Saturday 14 May 2016

Butt narrowly retains Brent Labour Group leadership - Margaret McLennan will be his deputy - cabinet details

Despite the furore over the alleged concealment of the  death of Tayo Oladapo and the row over the  double Planning Committee to approve Quintain's Wembley development  Muhammed Butt retained the Labour Group leadership at today's AGM by just four votes.

Margaret McLennan, having stood on a platform that the role is 'non-political', was elected Butt's deputy following a re-ballot when the initial vote was a tie with Michael Pavey.

Their names now go forward as nominations to the Full Council meeting on Wednesday.

One councillor commented that there were now two factions in the Labour Group with no middle ground between them adding that strong whipping was evident.

Michael Pavey, (Barnhill ward)  who had challenged Butt, survived as a Cabinet member and others elected to Cabinet were Roxanne Mashari (Welsh Harp), Harbi Farah (Welsh Harp) Krupesh Hirani (Dudden Hill), Wilhelmina Mitchell Murray (Wembley Central) and Eleanor Southwood (Queens Park).

This means that Ruth Moher and James Denselow leave the Cabinet.

Roles will be allocated later.

Other key posts will be Chairs of the two Scrutiny Committees and Chair of Planning Committee.

Although Cllr Butt won the election, albeit by a narrow margin, he may not be out of the woods yet as there is likely to be an internal Labour Party inquiry over the Tayo Oladapo allegations and a possible reference to the Brent Council Standards Committee.

25 comments:

Anonymous said...

What a joke and what a bad day for Brent residents,
My thoughts are with Michael Pavey..
Such a shame

Anonymous said...

D'you think that if Butt eviscerated a puppy live on The One Show 50% of the Labour group on the council would see this as a plot by other councillors to damage his reputation and therefore a good reason to close ranks around him?
Or aren't they that bright?

Anonymous said...

Looks like the residents of Brent won't stand a hope of getting their voices heard with Councillors Butt and McLennan forming a double act. Expect to see the whole of Wembley one huge housing development. Awful. Let's just hope that the Councillors who voted against them keep fighting and opposing.

Anonymous said...

For the planning committee to have any credibility it will need to have Sarah Marquis back as chair and good strong members on it who are prepared to grill the applicants.

Anonymous said...

I'm not a religious person but I dont know what to say other than God help us

Anonymous said...

What a disaster for Brent residents. Councillor Quintain-Butt retained as leader and a deputy who puts herself before the interests and views of her constituents. Brent will soon be a main challenger to North Korea in the league of lunatic dictatorships.

Anonymous said...

I wholeheartedly agree. Brent residents need Sarah Marquis back as Chair of Planning Committee and not one of Councillor Butt's chums. She has honesty and integrity and respects the views and concerns of residents.

Anonymous said...

What an awful result for Brent ! These two have the thickest skins to think that they have the mandate of Brent residents to act as Leader and Deputy when they are loathed for their awful mismanagement of the Borough

G.Lee said...

We're moving

Alison Hopkins said...

She does indeed. The problem is that the remainder of the committee are Butt's muppets.

Anonymous said...

What post could Wilhelmina Mitchell Murray possibly hold? - Good God ALmighty

Anonymous said...

Well done Cllr Butt on your Victory. Keep up the good work.

Anonymous said...

Margaret McLennan, having stood on a platform that the role is 'non-political'

^ what does that mean in practice?

Anonymous said...

We're doomed.
I feel like creating a protest outside the civic centre!!
I know I could have an army of brent residents and a school full of children on my side in support for Michael Pavey

Anonymous said...

We can only have concerns for the future.

Anonymous said...

Butt should have been suspended like Livingstone, Pavey should have seen to that.

Anonymous said...

If that's good work then I hate to see what is bad !!

Anonymous said...

Terrible thing dementia ....

Anonymous said...

'I'm a simple soul and I promise to be a malleable cipher'.

Anonymous said...

Brent had a lucky escape. Pavey has been in charge of the finances and is responsible for the cuts many have campaigned against. Cllr Duffy himself in his open letter in Feb 2016 pointed the finger strongly at Pavey and reading some of the things here about Pavey's views on austerity match.

Butt may not be everyone's cup of tea, but he is not nasty. Pavey and his camp have launched a seriously disgraceful campaign against Butt and decency prevailed.

Anonymous said...

Pavey had rightly lost his spot as deputy on the council too - justice can be so sweet!

Serves you right Pavey, if you challenged Butt on his political decisions and not this personal campaign, you may have got somewhere!

Anonymous said...

Good work?? Please back up your statement...

Anonymous said...

Hardly justice...
We needed justice for the people of Brent!
And we were so close to having that.
Unfortunately now with Pavey out of leadership.. WE'RE F***ED!!!

Anonymous said...

Wembley should be renamed "Butt-Quintain"

Anonymous said...

Are you serious!!! This must be Butt himself