Greg Hands today welcomed the decision by local voters in both Boroughs to leave the Conservatives in charge in both Councils. This was despite a relatively poor performance by the Conservatives in Borough Council elections across London. Labour gained many neighbouring boroughs such as Ealing, Hounslow and Brent.
In Kensington & Chelsea, the Conservatives won 43 seats, against 9 for Labour and 2 for the LibDems. The Conservatives lost 2 seats to Labour, and Labour in turn lost a seat to the LibDems. In Hammersmith & Fulham, the Conservatives won 31 seats, a loss of 2, and Labour won 15 seats, a gain of only 2. The result was close to being a repeat of the Conservatives’ landslide in the 2006 Council elections, where Stephen Greenhalgh and his team gained control of the Council for the Conservatives for the first time since 1968. The Liberal Democrats failed to win a single seat. Commenting on the results, Greg Hands said: “I am delighted to see both of my councils remain Conservative, with strong and renewed four-year mandates. In K&C, local people continue to appreciate their efficient and top rated Council. In Hammersmith & Fulham, the team has worked wonders these last four years, with four successive years of Council Tax cuts, whilst still achieving improved services. Local people in both boroughs will need their well-run councils in the difficult years we have ahead of us, and I congratulate all of the successful Conservative candidates.” Cllr Stephen Greenhalgh, Leader of H&F Council said: “The Conservative victory in Hammersmith and Fulham last Thursday was history in the making. This is the first ever second term conservative majority administration since the borough was created. Whilst several councils across London fell, our drive to cut taxes, deliver high quality services and put residents first won over on the day.” Click here for the Kensington & Chelsea results >> Click here for the Hammersmith & Fulham results >>