On a recent Super Thursday of London borough by-elections, Labour found itself defending all the seats up for grabs. The activity focused on Barking & Dagenham, with three of the votes taking place in this area. One of the vacancies in Northbury ward was due to the resignation of Darren Rodwell, who had served as Barking & Dagenham’s leader for a decade. Rodwell had to withdraw as Labour’s candidate for the Barking parliamentary seat due to an allegation of misconduct, which was later cleared. Nesil Caliskan, the leader of Enfield at the time, ended up taking his place in the Commons, leaving behind a seat to fill in Enfield.
In Barking & Dagenham, both Northbury and Village wards saw by-elections. Northbury, located in the northwest part of the borough, is highly diverse and predominantly consists of rented housing. Despite being a stronghold for Labour, the party’s share of the vote dipped slightly to 58%, with the Greens coming in second. In Village ward, which is situated in the east of the borough, Labour managed to retain the seat with a team of candidates, albeit with a significant swing towards the Conservatives.
Moving on to Enfield’s Jubilee ward, Labour managed to hold onto the seat despite seeing a decrease in their share of the vote compared to the previous elections. The Conservatives made gains in this ward, hinting at a potential shift in voter sentiment. The ward itself is diverse and working-class, with Labour traditionally holding a substantial majority.
Lastly, the by-election in Islington’s Junction ward saw Labour retaining the seat, although there was a notable drop in their share of the vote. The Independent candidate supported by Jeremy Corbyn posed a strong challenge, particularly focusing on housing issues. Despite the decrease in Labour’s vote share, they managed to secure the seat.
Overall, while Labour managed to maintain their positions in the recent by-elections, there is a noticeable decline in their support compared to the 2022 borough elections. The results indicate a broader pattern of decreasing support for Labour, even in their traditional strongholds. This trend suggests that the party may face challenges in upcoming elections, despite their historical dominance in certain areas.