The Labour Party won a landslide victory by gaining seven more seats at Redbridge in the 2022 council elections on Thursday.
The party won 55 seats against the Conservative Party’s five seats in the borough, with voting for final three seats in the borough – in Mayfield ward – to take place on May 26 after the death of a candidate.
Labour gained two seats at Bridge and one at Fairlop, where traditionally more Tory supporters reside.
It also completely turned South Woodford and Churchfields into red by winning the remaining two seats at each of them.
After the Thursday elections, the Labour Party controls 58 of the 63 seats, or 92%, at Redbridge Council.
“It’s a historical day for the Labour Party because we have the highest number of seats won by any party ever in the history of Redbridge,” said Jas Athwal, council leader and leader of the Labour Group.
Athwal added the number of seats of the Labour Party at Redbridge had already recorded a historical high for two times in the 2014 and 2018 council elections.
“We are being trusted by the residents. They have shown faith in us. Now we begin to work,” he said in his victory speech.
“What we have to do is to stay true to Labour’s value and the promises we made today. We won’t forget them over the next four years. I won’t allow us to forget them.”
During the vote counting, Athwal said he had confidence the Labour Party would gain more seats and that he and his colleagues had worked really hard for the past four years and also for the election campaign.
He said Redbridge Council had provided outstanding services for its 310,000 residents under the Labour Party’s leadership with a core annual funding of only £128 per person, or £39.5 million in total.
“I think we are value for money,” he said.
“We are one of the most prudent councils in the country. That doesn’t happen by chance but by working really hard.”
Meanwhile, Linda Ann Huggett, leader of the Conservative Party at Redbridge, won another four-year term but the Tories lost six seats in the latest elections.
Reform UK, a right-wing political party, also lost its only one seat.
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