MP Jeremy Corbyn at polling station

VOTERS arrived at the polls yesterday (Thursday) to decide the fate of the Town Hall for the next four years.

As the Tribune went to print last night, the results had already been sealed, and candidates will arrive today (Friday) at the Islington Tennis Centre as the crosses are counted.

This 2026 election has taken place against a backdrop of wider national disaffection with the Labour government, with local issues such as a lack of housing and LTNs also playing their part. It is widely expected that Labour will retain power in the Town Hall, but they could haemorrhage a significant number of seats to the Green Party.

Ed Miliband geeing up the troops outside the Margery Street Community Hall

The Greens, led by Highbury councillor Benali Hamdache, are hoping to at least quadruple their number of seats on the council, and have targeted key wards including Tufnell Park, Clerkenwell, Tollington, and Arsenal.

Indeed, Labour drafted in London Mayor Sir Sadiq Khan on Tuesday to rally voters in Arsenal – a departure from four years prior when Highbury was the main battleground.

Former council leader Terry Stacy on the campaign trail for the Lib Dems

Energy secretary Ed Miliband also made an appearance to gee up the troops outside the Mar­gery Street Community Hall in Clerkenwell on the day before voters headed to the ballot box.

The ruling party have been confident in their line that they are different from the national government, and have made consistent efforts to distance themselves from Sir Keir Starmer, and the government stance on issues like immigration.

The Greens are hoping to at least quadruple their number of seats on the council

Red rosette-wearing candidates have said over and over again that Islington is a “Borough of Sanctuary” and have encouraged voters to cast their ballot based on the performance of the local council. Some 16 years in power have fuelled allegations of a “one-party state”, which opponents have argued is not healthy for debate.

The Liberal Democrats are trying to claw back a few seats, and have focused efforts on St Mary’s and St James’, where former council leader Terry Stacy is hoping to get a foothold.

Meanwhile, the Islington Community Independents have run a high-profile campaign in Finsbury Park where Amu Gib, an incarcerated Palestine Action activist, is their candidate.

They were denied bail at a hearing last Friday, so would be conducting their duties from behind bars if elected. Gib is allowed to stand because they have not been convicted of any crime, and are on remand in HMP Bronzefield awaiting a trial scheduled for January 2027.

Dame Emily Thornberry at polling station

The Tories are not expected to make any inroads, but have garnered some support for their anti-LTN stance.

Traditionally, ballots would be counted overnight, and bleary-eyed candidates would be forced to make their acceptance speech at three or four o’clock in the morning. This time, however, the ballot boxes were locked up until the following day when the final score will be tallied up. Results are expected to be announced after lunchtime, but some close calls and any need for a recount may mean that there are delays.

Before the vote, there were 44 Labour councillors sitting in the chamber, alongside three Greens and four independents. At the election in 2022, 48 Labour councillors won seats, and three Greens won in Highbury. The make-up has changed following defections from Labour councillors who disagreed with their colleagues on the government’s stance over issues including Gaza.

Follow all the results

THE Tribune will be running a live blog on our website covering the election count. It will be full of pictures, videos and reaction for you to scroll through. We’ll also have ward-by-ward results appearing as they are announced – and you can pore over the figures in next week’s print edition too.