As voters head to the polls in Greenwich, the Labour stronghold is set to see a rise in Green support amidst a hike in council tax and a cut in central government funding of the local authority. Back in 2022 Labour secured an overwhelming majority on the Council with 51 seats, with just three seats going to the Conservatives. Since those elections, Labour have lost four Council seats.
One by-election was lost to the Greens, another to the Conservatives and two others now sit as independents. In this latest set of local elections in May, results for Greenwich are expected at 4pm on 8th May. Council tax for Greenwich residents is expected to rise by £96 for the average Band D home, in a 4.8 per cent increase.
Housing minister Matthew Pennycook is the MP for Greenwich and Woolwich. He picked up support at the 2024 general election, as did Eltham and Chislehurst MP Clive Efford. Sir Keir Starmer’s parliamentary private secretary Abena Oppong-Asare is also an MP in the borough, representing Erith and Thamesmead.
Her majority was marginally smaller in 2024. The Borough is home to former PM Liz Truss and former Chancellor of the Exchequer Kwasi Kwarteng. Truss was a councillor for Eltham South between 2006 and 2010.
Greenwich Council expecting financial troubles ahead As part of the national ‘Fair Funding Review’, the government is set to reduce funding for the South-East London local authority by around £25m. The Labour-run Council has said that the funding squeeze will lead to a roughly £45m funding gap in 2025/26. Matt Hartley, the Conservative leader on the Council, said of the funding cut: “Now it has been confirmed that the Labour government is planning to cut £25 million from Greenwich Council’s budget in the next 3 years – and yet the Labour councillors here in Greenwich are silent about it.” City AM is previewing local election votes taking place in every London borough. Click here for a full overview of May 7.