What you need to know as Redbridge heads into local elections

The turnout was 33.4% and there was a 1% swing from the Conservatives to Labour.

Labour: 58 seats (+7)

Conservatives: 5 seats (-7)

Since the election, the Ilford Independent group won a by-election seat from Labour, while two Labour councillors quit and another Labour councillor was suspended.

Professor Tony Travers of the London School of Economics said Redbridge has been a Conservative/Labour marginal for much of its existence and there's still a Conservative MP in the north of the borough.

In the General Election in 2024, Wes Streeting, the Labour MP, was pushed into nearly losing in Ilford North.

It looks as if Independents and possibly Greens could well win seats from Labour, pushing the borough towards - if not to - no overall control.

At the moment, Labour are dominant in London - they have 21 of its 32 councils, a record-equalling high.

The Conservatives run just five - having lost their former "crown-jewel" councils of Wandsworth and Westminster to Labour at the last borough elections in 2022.

The Liberal Democrats run three councils in south-west London and will be looking to gain Merton from Labour.

The Aspire Party run Tower Hamlets and two boroughs are currently in no overall control.

Nick Bowes, insight director from the London Communications Agency, said: "These are likely to be the most consequential elections in London, certainly for the past 20 years - possibly since the first borough elections in 1964."

He added: "The ways things are fragmenting in the polls it's very difficult to predict exactly what's going to happen but it does look like being a very bad night for Labour and the Conservatives in London."

More than six million Londoners can vote in the council elections on Thursday 7 May 2026.

All 32 London boroughs are up for election.

There are also elections for the mayor in five boroughs: Croydon, Hackney, Lewisham, Newham and Tower Hamlets.

All candidates in the Redbridge Council election will be listed on the borough's website.

Use our tool to see what elections are being held in your area.

The deadline to register to vote is Monday 20 April 2026.

The deadline to apply for a postal vote is Tuesday 21 April 2026 at 17:00 BST - you must be registered to vote before you can receive a postal vote.

The deadline to change existing postal or proxy voting arrangements is also Tuesday 21 April 2026 at 17:00.

The deadline to apply for a proxy vote is Tuesday 28 April 2026 at 17:00.

Photographic voter ID is required to vote at a polling station - if you do not have valid Voter ID, the deadline to apply for photo ID to vote (called a Voter Authority Certificate) for this election is Tuesday 28 April 2026 at 17:00.

Election Day: Thursday 7 May 2026 from 07:00 to 22:00.

You can find more information about voting in Redbridge on the borough's website.

The London Borough of Redbridge is in north-east London.

It is bordered by Epping Forest District (Essex) to the north, Waltham Forest to the west, Havering to the east, Barking and Dagenham to the south east, and Newham to the south west.

What's it like? Redbridge is a leafy and predominantly residential borough, with Central line connections to the city. Popular with families and commuters, it is known for high-performing schools, affordable housing compared to central London and green spaces like Hainault Forest.

Neighbourhoods: Recognisable areas in Redbridge include Ilford, Wanstead, Woodford, Gants Hill, Newbury Park, South Woodford, Barkingside, Seven Kings, Goodmayes, Fairlop, Hainault, Grange Hill, and Roding Valley.

Places of interest: Valentines Park, Hainault Forest Country Park, Fairlop Waters Country Park, Redbridge Central Library and Museum, Kenneth More Theatre.

Pub quiz fact: Redbridge is named after a literal red brick bridge, a 17th Century crossing over the River Roding in Ilford. It was demolished in the 1920s.

Population: (2024 estimate) 321,231

Demographics: According to the latest Office of National Statistics (ONS) figures, Redbridge's ethnic breakdown is: Asian: 47.3%, white: 34.8%, black: 8.4%, mixed: 4.1% and other ethnic groups: 5.4%.

Average property price: According to the ONS, the average house price in Redbridge in December 2025 was £495,000.

Average monthly rent: ONS data shows the average monthly rent in January 2026 was £1,714.

Council tax: The Band D council tax rate for Redbridge in 2026/27 is £2,294.58.

Transport: According to Transport for London, Redbridge contains 10 Tube stations (all on the Central line), four Elizabeth line stations and around 510 bus stops.

Redbridge's history stretches back centuries, with its roots in the ancient parish of Barking in Essex, before later becoming part of the civil parish of Ilford in 1888.

The borough as known today was created in 1965 under the London Government Act, merging Ilford with Wanstead and Woodford, along with parts of Dagenham and Chigwell, forming one of London's 32 new boroughs.

Its name derives from a distinctive red‑brick bridge that once crossed the River Roding, demolished in 1921 but influential enough to give the new borough its identity.

The area also has notable heritage links, including Ilford's prehistoric mammoth finds and its role in early photographic manufacturing.

Redbridge Council historically swung between Conservative control and periods of no overall control, until the Labour Party won its first majority in 2014. The party has controlled the council since then.

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