Labour Hold on to Deny Tories Control of Council
Win in Trinity ward by-election leaves borough with minority administration
Councillor Shirin Georgiani and Labour leader Simon Hogg
August 28, 2026
Wandsworth Council remains under no overall control, after Labour won a crucial by-election Thursday night (27 August). The Tories failed to secure former Labour councillor Lizzy Dobres’ seat, which would have given the group a two-seat majority to tip majority control of the council in their favour.
Labour councillor Shirin Georgiani won the seat in Wandsworth’s Trinity ward with 1,558 votes – 127 more than Conservative candidate Otto Jacobsson. The by-election was a five-way contest between Labour, the Conservatives, Lib Dems, the Green Party and Reform UK.
The result means the Conservatives continue to rule the authority as a minority administration with a confidence and supply arrangement with Independent councillor Malcolm Grimston. Councillor Grimston supports the Conservatives on key votes needed for the council to keep functioning, including the annual budget and votes of no confidence.
The Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) has contacted Councillor Georgiani for comment on her win.
The full local elections on 7 May saw Labour lose overall control of the borough, after taking over from the Conservatives for the first time in 44 years in 2022. The Conservatives won 29 seats – just one seat short of the 30 needed to win a majority – while Labour secured 28 seats.
The Trinity ward, which is represented by two councillors, saw its own shift in the local elections, as former Labour councillor Jack Mayorcas lost his seat to Conservative councillor Kirsten Botting by 64 votes. Ms Dobres held her own seat by 195 votes, but she quit in July to take up a new job that is “politically restricted”.
The makeup of the council remains the same after last night’s by-election, with 29 seats for the Conservatives and 28 seats for Labour with the remaining seat held by Independent Councillor Grimston. Trinity also continues to be represented by one Labour and one Conservative councillor.
Trinity by-election candidate results
- Shirin Georgiani, Labour – 1,558 votes
- Otto Jacobsson, Conservatives – 1,431 votes
- Sylvain Magne, Green Party – 168 votes
- Dylan Henderson, Lib Dems – 75 votes
- Josh Stanton, Reform UK – 51 votes
Local Labour politicians have welcomed Councillor Georgiani’s win.
Tooting MP Dr Rosena Allin-Khan said on X Wandsworth’s newest councillor “will be a dedicated local councillor who will stand up for the residents of Tooting Bec and Balham”.
Opposition leader Simon Hogg added that residents had “voted for a great local champion”.
Turnout for the vote was 39.5 per cent.
Charlotte Lilywhite - Local Democracy Reporter
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