Local elections profile: Westminster

Ahead of the local elections on Thursday 7 May, we have produced short guides to London's 32 boroughs.

Where is it? The City of Westminster is in central London and is bordered by Brent, Camden, Kensington and Chelsea and the River Thames.

What's it like? The political and historic heart of the UK, Westminster combines world-famous tourist landmarks with a transient, highly international population. It also extends from the river into the north London suburbs.

Neighbourhoods: Mayfair, Belgravia, Knightsbridge, Soho, Covent Garden, Fitzrovia, St John's Wood, Marylebone, Paddington, St James's, Pimlico, Queen's Park, Lisson Grove.

Places of interest: Palace of Westminster, National Gallery, Westminster Abbey, Hyde Park, Covent Garden, Oxford Street, Abbey Road, Lord's Cricket Ground, Downing Street, Whitehall, Hyde Park, and many more.

Pub quiz fact: Westminster has been a centre of royal authority for more than 10 centuries and was declared a city by King Henry VIII in 1540 upon the establishment of the Diocese of Westminster.

Population (2024 estimate): 209,996.

Demographics: According to the 2021 census 55.2% identify as white,16.8% as Asian, 8.1% as black, and 13.5% other ethnic groups.

Westminster council said 85 languages were spoken in the borough and 26% of residents did not have English as their main language.

Average property price: According to the Office for National Statistics (ONS), the average house price in Westminster in December 2025 was £888,000.

Average monthly rent: The ONS reported that the average monthly rent in January 2026 was £3,181.

Council tax: Band D council tax in the borough for 2026/27 is £1,047.

Transport: There are 32 Tube stations, three Elizabeth line stations and about 495 bus stops and four piers run by Transport for London in Westminster.

You can find more information about Westminster here.

Local history: The origins of Westminster date back to an Anglo-Saxon settlement west of Roman London that developed in the 5th Century.

In the mid-11th Century, Edward the Confessor began the construction of an abbey at Westminster, only the foundations of which survive today. Between the abbey and the river he built a palace.

The City of Westminster and the City of London were separate - then beginning in the 16th Century, houses and commercial buildings were built on roads linking them. This urban spread became densely populated.

There was also building in parishes to the north and west, including Marylebone and Pimlico.

Despite having city status since the 16th Century, Westminster was not incorporated as a borough for local government purposes until 1900.

What is the borough's electoral history? Westminster City Council was a Conservative-controlled borough from its formation in 1965 until the last election in 2022.

Labour had always had a presence on the council, and in the 1970s and 1980s there were one or two residents' councillors elected.

What happened in 2022? The turnout was 31.9% and there was a swing of 4.7% from the Conservatives to Labour. Labour took control of the council for the first time.

Labour: 31 seats (+12)

Conservative: 23 seats (-18)

Boundary changes had reduced the number of seats from 60 to 54.

Since the 2022 election, one councillor has defected from Labour to the Conservatives and two Conservatives have defected to Reform UK. In addition, the Tories won two by-elections from Labour.

Professor Tony Travers, of the London School of Economics, said: "Westminster was won by Labour for the first time ever in 2022 - big headlines at the time. Buckingham Palace ends up in a Labour borough for the first time, all of that.

"This time, Labour is really fighting for its life. The government has introduced a number of policies that really haven't helped Labour in Westminster and all things being equal the Greens might win the odd seat in Westminster.

"Looks as if the Conservatives will almost certainly win it back."

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