2026 Kensington and Chelsea London Borough Council election

2026 Kensington and Chelsea Council election

←  2022 7 May 2026 2030 →
All 50 council seats
First party Second party Third party   Leader Elizabeth Campbell Mo Bakhtiar Linda Wade Party Conservative Labour Liberal Democrats Last election 35 13 2
council control before election Conservative Subsequent council control TBD

The 2026Kensington and Chelsea London Borough Council election will take place on 7 May 2026. ^[1] All 50 members of Kensington and Chelsea 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. ^[2]

Background

In May 2024, Conservative candidate Stéphanie Petit won the Norland by-election. ^[3]

Previous council composition

After 2022 election			Before 2026 election			After 2026 election
Party		Seats	Party		Seats	Party		Seats
	Conservative	35		Conservative	36
	Labour	13		Labour	7
	Liberal Democrats	2		Liberal Democrats	2
	Green	0		Green	1
	Independent	0		Independent	4

Changes 2022–2026:

• April 2023: Emma Dent Coad (Labour) leaves party to sit as an independent ^[4]
• October 2023:
  • Eva Jedut (Labour) expelled from party ^[5]
  • Mona Ahmed (Labour) leaves party to sit as an independent ^[6]
• December 2023: Mona Adam (Labour) joins Greens ^[7]
• March 2024:
  • Stuart Graham (Conservative) resigns – by-election held May 2024 ^[8]
  • Dahabo Isse (Labour) joins Conservatives ^[9]
• May 2024: Stephanie Petit (Conservative) wins by-election ^[10]
• October 2025: Toby Benton (Labour) leaves party to sit as an independent ^[11]

References

1. "Local elections in London will test support for Reform UK and Greens". BBC News . 1 January 2026. Retrieved 19 January 2026.
2. "Number of councils that have requested delay to local elections revealed - is yours one of them?". Sky News. Retrieved 19 January 2026.
3. Lynch, Ben (3 May 2024). "New Kensington and Chelsea councillor 'humbled' after by-election win in Norland". My London. Retrieved 19 January 2026.
4. Burford, Rachael (27 April 2023). "Labour's former Kensington MP Emma Dent Coad quits party calling it 'unrecognisable'". The Standard. Retrieved 20 January 2026.
5. Zorzut, Adrian (30 November 2023). "Councillor faces hearing after social media posts about Sharia law and retweeting far-right accounts". Archived from the original on 4 December 2023. Retrieved 20 January 2026.
6. Zorzut, Adrian (12 December 2023). "Councillor quits Labour for Greens as former party in 'open war' against itself". My London. Retrieved 20 January 2026.
7. "Kensington and Chelsea has its first Green councillor following the defection of Councillor Mona Adam from Labour". Radio Jackie. 6 December 2023. Retrieved 20 January 2026.
8. Boothroyd, David. "In like Flintshire". LocalCouncils.co.uk.
9. Boothroyd, David. "The Dream shall never Dye". LocalCouncils.co.uk. Retrieved 20 January 2026.
10. "Local Elections Archive Project — Norland Ward". www.andrewteale.me.uk. Retrieved 20 January 2026.
11. Zorzut, Adrian (28 October 2025). "Labour loses another London councillor as member quits to be independent". My London. Retrieved 20 January 2026.