Tories pledge to fight Oxford Street pedestrianisation as they take control of Westminster

The local elections on 7 May have left a dramatically changed political map in London and beyond, including the Conservatives taking back control of Westminster City Council.

Thursday’s elections resulted in a large number of councils and mayoral positions changing parties, with the shifts likely to have major implications for planning and policy in some areas. For the first time, six political parties will run councils in London.

In Westminster, a key London borough that covers the West End, Oxford Street, Downing Street and Mayfair, the Tories have won 32 seats to Labour’s 22. They take back control from Labour, which ousted the Tories in 2022.

Conservative Westminster group leader Paul Swaddle told the Local Democracy Reporting Service that among the group’s first acts in leading the council will be to set up a legal fund to fight London mayor Sir Sadiq Khan’s plans to pedestrianise Oxford Street.

The plans were greenlit in February and are expected to be in place by the end of the summer.

London saw a strong surge of support for the Green Party, as the Labour vote collapsed in the capital.

The Conservatives also retained control of Kensington and Chelsea, with a majority of 22. The result was expected as they have run the council since 1965.

This capped off a disappointing set of results for Labour in the capital as the party lost control of 10 councils.

Reform UK won Havering, taking it from no overall control and giving the party its first London council.

Over in Hackney, east London, the Greens have won the mayoral race, with Zoë Garbett becoming the party’s first-ever mayor in the capital.

Labour admitted defeat in Wales, ending its 27-year rule, with Plaid Cymru becoming the largest party with 43 of the 96 seats. Labour has also lost control of Preston City Council and Cambridge City Council, while SNP is expected to be the largest party in Scotland.

The Liberal Democrats held on to Richmond-upon-Thames and Sutton but failed to win Merton from Labour, which held on to Hammersmith & Fulham and Ealing.

Commenting on the results so far, Ros Morgan, chief executive of Heart of London Business Alliance, said: “These results point to less change overall than had been forecast across London. For businesses, stability and clear decision-making are essential. The priority now is delivery – on safety, economic resilience and sustaining confidence to support investment and growth.

“In Westminster, where the outcome is particularly significant for the UK economy, we look forward to working with the new administration to support a thriving West End.”