2026 Barking and Dagenham London Borough Council election

The thirty-two London boroughs were established in 1965 by the London Government Act 1963. They are the principal authorities in Greater London and have responsibilities including education, housing, planning, highways, social services, libraries, recreation, waste, environmental health and revenue collection. Some of the powers are shared with the Greater London Authority, which also manages passenger transport, police and fire.^[5]

Barking and Dagenham has been controlled by the Labour Party since its establishment.^[6] The Conservatives, Liberal Democrats, British National Party, independents and residents associations have also held seats on the borough. In the most recent four elections in 2010, 2014, 2018 and 2022, all fifty-one seats were won by the Labour Party.^[7] The incumbent leader of the council is the Labour councillor Dominic Twomey, who has held that position since 2024.^[8]

In September 2025, three Labour councillors left the party to join the Green Party of England and Wales.^[9] Lynda Rice, who had been elected as a Labour councillor, defected to the Conservatives later in the same month.^[10]

Barking and Dagenham, as is the case all other London borough councils, elects all of its councillors at once every four years, with the previous election having taken place in 2022. The election takes place by multi-member first-past-the-post voting, with each ward being represented by two or three councillors. Electors will have as many votes as there are councillors to be elected in their ward, with the top two or three being elected.

All registered electors (British, Irish, Commonwealth and European Union citizens) living in London aged 18 or over are entitled to vote in the election. People who live at two addresses in different councils, such as university students with different term-time and holiday addresses, are entitled to be registered for and vote in elections in both local authorities.^[11] Voting in-person at polling stations takes place from 7:00 to 22:00 on election day, and voters are able to apply for postal votes or proxy votes in advance of the election.^[11]