Green Party Seizes Lewisham, Tops Lambeth, Gains 440 Councillors and First Mayors

*TL;DR: The Green Party wrested control of Lewisham council, topped the poll in Lambeth, and added more than 440 councillors and its first elected mayors in Hackney and Lewisham.

Context South‑London has long been Labour territory, with Lewisham under Labour dominance since 1971 and Lambeth since 2006. The recent local elections shattered that pattern, delivering a sweeping Green surge that reshaped council leadership in the capital.

Key Facts - In Lewisham, the Greens captured 40 seats, turning a historic Labour stronghold into a Green‑run council for the first time. Party leader Zack Polanski declared the Greens are “replacing” Labour in the borough. - In Lambeth, the Greens added 27 seats, emerging as the largest party. Although they fell short of an outright majority, the result ends Labour’s control of the borough. - Across England, the Green Party increased its council representation by more than 440 seats. The party also secured its inaugural elected mayors in Hackney and Lewisham, marking a milestone in its local‑government footprint. - The gains extend beyond south London. The Greens now lead councils in Waltham Forest and Hackney, and have taken control of Norwich city council, while also making inroads in Salford, Oxford, Southampton, Exeter and Manchester. - In Wales, the Greens won their first two seats in the Senedd, and the Scottish Greens captured their first constituencies in Holyrood, reflecting a broader UK‑wide green upswing.

What It Means The results signal a decisive shift in urban voter alignment, with environmental and progressive platforms displacing traditional Labour bases. Polanski’s claim that “two‑party politics is dead and buried” underscores a new competitive landscape where the Greens position themselves against Reform UK as the primary opposition to Labour. Control of three London boroughs—Lewisham, Hackney and Waltham Forest—gives the Greens a platform to implement climate‑focused policies at scale. Their mayoral victories provide executive authority to test green governance models.

Looking ahead, the Green Party’s ability to sustain and expand this momentum will hinge on delivering tangible local outcomes and navigating coalition dynamics in councils where they lack outright majorities. Voters and analysts will watch the upcoming council meetings in Lewisham and Lambeth for early signs of policy shifts and the party’s capacity to govern.

*Future watch*: How the Greens translate council wins into measurable environmental progress and whether Labour can regroup to reclaim its former strongholds.