Camden People’s Alliance Ties Local Vote to War (Camden, 2026)

Key Points

• A new political party, the Camden People’s Alliance (CPA), is contesting Camden Council elections for the first time in Somers Town and St Pancras, and King’s Cross wards.
• The CPA has an agreement with the Green Party, under which Greens are not standing candidates in these two wards.
• The party focuses on local issues like housing, homelessness, and food poverty, but also criticises Labour’s foreign policy, particularly UK support for Israel and defence spending.
• CPA uses red, black, and green branding, matching the Palestinian flag colours.
• Backed by Andrew Feinstein, who ran independently against Sir Keir Starmer in the 2024 general election.
• Feinstein highlights child poverty (over 40% in Camden), food banks, authoritarian homelessness policies, and calls for pension fund divestment from arms firms.
• CPA urges voters to support the Greens in other wards but will hold them accountable if they align with Labour.
• Elections are set for Thursday, 7 May 2026, across Camden’s 20 wards, with Labour holding a majority since 2010.

Camden (North London News) April 18, 2026 – A new left-wing political party, the Camden People’s Alliance, has launched its campaign for the upcoming Camden Council elections, emphasising local crises alongside criticism of national foreign policy on war.

Why Is Camden People’s Alliance Linking Local Elections to War?

The Camden People’s Alliance (CPA) held a public event in Somers Town on Sunday, where members distributed leaflets and used megaphones along Chalton Street to promote their platform. As reported by Tom Foot of the Camden New Journal, the party has registered candidates in Somers Town and St Pancras, and King’s Cross wards – the first time it is standing in Camden’s council elections.

The CPA struck a deal with the Green Party, which agreed not to field candidates in these two target wards. According to the Fitzrovia News, the Greens are standing in all but these two wards across Camden’s 20 electoral wards, where voters will elect between two and three councillors per ward on 7 May 2026.

Andrew Feinstein, who supports the group but is not a candidate, joined members at the Somers Town event. As reported by Tom Foot of the Camden New Journal, Mr Feinstein said:

“The manifesto that we are launching today speaks explicitly about the right to food in what should be one of the richest boroughs of the UK. Over 40 per cent of our children live in poverty. It is why we have food banks at the end of this road.”

He added,

“Camden’s approach to homelessness has become more and more authoritarian. Society should not be judged by how it treats its richest and best off; it should be judged on how it treats the most vulnerable.”

The party’s branding features red, black, and green colours, the same as the Palestinian flag, signalling its stance on international issues. Members argue that UK support for the Israeli government diverts funds from local needs, with Mr Feinstein stating it was important to discuss “illegal wars” because they take money that should be “invested in communities”.

What Deal Did Greens Strike with Camden People’s Alliance?

Explaining the arrangement with the Greens, Mr Feinstein said, as reported by Tom Foot of the Camden New Journal:

“We would back and work with any progressive councillors, and we regard the Greens as a progressive force. They have stood down in these two wards, on the understanding that we would work together. We are suggesting people vote Green in other wards. That doesn’t mean it’s a blank cheque. If they end up behaving like the Labour Party, then of course, we will not work with them. We will call them out.”

The CPA positions itself against Labour’s control of Camden Council, which has held a majority since 2010 and won 47 seats with 56.6% of the vote in 2022. Labour, Liberal Democrats, Conservatives, and Reform UK are fielding candidates in all 20 wards.

The party criticises Labour Camden for resisting calls – unlike other councils – to divest its pension fund from companies linked to arms firms used abroad.

How Does Labour Respond to War Criticism in Camden Elections?

National Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer addressed council election pressures in Camden, described as his “backyard”. As reported in the Camden New Journal, after a speech, Sir Keir Starmer told the New Journal:

“Obviously what the national government is doing matters to residents, and I think across Camden the vast majority of residents will be saying ‘we don’t want to get dragged into a war with Iran’. I think they are with the government on that.”

He identified energy bills as residents’ chief worry, amid suggestions that national poll ratings could affect local results. Labour secured a landslide in 2022 but faces challenges, having lost control only once in 55 years.

A prior by-election loss in West Hampstead ward to Liberal Democrats in 2025 was linked to backlash over Labour’s Gaza war stance, in an area overlapping Tulip Siddiq’s constituency and Sir Keir Starmer’s Holborn and St Pancras seat.

Who Backs Camden People’s Alliance and What Are Its Origins?

The CPA builds on Andrew Feinstein’s 2024 independent campaign against Sir Keir Starmer in the Holborn and St Pancras general election. The group maintains a Facebook page describing itself as

“A Political Party in Camden to challenge inequality, campaign for accountability, and for real change”.

Richard Osley, editor at the Camden New Journal, shared the story on X (formerly Twitter), noting the party’s insistence on addressing war’s impact despite the local focus.

Camden’s elections occur amid a broader context, with Labour facing national discontent that could influence local polls.

Background of the Development

The Camden People’s Alliance emerged from dissatisfaction with established parties, particularly Labour’s local and national policies. It draws from Andrew Feinstein’s 2024 challenge to Sir Keir Starmer, focusing on poverty and accountability. The Green deal reflects efforts to consolidate progressive votes in targeted wards, amid Labour’s long-held dominance since 2010.

Prediction: Impact on Camden Voters

This development introduces a new option for voters prioritising housing, homelessness, and food poverty alongside foreign policy concerns. Camden residents facing child poverty rates over 40% may weigh CPA’s local pledges against its war critiques, potentially splitting progressive votes from Greens and Labour. Those focused on energy bills or avoiding international entanglements, as noted by Sir Keir Starmer, might stick with incumbents, altering seat outcomes in contested wards on 7 May 2026.