Photo: Stefan Czapski · CC BY-SA 2.0Aspire holds a majority on the London Borough of Tower Hamlets
Tower Hamlets is run by the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. Aspire has a majority on the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. Tower Hamlets is split between 3 parliamentary constituencies.
£1,836
Band D, a year, the middle band every council sets its tax from.
Where it goes →How Tower Hamlets’s politics has changed since 2021
A majority on the London Borough of Tower Hamlets
Aspire holds a majority on the London Borough of Tower Hamlets: 33 of its 45 seats as elected (it held 24 before the May 2026 election). The Greens hold 5, Labour 5, the Liberal Democrats 1 and the Conservatives 1. Who’s in charge ↓
The 2026 vote
Across Tower Hamlets’s wards, Aspire took 32.3%, the Greens took 22.8% and Labour took 22.7% of votes in May 2026. In 2022, Aspire had 36.9%. How Tower Hamlets has voted ↓
Council tax
A Band D bill in Tower Hamlets is £1,838 for 2026–27; the London Borough of Tower Hamlets keeps 72% of it. The council area’s Band D has risen 54% in ten years, against England’s 56%. Council money ↓
Written from the data on this page: Democracy Club results since May 2021, the UK Parliament Members API and MHCLG council tax.
Who holds the seats
Seats by party as elected. A party needs 23 of Tower Hamlets’s 45 seats to run the council alone.
- Aspire33+9
- Green5+4
- Labour5−14
- Conservative1no change
- Liberal Democrat1+1
Change against the council before the 7 May 2026 election.
Seats are counted from election results: each ward’s most recent winners until its seats are filled. Councillors who have since changed party or resigned aren’t reflected, and which parties lead the council, and who is leader, comes from the council itself.
Results: Democracy Club (CC BY 4.0), elections since May 2021; seats per ward from its EveryElection.
The councils that run Tower Hamlets
One council runs every main service here.
Every main council service: schools, social care, roads, bins, planning, housing and libraries.
Led by an elected mayor: Lutfur Rahman (Aspire), elected May 2026
Website ↗Transport for London, policing (through the Mayor’s Office for Policing and Crime), the London Fire Brigade and London-wide planning.
Mayor: Sadiq Khan (Labour), elected May 2024
Website ↗Who to ask
From GOV.UK’s “Understand how your council works”: here one council runs every main service.
All of Tower Hamlets is unparished: there is no parish or town council, so the council runs local matters itself and no parish precept is added to the bill.
Councils from ONS lookups (wards and councils May 2026, parishes 2025), names and websites from GOV.UK’s local council finder; parish councils from MHCLG’s 2026–27 list of precepting parishes.
From the council to Westminster
Every elected tier that speaks for Tower Hamlets, from the most recent elections.
- 1London Borough of Tower Hamlets20 wards · 45 councillorsAspire 33 · Green 5 · Labour 5 · Liberal Democrat 1 · Conservative 1 · all 45
- 2Mayor of Tower HamletsLondon Borough of Tower Hamlets · elected May 2026Lutfur Rahman
- 3Mayor of LondonGreater London Authority · elected May 2024Sadiq Khan
- 4House of CommonsSplit between 3 constituencies
Party colours are neutral on purpose: they tell parties apart and aren’t the parties’ own. Tap an MP’s name for their contact page on parliament.uk.
45 councillors for 20 wards
Wards with at least 2% of the town’s residents, or half their own inside it. Each shows who won its most recent elections, newest first, until its seats are filled.
- Iqbal HossainAspire · May 2026
- Foysal AhmedAspire · May 2026
- Abul MonsurAspire · May 2026
- Rougie KhanomAspire · May 2026
- Mohammed Hasan MahmudAspire · May 2026
- Mohammed Omar MehdiAspire · May 2026
- Bellal UddinAspire · May 2026
- Ahmodur Rahman KhanAspire · May 2026
- Minara KhatunAspire · May 2026
- Syed Tareq AbdullahAspire · May 2026
- Ahmodul KhabirAspire · May 2026
- Halima IslamAspire · May 2026
- Abu Talha ChowdhuryAspire · May 2026
- Musthak AhmedAspire · May 2026
- Amin RahmanAspire · May 2026
- Mads ChurchhouseGreen · May 2026
- Ottilie Daisy SwinyardGreen · May 2026
- Jonathan PurcellGreen · May 2026
- Shafi AhmedAspire · May 2026
- Kamrul HussainAspire · May 2026
- Abulkashem HelalAspire · May 2026
- Maium TalukdarAspire · May 2026
- Saied AhmedAspire · May 2026
- Peter GoldsConservative · May 2026
- Sadiqur RahmanAspire · May 2026
- Shafiq IslamAspire · May 2026
- Shenaly MiahAspire · May 2026
- Shubo HussainLabour · May 2026
- Bodrul Islam ChoudhuryAspire · May 2026
- Rupert GeorgeGreen · May 2026
- Martin John ParkerGreen · May 2026
The other 8 wards
- Faysal AhmedAspire · May 2026
- Suluk AhmedAspire · May 2026
- Kabir AhmedAspire · May 2026
- Amina AliLabour · May 2026
- Mohammad Harun MiahAspire · May 2026
- Rabina KhanLiberal Democrat · May 2026
- Sabina AkhtarAspire · May 2026
- Abdul Wahid AliAspire · May 2026
- Abdal UllahLabour · May 2026
- Victoria Fleur LuptonLabour · May 2026
- Mohammed IlyasAspire · May 2026
- Abdul MannanAspire · May 2026
- Gulam Kibria ChoudhuryAspire · May 2026
- David EdgarLabour and Co-operative · May 2026
Show as a table
| Ward | Seats | Elected | When |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lansburyall in Tower Hamlets · 21,711 residents3 seats · May 2026 | 3 | Iqbal HossainFoysal AhmedAbul Monsur | May 2026 |
| Mile Endall in Tower Hamlets · 21,653 residents3 seats · May 2026 | 3 | Rougie KhanomMohammed Hasan MahmudMohammed Omar Mehdi | May 2026 |
| Blackwall & Cubitt Townall in Tower Hamlets · 21,429 residents3 seats · May 2026 | 3 | Bellal UddinAhmodur Rahman KhanMinara Khatun | May 2026 |
| Bethnal Green Eastall in Tower Hamlets · 21,089 residents3 seats · May 2026 | 3 | Syed Tareq AbdullahAhmodul KhabirHalima Islam | May 2026 |
| Bethnal Green Westall in Tower Hamlets · 19,784 residents3 seats · May 2026 | 3 | Abu Talha ChowdhuryMusthak AhmedAmin Rahman | May 2026 |
| Bow Eastall in Tower Hamlets · 19,524 residents3 seats · May 2026 | 3 | Mads ChurchhouseOttilie Daisy SwinyardJonathan Purcell | May 2026 |
| Whitechapelall in Tower Hamlets · 18,837 residents3 seats · May 2026 | 3 | Shafi AhmedKamrul HussainAbulkashem Helal | May 2026 |
| Canary Wharfall in Tower Hamlets · 17,972 residents2 seats · May 2026 | 2 | Maium TalukdarSaied Ahmed | May 2026 |
| Island Gardensall in Tower Hamlets · 15,308 residents2 seats · May 2026 | 2 | Peter GoldsSadiqur Rahman | May 2026 |
| St Dunstan'sall in Tower Hamlets · 14,750 residents2 seats · May 2026 | 2 | Shafiq IslamShenaly Miah | May 2026 |
| Bromley Southall in Tower Hamlets · 13,962 residents2 seats · May 2026 | 2 | Shubo HussainBodrul Islam Choudhury | May 2026 |
| Bow Westall in Tower Hamlets · 13,714 residents2 seats · May 2026 | 2 | Rupert GeorgeMartin John Parker | May 2026 |
The other 8 wards
| Ward | Seats | Elected | When |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spitalfields & Banglatownall in Tower Hamlets · 13,337 residents2 seats · May 2026 | 2 | Faysal AhmedSuluk Ahmed | May 2026 |
| Weaversall in Tower Hamlets · 13,337 residents2 seats · May 2026 | 2 | Kabir AhmedAmina Ali | May 2026 |
| Shadwellall in Tower Hamlets · 13,275 residents2 seats · May 2026 | 2 | Mohammad Harun MiahRabina Khan | May 2026 |
| Stepney Greenall in Tower Hamlets · 12,339 residents2 seats · May 2026 | 2 | Sabina AkhtarAbdul Wahid Ali | May 2026 |
| St Katharine's & Wappingall in Tower Hamlets · 11,960 residents2 seats · May 2026 | 2 | Abdal UllahVictoria Fleur Lupton | May 2026 |
| Bromley Northall in Tower Hamlets · 11,703 residents2 seats · May 2026 | 2 | Mohammed IlyasAbdul Mannan | May 2026 |
| Poplarall in Tower Hamlets · 8,065 residents1 seat · May 2026 | 1 | Gulam Kibria Choudhury | May 2026 |
| Limehouseall in Tower Hamlets · 6,554 residents1 seat · May 2026 | 1 | David Edgar | May 2026 |
Councillors can resign, change party or sit as independents between elections; a by-election winner replaces someone not named here. London Borough of Tower Hamlets’s website lists who sits now.
Results from Democracy Club’s candidates database (CC BY 4.0; elections since May 2021) and ward seats from its EveryElection, matched to ONS wards (May 2026) and county divisions (May 2025).
Aspire has led every council vote since 2022
Share of all votes cast for candidates in Tower Hamlets’s wards at each scheduled council election since 2021. A gap is a year with no election here.
Seats won at each election
Show as a table
| Party | 2022 | 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Green | 9% | 22.8% |
| Labour | 36.5% | 22.7% |
| Liberal Democrat | 8.9% | 4.8% |
| Conservative | 7.6% | 4.8% |
| Reform UK | 0% | 5.9% |
| Aspire | 36.9% | 32.3% |
In 2026, Aspire won 33, the Greens won 5, Labour won 5 and the Liberal Democrats won 1 of the 45 seats up in Tower Hamlets’s wards.
Results: Democracy Club (CC BY 4.0). Where a ward elects several councillors at once, each voter has that many votes; all of them count here.
London Borough of Tower Hamlets council election, May 2026
Results in the wards that make up Tower Hamlets, as declared. Percentages are of votes cast for candidates in each ward; where a ward elects several councillors, each voter has that many votes.
20 wards voted. Every seat in the town’s wards was up.
No election is scheduled yet for Tower Hamlets’s wards in Democracy Club’s list. Councils publish a notice of election about five weeks before polling day.
Who can I vote for? ↗16,193 votes for candidates · 3 seats, so 3 votes each
17,479 votes for candidates · 3 seats, so 3 votes each
14,702 votes for candidates · 3 seats, so 3 votes each
Every ward’s result (17 more)
18,498 votes for candidates · 3 seats, so 3 votes each
18,241 votes for candidates · 3 seats, so 3 votes each
19,301 votes for candidates · 3 seats, so 3 votes each
13,947 votes for candidates · 3 seats, so 3 votes each
7,668 votes for candidates · 2 seats, so 2 votes each
8,513 votes for candidates · 2 seats, so 2 votes each
8,344 votes for candidates · 2 seats, so 2 votes each
7,516 votes for candidates · 2 seats, so 2 votes each
9,189 votes for candidates · 2 seats, so 2 votes each
7,440 votes for candidates · 2 seats, so 2 votes each
7,577 votes for candidates · 2 seats, so 2 votes each
8,098 votes for candidates · 2 seats, so 2 votes each
7,824 votes for candidates · 2 seats, so 2 votes each
7,844 votes for candidates · 2 seats, so 2 votes each
7,126 votes for candidates · 2 seats, so 2 votes each
2,326 votes for candidates
2,050 votes for candidates
Candidates and results: Democracy Club (CC BY 4.0), from councils’ declared results; polling dates from Democracy Club’s EveryElection.
Tower Hamlets is split between 3 constituencies
The constituencies’ MP and the 4 July 2024 general election, the whole constituency’s result.
Labour, MP since 12 December 2019
45% of Tower Hamlets’s residents live in this constituency.
Turnout 51% (England 60%).
Majority 12,560 of 43,051 votes (29.2%): wider than in 83% of England’s 543 constituencies.
Labour, MP since 6 May 2010
41% of Tower Hamlets’s residents live in this constituency.
Turnout 57% (England 60%).
Majority 1,689 of 46,647 votes (3.6%): the 71st-narrowest of 543 in England.
Labour, MP since 4 July 2024
14% of Tower Hamlets’s residents live in this constituency.
Turnout 54% (England 60%).
Majority 11,634 of 43,435 votes (26.8%): wider than in 81% of England’s 543 constituencies.
43,051 votes for candidates · majority 12,560
Labour, MP since 12 December 2019.
turnout in July 2024: 43,051 votes from 84,116 registered voters. England: 60%.
Majority 12,560 of 43,051 votes (29.2%): wider than in 83% of England’s 543 constituencies.
Bethnal Green and Stepney
46,647 votes for candidates · majority 1,689
Labour, MP since 6 May 2010.
turnout in July 2024: 46,647 votes from 81,439 registered voters. England: 60%.
Majority 1,689 of 46,647 votes (3.6%): the 71st-narrowest of 543 in England.
Stratford and Bow
43,435 votes for candidates · majority 11,634
Labour, MP since 4 July 2024.
turnout in July 2024: 43,435 votes from 80,735 registered voters. England: 60%.
Majority 11,634 of 43,435 votes (26.8%): wider than in 81% of England’s 543 constituencies.
MPs and results: UK Parliament Members API (Open Parliament Licence v3.0); constituencies from ONS (2024 boundaries). Percentages are of valid votes; turnout is votes cast over the electorate.
Tower Hamlets’s Band D council tax is £1,838 a year
Where a Band D bill goes, what it has cost over the years, and what the councils plan to spend per resident.
London Borough of Tower Hamlets keeps £1,327.27 of a Band D bill (72%); the rest goes to the Greater London Authority.
Across the whole town the average Band D is £1,836 (parishes differ; weighted by residents).
Band D since 1993
Tower Hamlets’s Band D bill has risen 54% in ten years, from £1,196.85 in 2016–17, against England’s average (56%). It was £533.25 in 1993–94.
Your bill by band
A Band D home in the unparished part of Tower Hamlets, 2026–27, before discounts. The Valuation Office Agency’s band search gives any home’s band.
London boroughs
Average Band D in each council area, 2026–27, parish precepts included; the 11 nearest of 33. Bars start at £900.
Council budgets per resident, 2026–27
Show as a table, with London
| Tower Hamlets | Tower Hamlets’s councils | London | England |
|---|---|---|---|
| Adult social care | £519 | £471 | £487 |
| Children’s social care | £273 | £301 | £290 |
| Roads and transport | £-10 | £-5 | £41 |
| Housing (not council homes’ rents) | £108 | £160 | £61 |
| Bins, street cleaning, environment | £164 | £119 | £119 |
| Libraries, leisure, culture | £15 | £42 | £44 |
| Planning and development | £31 | £24 | £26 |
| Public health | £144 | £98 | £78 |
| Running the council | £229 | £68 | £59 |
| Other | £9 | £41 | £19 |
| Total, schools apart | £1,481 | £1,345 | £1,234 |
Net budgeted service spending, MHCLG Revenue Account budget 2026–27, per resident (ONS mid-2025 estimates). Schools are left out: academies are paid for directly by government, so council school budgets depend on how many schools have converted. London and England: all their councils together. Police, fire and transport authorities aren’t included.
Band D: MHCLG Band D council tax 2026–27 (each authority’s own figure, excluding parish precepts) and Council Tax statistics for town and parish councils 2026–27; since 1993–94, MHCLG’s area averages including parishes.
Having a say in how Tower Hamlets is run
It takes about five minutes online; the deadline is 12 working days before a poll.
gov.uk ↗Type a postcode to write to each of its councillors and its MP.
WriteToThem ↗GOV.UK sends the report to the council that looks after the road.
gov.uk ↗Council and committee meetings are open to the public, with agendas and minutes online.
towerhamlets.gov.uk ↗Anyone can comment while an application is open for consultation.
towerhamlets.gov.uk ↗The rules, nomination papers and guidance for council candidates.
Electoral Commission ↗Questions about how Tower Hamlets is run
Does Tower Hamlets have a town council?
No. Tower Hamlets is unparished, so there is no town or parish council and no parish precept.
Who is the MP for Tower Hamlets?
Tower Hamlets is split between 3 constituencies: Poplar and Limehouse (Apsana Begum, Labour), Bethnal Green and Stepney (Rushanara Ali, Labour) and Stratford and Bow (Uma Kumaran, Labour). Parliament’s Find your MP service matches a postcode to its MP.
How many councillors does Tower Hamlets have?
45 ward councillors represent Tower Hamlets’s 20 wards.
When are the next elections in Tower Hamlets?
No election is scheduled yet in Democracy Club’s list for Tower Hamlets’s wards. The next UK general election must be held by August 2029.
How much is council tax in Tower Hamlets?
Band D council tax in Tower Hamlets is £1,836 for 2026–27. Your bill depends on your home’s band, from A (6/9 of Band D) to H (18/9).
Who controls the London Borough of Tower Hamlets?
Aspire has a majority: 33 of 45 seats as elected. The council’s website lists who leads it now.
Who won the 2026 council election in Tower Hamlets?
In Tower Hamlets’s wards on 7 May 2026, Aspire 33 · Green 5 · Labour 5 · Liberal Democrat 1 · Conservative 1 of the 45 seats up. Aspire had the largest share of votes, 32.3%.
Sources: ONS ward, county division, parish, constituency lookups (Census 2021 output areas; Open Government Licence v3.0) · GOV.UK local council finder · Democracy Club candidates (CC BY 4.0) and EveryElection · UK Parliament Members API (Open Parliament Licence v3.0) · MHCLG Band D council tax, parish precepts and Revenue Account budgets 2026–27 (OGL v3.0) · ONS mid-2025 population estimates. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Contains Parliamentary information licensed under the Open Parliament Licence v3.0.
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Contains HM Land Registry data © Crown copyright and database right 2026. Contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right 2026 (ONS boundaries). Northern Ireland: Source: NISRA; contains Land & Property Services data and Ordnance Survey of Northern Ireland information, © Crown copyright, licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Scotland: contains National Records of Scotland data, Registers of Scotland data and SEPA data, © Crown copyright / © SEPA 2025, licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.