West Hampstead (3)
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal Democrats	David Elkan
	Liberal Democrats	Janet Grauberg
	Labour	Sharon Hardwick
	Liberal Democrats	Elizabeth Pearson
	Labour	Nazma Rahman *
	Labour	Shiva Tiwari *

References[]

^ "The essential guide to London local government | London Councils". www.londoncouncils.gov.uk. Retrieved 10 October 2021.
^ "By-election called after Labour councillor quits Town Hall". Camden New Journal. Retrieved 27 September 2021.
^ "Holborn and St Pancras: Sir Keir Starmer storms to victory but says Labour needs 'reflection'". Camden New Journal. Retrieved 27 September 2021.
^ "Results 2021 | London Elects". www.londonelects.org.uk. Retrieved 15 February 2022.
^ "Lib Dem Nancy Jirira wins Fortune Green by-election". Camden New Journal. Retrieved 27 September 2021.
^ Boniface, Michael (14 October 2021). "Camden's deputy mayor ditches Labour to join Greens". Hampstead Highgate Express. Retrieved 13 November 2021.
^ "Lazzaro Pietragnoli resigns from council over 'abusive' social media account". Camden New Journal. Retrieved 23 November 2021.
^ Osley, Richard (3 February 2022). "Camden Lib Dem leader Luisa Porritt to stand down at elections". Camden New Journal. Retrieved 14 February 2022.
^ https://www.camdennewjournal.co.uk/article/conservative-leader-set-to-switch-ward-for-belsize-election-challenge
^ Volpe, Sam (4 February 2020). "Camden Council's new ward boundaries released – and Highgate will no longer be split". Hampstead Highgate Express. Retrieved 27 September 2021.
^ ^a ^b "How the elections work | London Councils". www.londoncouncils.gov.uk. Retrieved 14 September 2021.

[1] "The essential guide to London local government | London Councils". www.londoncouncils.gov.uk. Retrieved 10 October 2021.

[2] "By-election called after Labour councillor quits Town Hall". Camden New Journal. Retrieved 27 September 2021.

[3] "Holborn and St Pancras: Sir Keir Starmer storms to victory but says Labour needs 'reflection'". Camden New Journal. Retrieved 27 September 2021.

[4] "Results 2021 | London Elects". www.londonelects.org.uk. Retrieved 15 February 2022.

[5] "Lib Dem Nancy Jirira wins Fortune Green by-election". Camden New Journal. Retrieved 27 September 2021.

[6] Boniface, Michael (14 October 2021). "Camden's deputy mayor ditches Labour to join Greens". Hampstead Highgate Express. Retrieved 13 November 2021.

[7] "Lazzaro Pietragnoli resigns from council over 'abusive' social media account". Camden New Journal. Retrieved 23 November 2021.

[8] Osley, Richard (3 February 2022). "Camden Lib Dem leader Luisa Porritt to stand down at elections". Camden New Journal. Retrieved 14 February 2022.

[9] ttps://www.camdennewjournal.co.uk/article/conservative-leader-set-to-switch-ward-for-belsize-election-challenge

[10] Volpe, Sam (4 February 2020). "Camden Council's new ward boundaries released – and Highgate will no longer be split". Hampstead Highgate Express. Retrieved 27 September 2021.

[:1-11] "How the elections work | London Councils". www.londoncouncils.gov.uk. Retrieved 14 September 2021.

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v t Council elections in Greater London
Barking and Dagenham	1964 1968 1971 1974 1978 1982 1986 1990 1994 1998 2002 2006 2010 2014 2018 2022
Barnet	1964 1968 1971 1974 1978 1982 1986 1990 1994 1998 2002 2006 2010 2014 2018 2022
Bexley	1964 1968 1971 1974 1978 1982 1986 1990 1994 1998 2010 2014 2018 2022
Brent	1964 1968 1971 1974 1978 1982 1986 1990 1994 1998 2002 2006 2010 2014 2018 2022
Bromley	1964 1968 1971 1974 1978 1982 1986 1990 1994 1998 2002 2006 2010 2014 2018 2022
Camden	1964 1968 1971 1974 1978 1982 1986 1990 1994 1998 2002 2006 2010 2014 2018 2022
City	2009 2013 2017 2022
Croydon	1964 1968 1971 1974 1978 1982 1986 1990 1994 1998 2002 2006 2010 2014 2018 2022
Ealing	1964 1968 1971 1974 1978 1982 1986 1990 1994 1998 2010 2014 2018 2022
Enfield	1964 1968 1971 1974 1978 1982 1986 1990 1994 1998 2002 2006 2010 2014 2018 2022
Greenwich	1964 1968 1971 1974 1978 1982 1986 1990 1994 1998 2002 2006 2010 2014 2018 2022
Hackney	1964 1968 1971 1974 1978 1982 1986 1990 1994 1998 2006 2010 2014 2018 2022
Hammersmith and Fulham	1964 1968 1971 1974 1978 1982 1986 1990 1994 1998 2002 2006 2010 2014 2018 2022
Haringey	1964 1968 1971 1974 1978 1982 1986 1990 1994 1998 2002 2006 2010 2014 2018 2022
Harrow	1964 1968 1971 1974 1978 1982 1986 1990 1994 1998 2010 2014 2018 2022
Havering	1964 1968 1971 1974 1978 1982 1986 1990 1994 1998 2002 2006 2010 2014 2018 2022
Hillingdon	1964 1968 1971 1974 1978 1982 1986 1990 1994 1998 2010 2014 2018 2022
Hounslow	1964 1968 1971 1974 1978 1982 1986 1990 1994 1998 2010 2014 2018 2022
Islington	1964 1968 1971 1974 1978 1982 1986 1990 1994 1998 2002 2006 2010 2014 2018 2022
Kensington and Chelsea	1964 1968 1971 1974 1978 1982 1986 1990 1994 1998 2002 2006 2010 2014 2018 2022
Kingston upon Thames	1964 1968 1971 1974 1978 1982 1986 1990 1994 1998 2002 2006 2010 2014 2018 2022
Lambeth	1964 1968 1971 1974 1978 1982 1986 1990 1994 1998 2002 2006 2010 2014 2018 2022
Lewisham	1964 1968 1971 1974 1978 1982 1986 1990 1994 1998 2002 2006 2010 2014 2018 2022
Merton	1964 1968 1971 1974 1978 1982 1986 1990 1994 1998 2002 2006 2010 2014 2018 2022
Newham	1964 1968 1971 1974 1978 1982 1986 1990 1994 1998 2002 2006 2010 2014 2018 2022
Redbridge	1964 1968 1971 1974 1978 1982 1986 1990 1994 1998 2006 2010 2014 2018 2022
Richmond upon Thames	1964 1968 1971 1974 1978 1982 1986 1990 1994 1998 2006 2010 2014 2018 2022
Southwark	1964 1968 1971 1974 1978 1982 1986 1990 1994 1998 2002 2006 2010 2014 2018 2022
Sutton	1964 1968 1971 1974 1978 1982 1986 1990 1994 1998 2010 2014 2018 2022
Tower Hamlets	1964 1968 1971 1974 1978 1982 1986 1990 1994 1998 2002 2006 2010 2014 2018 2022
Waltham Forest	1964 1968 1971 1974 1978 1982 1986 1990 1994 1998 2002 2006 2010 2014 2018 2022
Wandsworth	1964 1968 1971 1974 1978 1982 1986 1990 1994 1998 2002 2006 2010 2014 2018 2022
Westminster	1964 1968 1971 1974 1978 1982 1986 1990 1994 1998 2010 2014 2018 2022
Greater London	1964 1967 1970 1973 1977 1981
See also: London-wide elections Wards Boundary changes