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Standing as a councillor in Camden

All councillor seats for the London Borough of Camden are due for election in May 2026.

Who can stand as a councillor

To be able to stand as a candidate in the local elections you must: 

  • Be at least 18 years old
  • Be a British citizen, an eligible Commonwealth citizen, a citizen of the Republic of Ireland, a qualifying EU citizen or an EU citizen with retained rights.

And, meet at least one of the following qualifications:

  • You are, and will continue to be, registered as a local government elector in Camden from the day of your nomination onwards
  • You have occupied as owner or tenant any land or other premises in Camden during the whole of the 12 months before the day of your nomination and the day of election
  • Your main or only place of work during the 12 months prior to the day of your nomination and the day of the election has been in Camden
  • You have lived in Camden during the whole of the 12 months before the day of your nomination and the day of election

Who cannot be a councillor

Some people cannot be a councillor because they are disqualified. The full range of disqualifications is complex. Please check the Electoral Commission's website for more information. 

Following the introduction of the Election Act 2022, the qualification for EU Citizens standing in Local Government Elections has changed.  Further information on qualification can be found on the Electoral Commissions website.

You cannot be a candidate if at the time of your nomination and on polling day you are employed by the local authority or hold a paid office under the authority (including joint boards or committees) which may include if, for example, you work at certain schools, fire services, police or health services. 

Standing for a political parties or standing as an independent

In order to represent a political party at an election you must contact the relevant party’s local office. It is ultimately up to the party to select you as a candidate to stand in the election and you will not be able to stand for a registered political party unless you have their authority to do so.

You don’t have to stand for a political party and can stand to be an independent councillor. 

Nomination process

To stand as a candidate you will need to complete a nomination form, copies can be found on the Electoral Commissions website. These need to be submitted by 4pm on 9 April 2026 and will only be valid if accepted by the Returning Officer.

We recommend that you arrange for a pre-check appointment before the deadline which will give us an opportunity to check the contents of the nomination form and have time for you to correct any mistakes on the form before the deadline.

You will need to have a proposer and seconder to support your nomination form, from the area that you are standing.  The relevant polling districts for each ward are listed here.

Briefings and inductions

We're a unitary council which oversees the provision of local services across the London Borough of Camden. 

We will hold a candidate and agent briefing at 6pm on Monday 9 March 2026. Please email us at electoral.services@camden.gov.uk so we can send you further information. 

We run an extensive training programme for newly elected and returning councillors which you will need to attend before you can sit on certain committees, details of these will be sent following the close of nominations.