Boasting the best quality of life in London, the Lib Dems are dominant and Ed Davey hopes to strengthen control of the borough. But a back-to-basics campaign from the Greens and high taxes are also on the agenda. Richmond, a borough of leafy avenues, stunning nature and quaint pubs is as close to an ideal constituency the Liberal Democrats could hope for in the capital.
The borough takes in a number of affluent towns on London’s south-western edge, including Barnes, Twickenham, Teddington and Richmond. It is dominated by parks and open spaces, including Kew Gardens, Hampton Court Palace and Richmond Park – the capital’s largest. Richmond upon Thames has been named as the London borough with the best quality of life.
A 2017 research project found that the area has the lowest rates of poverty, child poverty, low pay, child obesity and adults without qualifications in the capital. Lib Dems dominate in green, affluent Richmond Like neighbouring Kingston, Ed Davey’s party dominates Richmond. He has listed it among the Lib Dem-controlled councils he hopes to retain with strengthened control.
The Lib Dems took 48 out of 54 available seats at the last local elections, expanding its vote share by 10 per cent to a whopping 57 per cent. The Conservatives have been the natural opposition to the Lib Dems in Richmond, but there is now a new challenger from the left: The Green Party. At the last election in 2022, the Tories’ presence on the council all but vanished, crashing from 11 seats to just one.
The Greens took five. Then came a by-election in 2024. It wiped Tory blue from the colours on the borough’s map, perhaps for good, with a Lib Dem win.
Stamp duty a major issue Now, Zack Polanski’s Greens, eyeing sweeping gains in London, are backing three candidates in every Richmond ward for the first time. The party is going back to basics in its appeal to the borough’s green-fingered, rambling locals, with a focus on environmental issues like air quality and stronger protection for the Thames. Taxes are likely to be a key concern of an affluent borough’s population.
The stamp duty paid on property transactions is set to rise in Richmond by 4.8 per cent, one of the biggest hikes in London. But it is unlikely to be enough to prompt a Tory resurgence in the borough. The Lib Dems can expect a healthy majority, though the extent of the Greens’ gains may prove to be significant.
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