'One-party state'? When did Labour take over Lewisham?

Lewisham council is often described as a "one-party state" and the council has been under Labour Party control since 1971.

But Labour's total dominance, running the council with no opposition at all, only started in 2018 .. and ended in July 2024 when councillor Hau-Yu Tam left the Labour Party, sitting as an independent before she became a Green.

 Conservative run council in 1968

The last time a different party ran the council was in 1968. After the local elections, the Conservative Party ran Lewisham council for three years. 

Lewisham even had two Conservative MPs between 1983 to 1992.

For local historians, psephologists and anyone interested in Lewisham politics, the elections centre provide a detailed report on local election results between 1964 and 2010.  

2006 local election - a 'hung council'

The 2006 local elections saw five political parties represented on Lewisham council.

The Prime Minister was Tony Blair, the Labour government had been in power for nine years and Labour's support was eroded by the government's decision to join the US in the invasion of Iraq and the ongoing Iraq war. 

There were also key local issues, including the closure of Ladywell Leisure Centre swimming pool - which had replaced the swimming pool in Ladywell Playtower - the sudden closure of Forest Hill swimming pool and the long delayed opening of the Downham Health and Leisure Centre (a project Labour had promised would open in 2004, in its 2002 election manifesto). 

A group of 17 Liberal Democrat councillors were elected, after some years of their councillors representing wards such as Downham in the south of the borough. 

Between 2002 and 2006, the Liberal Democrats had also been successful winning by-elections, including in Lee Green, Lewisham Central and Forest Hill. 

The 2006 elections saw the Green party make gains, going from one councillor in 2002 to winning six seats, gaining Ladywell and Brockley.

The Conservative group went from two to three councillors and the Socialists won two seats in Telegraph Hill ward. 

Lewisham council was described by national commentators as "a hung council" as technically there were more opposition councillors than Labour councillors.

In reality, as Lewisham had adopted an executive mayoral system (and with Labour retaining the Mayoral position) the control of the council remained in Labour hands.

The four years between 2006 and 2010 saw the council being made to operate in a very different way to how it did later, with scrutiny committees chaired by Liberal Democrat and Green councillors.

Full Council meetings were also very different from the controlled meetings we see today, with extensive questioning by opposition councillors playing a key role.  

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2010 Election Results 

The 2010 local elections were held on the same day as the General Election, and local issues were pushed aside by the national campaign.

Despite Labour losing parliamentary seats across the country, the higher turnout due to a General Election helped Labour in Lewisham, and the party made gains from the Greens and Liberal Democrats.

 2014 Election Results

In 2014, the Liberal Democrats were punished at the local elections due to their role in the coalition government.  Despite having had seats on Lewisham Council since a by-election in 1987, they were wiped out.

The only opposition councillor elected was a Green councillor representing Brockley ward. 

2018 Election Results 

In 2018, Labour reinforced its dominance and for the first time became the sole party represented on Lewisham Council. The Greens lost their single seat and the borough became a one party council. 

2022 Election results

Although the council continued to be a single party and Labour controlled, the Labour grip on Lewisham council started to show signs of weakening.

By March 2026, the Labour party had seen four of its councillors defect to the Greens.

Amended 1/1/26 19.53 Labour had been in power for nine years in 2006 and Ladywell Leisure Centre swimming pool closed.

Salamander will be running local election coverage from now until the results are announced.

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