As local election day approaches, Calvin Bailey MP urges residents to ensure they turn out to vote and encourages us all to be more engaged with local politics
On 7 May 2026, Wanstead will join the rest of London in heading to the polls to vote in the local government elections. Except many of us won’t. Local council elections have notoriously low turnout: only 45% of the Wanstead Park ward electorate voted in the 2022 local elections, with Wanstead Village voters seemingly less engaged with a 43% turnout (although these figures were higher than many of the other wards across Redbridge). This is all despite the fact our councils have a huge impact on our everyday lives and our community.
As an MP, I know first-hand that local councillors often have a far greater ability to influence the day-to-day lives of constituents than I do. Your local council is responsible not only for waste collection and planning applications, but also for local education, social services, social housing, traffic management, environmental health and the provision of cultural services, amongst a whole host of other things.
Your local councillors represent the voice of your community when deciding how these services should be run. Councillors act as the link between the public and the council they are elected to serve. Despite this, many people don’t appreciate the enormous impact their local councillors can have on the quality of life in their community, and low voter turnout likely stems from a lack of awareness about the responsibilities of local government.
As with MPs, councillors are usually members of a political party, though some may choose not to belong to any party and are called independents. Redbridge is divided into 22 wards with three elected councillors for 19 wards (including Wanstead Village) and two councillors for three wards (including Wanstead Park), making 63 councillors in total.
Local councils across the country face significant financial pressures, limiting their ability to operate effectively. Outer London boroughs such as Redbridge have experienced pressures relating to population growth, housing patterns and demand for service. Despite these constraints, councils must continue to deliver vital public services, manage local infrastructure and continue to help shape and structure our communities.
No council is perfect, and that’s partly because far too many people disengage from local politics. If we want better local government policy, services and representation, we must take part in improving it. We can’t watch from the sidelines; we must use our vote. So, if you are not already on the electoral register, please register. The deadline to register for the May local elections is 11.59pm on 20 April, so don’t leave it until the last minute!
You can register to vote if you’re a British citizen or an Irish citizen. For more information, visit wnstd.com/register
