Your ward, your vote: what the 7 May election means for East Village
On 7 May, East Village residents vote in the Newham local elections. Two seats are up for grabs on Newham Council, representing Stratford Olympic Park ward - the ward that covers East Village and the surrounding area.
Twelve candidates are standing. You have two votes. The top two candidates win.
What do ward councillors actually do?
They are your direct representatives on Newham London Borough Council. Day-to-day, that means taking up individual casework — housing complaints, noise, rubbish, anti-social behaviour — attending monthly ward surgeries, sitting on council committees, voting on the council budget and policy, and holding the council's executive to account in the chamber.
What they cannot do: councillors are not MPs. They have no power over national policy, and they cannot unilaterally change things run by other bodies.
What Newham Council controls that directly affects you
Rubbish collection and street cleaning, council tax, housing licensing, planning decisions, local parks and open spaces, council-run leisure facilities, libraries, and social care.
Planning decisions affecting East Village now go through Newham Council. The London Legacy Development Corporation, which previously handled planning for the Olympic Park area, transferred its powers to Newham on 1 December 2024 and was dissolved. The LLDC Local Plan still applies to the area until Newham's new Local Plan replaces it, but Newham is now the planning authority. Your ward councillors have full democratic oversight over planning matters here for the first time.
What's at stake in 2026
The two seats have been held by the Green Party since 2022, when Nate Higgins and Danny Keeling became the first Green councillors ever elected to Newham Council. Danny Keeling is not standing here this time - they are now running in the neighbouring Stratford ward. Nate Higgins is defending his seat alongside new Green candidate Joe Hudson-Small.
Labour are fielding two new candidates: Darren Mason and Rachael Osei-Temeng. They won 919 and 765 votes, respectively, under different names in 2022 and will want those seats back. Reform UK are on the ballot for the first time in this ward with two candidates. The Newham Independents Party, Lib Dems, and Conservatives are also fielding pairs.
With 12 candidates and 2 seats under first-past-the-post, the vote is likely to split significantly. In 2022, the Greens won with 1,394 and 1,186 votes. Labour came third and fourth. The margin matters.
How to vote
You need photo ID. Polls open 7am to 10pm on Thursday 7 May. To check your polling station, go to newham.gov.uk.
If you are not yet registered to vote, the deadline is midnight on Monday 20 April 2026.
More from E20
EVH Explains: The 2026 Local Elections
Newham Council elections are on 7 May. Here is what East Village residents need to know - your ward, the issues, and how to register before the 20 April deadline.
Who is standing in East Village on 7 May?
The official candidate list for Stratford Olympic Park ward has been published, confirming twelve people will stand for two seats on Newham Council at the local elections on 7 May 2026.