Local election 2026: Party promises in Camden

Key points

• Camden Council has long been a Labour stronghold, with the party holding control of the north London borough for all but four years in the last five decades.
• Voters in Camden are set to go to the polls on Thursday, 7 May 2026, to elect councillors for the 55‑seat chamber, with five major parties – Labour, the Greens, the Liberal Democrats, the Conservatives and Reform UK – standing in almost all wards.
• Local Democracy Reporting Service and other outlets have compiled the main manifesto pledges of the major parties, showing sharply divergent priorities on housing, crime, climate, and local services.
• Labour is emphasising private‑landlord licensing, community safety, AI‑readiness for the borough, and a more joined‑up cycle network.
• The Camden Greens are focusing on climate‑emissions cuts, a borough‑wide heat‑resilience plan, divestment from companies linked to genocide and human‑rights abuses, and expanded cycling and green space.
• The Camden Liberal Democrats are pledging to fight cuts, expand the Community Safety team, simplify rules on Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMOs), and scale up bike lanes while taking a tougher stance on dockless e‑bike schemes.
• The Camden Conservatives are promising to put housing maintenance into “special measures”, reverse the trend of 1–2 bedroom flats they say has driven families out of the borough, secure greater police presence, and keep schools, health centres and libraries open.
• Reform UK is standing in every ward but has not released a borough‑level manifesto; its cited national policies include leaving the European Convention on Human Rights, restricting indefinite leave to remain for immigrants, scrapping net‑zero policies, and limiting welfare benefits to British citizens.
• Smaller parties, including the Camden People’s Alliance and the National Housing Party, are also contesting seats, with the Camden People’s Alliance putting forward a detailed manifesto on housing, homelessness, no‑cuts budgets, free school meals, and divestment from companies linked to human‑rights abuses.

Camden (North London News) May 7, 2026 – As tens of thousands of Camden residents prepare to vote in the London local elections on 7 May 2026, the battle for control of the historically Labour‑held north London borough is centring on competing visions of housing, safety, climate action and local services. Registered voters across Camden’s 55 wards will be choosing councillors for Camden Council, with Labour, the Greens, the Liberal Democrats, the Conservatives and Reform UK fielding candidates in almost every ward, while smaller parties such as the Camden People’s Alliance and the National Housing Party are also in the fray.

As reported by the Local Democracy Reporting Service and summarised by outlets such as the London Standard, the key pledges being put to voters in Camden span: more housing, tougher policing or community‑safety measures, greener infrastructure, and attempts to protect libraries, schools and other local services from the cuts seen in other parts of London.

What are Labour’s main promises in Camden?

Labour’s 44‑page manifesto for Camden, outlined by The Cheese Grater magazine, sets out a broad agenda focused on housing regulation, community safety, digital infrastructure and transport.

The party has pledged to strengthen the borough‑wide private‑landlord licensing scheme, which it says would help clamp down on rogue operators and improve conditions for private‑rented tenants.

Labour also promises to double the size of the council’s Community Safety team, aiming to increase patrols and interventions in areas where antisocial behaviour and low‑level crime are concerns.

On infrastructure and technology, Labour’s manifesto includes a commitment to make Camden “the most AI‑ready borough”, with plans to use digital tools for more efficient council services and decision‑making.

The party also flags identifying locations for new parks and expanding the borough’s cycle network, arguing that joined‑up routes would make cycling safer and more attractive for residents.

As noted by the London Standard, Labour has governed Camden for all but four years in the last five decades and currently holds 47 of the 55 council seats following the 2022 local elections, giving voters a clear record to weigh against the new pledges.

What are the Greens pledging in Camden?

The Camden Green Party’s local manifesto, titled “Caring Camden: A Future Vision”, is framed around care for people and the planet, with a strong emphasis on climate‑emissions cuts, housing, and social justice.

Climate Emergency Camden, which summarises the Green commitments, reports that the party would back measures to retrofit existing homes and prioritise retrofit over demolition, including installing solar panels and battery storage as standard where possible.

The Greens also propose publishing clearer annual carbon accounts and correcting what they describe as a methodological error in the council’s current reporting of emissions.

On extreme‑weather preparedness, the Greens’ Camden manifesto includes a borough‑wide heat‑resilience plan, expanded Sustainable Drainage Systems, green roofs, permeable surfaces, and a borough‑wide Rewilding Fund coupled with thousands of new trees.

The party also backs a “Zero Waste Camden” plan, overhauling recycling, improving waste systems, and supporting community‑led climate‑action projects.

The Camden Greens’ manifesto further calls for divesting from companies linked to genocide and other human‑rights abuses, scaling back the use of consultancy firms, and supporting the borough’s markets and small businesses.

What do the Liberal Democrats say they will do in Camden?

The Camden Liberal Democrats’ 16‑page manifesto, summarised by The Cheese Grater, focuses on campaigning against cuts, strengthening community safety, and tweaking housing and transport rules.

The party pledges to “fight cuts” to local services and to increase the size of the Community Safety team, positioning itself as a middle‑ground alternative that still wants to protect frontline staff and functions.

On housing, the Lib Dems say they will simplify rules around Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMOs), arguing that clearer guidance would help both landlords and residents while reducing dispute risks.

On transport, the manifesto calls for more bike lanes and states that the party would be “robust” with dockless e‑bike operators such as Lime and Forest, pressing for stricter parking and safety standards.

The Lib Dems’ platform is built on a narrative of resisting austerity‑style reductions while trying to modernise regulation and infrastructure at the borough level.

What are the Conservatives promising voters in Camden?

The Camden Conservatives’ 2026 local‑election manifesto, published by the Hampstead and Highgate Conservatives, sets housing maintenance, crime, development control and local services as its core themes.

The party pledges to put the council’s housing maintenance department into “special measures” until there is “real improvement”, arguing that tenants have seen too many promises and too few repairs.

The Conservatives also say they would reverse what they describe as a trend of Labour‑backed 1–2 bedroom flats that have “driven families out of the borough”, and instead push for more family‑sized homes.

On development, the manifesto states that the O2 Centre site should be used for “a real community” scheme, calls for Regent’s Road to host a “suitably scaled mixed development”, and wants Bacton Low Rise kept low‑rise, with a focus on family homes rather than “towering dormitory blocks”.

On crime and policing, the Conservatives say they will demand funding for a greater police presence on Camden’s streets and will back the use of CCTV to catch phone snatchers, contrasting themselves with the Liberal Democrats, whom they say oppose such measures.

The party also pledges to “fight to keep schools, health centres and libraries open”, framing this as a defence of local facilities against cuts and closures.

What does Reform UK stand for in Camden?

Reform UK is fielding candidates in every electoral ward in Camden but has not released a borough‑specific manifesto, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

National policies frequently cited for the party include leaving the European Convention on Human Rights, scrapping indefinite leave to remain for immigrants and rescinding existing awards, cutting energy bills by ending net‑zero policies, limiting welfare benefits to British citizens, and rebuilding the UK armed forces.

LDRS reports that it contacted Reform UK’s local branch in Camden to ask about any additional borough‑level pledges but had not received a response at the time of publication.

What does the Camden People’s Alliance offer voters?

The Camden People’s Alliance (CPA), a smaller party standing in wards such as King’s Cross and St Pancras and Somers Town, has published a detailed manifesto via its website outlining its core housing, welfare, and social‑justice pledges.

The CPA’s housing section states that the party would “end reliance on private developers” and bring housing development back in‑house, establishing a council‑led building programme funded by public investment.

It also commits to ensuring all publicly funded housing is 100% for council rent and to lobbying national government for long‑term, low‑cost funding for councils.

On affordability, the CPA says it would redefine “affordable housing” to mean genuinely low‑cost council rent, oppose “intermediate” rents and homes for sale on public land, campaign against rent rises above inflation, and push for national rent controls in the private sector.

The party pledges to stop the sell‑off of social housing, including ending Right to Buy, halting councils and housing associations from selling off empty homes, and reversing the conversion of social‑rent homes into higher‑cost tenancies.

On homelessness, the Camden People’s Alliance manifesto calls for prioritising support over enforcement, expanding Housing First and other suitable accommodation options, strengthening multi‑agency outreach, guaranteeing accommodation for rough sleepers during Severe Weather Emergency Protocol (SWEP) periods, and introducing a Homeless Charter alongside fatality‑review processes.

Beyond housing, the CPA’s manifesto includes a “no‑cuts” budget approach, pledging to set a “People’s Budget” based on community need, oppose cuts to jobs and services, and campaign to write off council debt. The party also promises divestment from companies linked to human‑rights abuses, including those complicit in the situation in Gaza, and commitments to universal free school meals, free nutritious food for elderly residents, and support for community food projects.

Background: How did Camden’s 2026 election landscape develop?

Camden has been a Labour stronghold for most of the past five decades, with the party controlling the council for all but four years over that period and holding 47 of the 55 council seats after the 2022 elections. Over recent years, however, rising concern over housing conditions, rough‑sleeping levels, and local‑service cuts has opened space for challenger parties, including the Greens, the Camden People’s Alliance and the Conservatives.

The emergence of the Camden People’s Alliance out of Andrew Feinstein’s 2024 general‑election campaign in the area has added a new anti‑austerity, pro‑public‑housing voice to the contest, while the Greens and Lib Dems have sharpened their climate and social‑justice platforms.

Labour’s 2026 manifesto, emphasising licensing, AI‑readiness, and a larger Community Safety team, reflects an attempt to modernise its offer while defending its record of long‑term control.

Prediction: How might these promises affect Camden residents?

If Labour retains control, residents could see a continuation of current governance with incremental changes such as expanded private‑landlord licensing, widening of the Community Safety team, and new park sites and cycling infrastructure, but they may also face questions about whether the party can fully reverse housing‑maintenance backlogs and homelessness pressures.

A stronger Green or Camden People’s Alliance result could shift the balance towards more aggressive climate‑emissions targets, greener infrastructure, and a more assertive stance on housing and homelessness, which might benefit tenants and climate‑conscious voters but could also provoke debate over funding and implementation speed.

If the Conservatives gain ground, Camden residents might experience a tougher line on criminals and greater emphasis on CCTV and police presence, alongside attempts to reorient housing development toward family homes and to keep more schools and libraries open, even as some critics question the impact of such policies on community cohesion and civil‑liberties concerns.