Camden's local elections on Thursday, May 7, could see a historic shift in power. Labour has controlled the council for all but four years in the last five decades, winning 47 of 55 ward seats in 2022. But polls suggest the party may lose its grip. Five major parties are contesting almost all wards: Conservatives, Greens, Labour, Liberal Democrats and Reform UK. Minor parties like the National Housing Party and Camden People's Alliance are also fielding candidates in some wards. The Local Democracy Reporting Service has compiled the key manifesto pledges from each main party.
Camden People's Alliance
Standing in King's Cross and St Pancras & Somers Town, the Alliance promises:
- Housing: Use public investment for a council-led building programme; oppose intermediate rents and homes for sale on public land; restore cyclical repairs for social housing.
- Communities: Create tenant-run community spaces; expand protections for marginalised groups and migrants; divest from companies linked to human rights abuses.
- Crime: Invest in violence prevention and community safety, especially against women and girls.
- Children & education: Reverse school cuts, reduce class sizes, deliver universal free school meals.
- Health: Provide free nutritious food for elderly residents; invest in youth mental health services.
Conservative Party
Key Conservative pledges include:
- Housing: Place council housing maintenance in special measures; reverse trend of driving families out by building 1-2 bedroom apartments.
- Communities: Oppose extension of late night licensing.
- Crime: Demand more police presence; back CCTV to catch phone snatchers.
- Children & education: Fight to keep schools, health centres and libraries open.
- Environment & transport: Introduce weekly free car parking in high streets; scrap garden waste removal fee.
Green Party
The Greens propose:
- Housing: Employ more in-house surveyors for efficient repairs; prioritise genuinely affordable homes beyond quality standards.
- Communities: Protect historic markets; strengthen LGBTQI+ partnerships; divest from companies profiting from genocide.
- Crime: Target root causes with cross-departmental prevention; public health approach to serious violence.
- Children & education: Cut suspensions and exclusions; adopt early intervention for loneliness.
- Health: Work with NHS to publish ethnicity-specific health data; foster wellbeing economy.
- Environment & transport: Set up climate change task group; prioritise renovation over demolition; support biodiversity; plan safer public transport and cycling network.
Labour Party
Labour pledges:
- Housing: Expand landlord licensing; invest £670m in repairs; build 1,400 new homes including 700 affordable.
- Communities: Support pubs as Assets of Community Value; deliver warm spaces; provide grants to voluntary groups.
- Crime: Double community safety team; invest in Safety Bus; expand CCTV.
- Children & education: Invest £11m in two new children's homes; after-school clubs in every school; auto-enrol free school meals.
- Health: Invest up to £15m extra in social care; pay care workers London Living Wage; new dementia strategy.
- Environment & transport: Create new parks; plant more trees; new bus lanes and zebra crossings; 800 new EV charging points.
Liberal Democrats
The Lib Dems promise:
- Housing: Taskforce to improve use of existing homes; limit conversion of family homes into small flats; sell Crowndale Centre to fund temporary accommodation.
- Communities: Promote Camden as Borough of Sanctuary; deliver festivals, markets and cultural events.
- Crime: Boost community safety teams; pressure Met Police to keep neighbourhood officers; prevent violence against women and girls.
- Children & education: Inform parents of SEND reforms; help young people into skilled work through internships and apprenticeships.
- Health: Expand support for blind and partially sighted; deliver accessibility improvements.
- Environment & transport: Pressure TfL on Finchley Road; launch Rewilding Fund; require solar panels and battery storage in new developments.
Reform UK
Reform UK is standing candidates in every ward but has not released a local manifesto. National policies include leaving the European Convention on Human Rights, scrapping indefinite leave to remain, cutting energy bills by ending net zero, limiting welfare to British citizens, and rebuilding armed forces.
