Swiss Cottage was a ward in the London Borough of Camden, in the United Kingdom.

Under its previous form, Swiss Cottage covered just South Hampstead, while the former Adelaide ward covered the parts of the ward the east of Finchley Road (including Ye Olde Swiss Cottage itself).

[5][6] Notable former councillors include Andrew Marshall (former Leader of the Conservative Group on Camden Council), Gloria Lazenby (former Labour Mayor of Camden), Tony Kerpel (political adviser who served as the personal assistant to Prime Minister Edward Heath),[7][8][9] and former Labour cabinet minister Tessa Jowell.

In 2002, Swiss Cottage elected Camden's first Jamaican councillor, Don Williams.

The by-election was called following the resignation of Derek Spencer on his election as MP for Leicester South.