They are the principal authorities in Greater London and have responsibilities including education, housing, planning, highways, social services, libraries, recreation, waste, environmental health and revenue collection.

Some of the powers are shared with the Greater London Authority, which also manages passenger transport, police and fire.

The only councillor elected as an independent, Michael Deon-Burton for South Hornchurch, joined the Conservative group later in May 2021 and was named as deputy mayor of the council.

[7] A by-election was held to fill his seat in May 2019, which was won by the residents' association candidate Linda van den Hende.

[10] A three-member panel including two Conservative councillors and the independent councillor Linda Van der Hende was convened to decide whether to investigate the Conservative group leader, Damian White, over claims he had tried to gerrymander election boundaries for political gain.

[12] Keith Prince, the member of the London Assembly for the area, announced he was standing as a Conservative candidate in the council election.

[13] Carol Perry announced she would stand for the Havering Residents Association in the same ward as the Conservative group leader who her husband Bob Perry had recorded saying that the council chief executive had let him affect the council's submission for new election boundaires so they would be "really politically advantageous".

All registered electors (British, Irish, Commonwealth and European Union citizens) living in London aged 18 or over were entitled to vote in the election.