Three weeks after the local elections, Lambeth Council remains in a position of no overall control and no decisions have been taken on how the Council is to be governed.
Decisions are now expected on Monday 1 June 2026.

 

We reported here on the outcome of the 7 May local election. But there have been two resignations of Green Councillors since, one due to ill health (Clapham Park Ward) and another declined to take up her seat (St. Leonard’s Ward).
By-Elections are penciled in for Thursday 2 July 2026.

 

So the current position is:

Green: 27 seats

Labour/Labour and Co-operative: 26 seats

Liberal Democrats: 8 seats

Vacant: 2
 

The Council Annual Meeting was this last Wednesday (27 May) but after welcoming outgoing Mayor Adrian Garden (Labour) to deliver his annual report and then appointing the new Mayor, Councillor Paul Valentine (Green), and Deputy Mayor, Councillor Judy Best (Liberal Democrat), the meeting was effectively adjourned to this coming Monday 1 June 2026. An extraordinary meeting had already been summoned for 7pm to:

“Consider a resolution to change the governance arrangements currently in operation at the Council from one of Leader and Cabinet to a Committee system pursuant to Part 1 A, Chapter 4, sections 9K and 9KC of the Local Government Act 2000”.

No supporting officer papers have (as of this afternoon Friday 29 May) been published.

 

The tabled Annual Meeting papers (published after the meeting) and other local reporting adds little detail to the proposed new governance system. The Liberal Democrats have stated they will support the Green Party commitment to introduce a committee system. A motion was agreed (motion A2) but this has not been published.

 

The necessary supporting officer reports for Monday’s 7pm meeting will be published here and proceedings can be watched online.

 

Meanwhile Southwark Council is to be run by a formal Green/Liberal Democrat coalition under the existing Leader/Cabinet model; Labour, the largest party with 29 councillors, are the Council Opposition.