On Thursday 7 May 2026 England held local council elections, including all 32 London boroughs.
Here in Lambeth, all 63 seats on the London Borough Council were contested across the borough’s wards, with each ward electing either two or three councillors. Going into the election, the Labour Party held a majority on the council with 58 seats, with the Liberal Democrats forming the opposition with three seats and the Green Party holding two.
On the 7th May the Green Party won 29 seats, making it the largest party on Lambeth Council for the first time, although without an outright majority. Labour won 26 seats, and the Liberal Democrats took eight.
Streatham Hill East
In our own ward of Streatham Hill East, which elects two councillors, Martin Abrams and Amelia Shoebridge, both standing for the Green Party, were elected as the two new councillors. The bios below are copied from their website:
Cllr Martin Abrams was elected as a Labour councillor in Streatham St Leonards in 2022. After being suspended for supporting a motion calling for a ceasefire in Gaza in January 2024, he joined Lambeth Green Party in 2025. He joined the Green Party as a logical continuation of his lifelong fight for social, economic and environmental justice.
Martin brings a wealth of experience. He is a committed, effective and hard-working councillor and a National Policy Officer at RMT Union. He works tirelessly to create a fundamental and permanent shift of wealth and power to the working class. Like many in the Green Party he advocates for the power of organising people and communities to build skills and knowledge. Constructing political and social power at a grassroots level to create systemic change for a fairer, greener more beautiful world.
Cllr Amelia Shoebridge grew up on the nearby Pullens Estate, where she saw the challenges we face – housing, cuts, inequality – but also how communities can work to challenge injustices.
Amelia’s work has focused on social impact and community engagement, including leading partnerships with environmental organisations. She leads volunteers and schools programmes, and previously worked with refugees in Brixton to help support them through our system. She believes strongly in a community-led, socially and environmentally just society – starting right here in Streatham Hill East.
What do local councillors actually do?
For anyone new to local politics, councillors represent the people of their ward on the council and are elected for four-year terms. Councils are funded through a combination of council tax, business rates, and grants from central government, and while councillors aren’t paid a salary, they do receive financial compensation and expenses to cover their time and travel.
Local Councillor Surgeries
A local councillor surgery is a monthly, face-to-face drop-in session where our elected Councillors are available to listen to residents’ concerns, offer advice, and help solve problems related to local council services. They were previously held in the HIVE Cafe on the second Saturday of the month from 10am-12pm. PRERA are chasing the newly elected Councillors to confirm the date and time going forward.