Independents did comparatively well in the 2024 General Election, often as a result of publlic revulsion againt Labour's support for Israel's actions in Gaza. Could that be followed through in the May 2026 Council election in Brent?
Azif Zamir and James Rossi last week launched their campaign as Independents for Stonebridge with a challenge to Labour: 'Vote for Your Neighbour, Don't Vote Labour'. The campaign is based in the St Raph's Estate where Asif Zamir is a community activist. However, another estate, Stonebridge, on the other side of the North Circulart, is also part of the ward and has seen the controversy around the future of the Bridge Park Complex. Can the pair build support there, too?
There have been Independent candidates in Brent in the past, some with a particular campaign theme such as support for motorists, others with a more personal following. None have succeeded in breaking through the three party monopoly.
But the times are different, the Labour Party has never been so unpopular nationally and its local candidates were chosen by outsiders, depressing the rank and file. Brent Tories are engaged in open internal warfare and the Green Party with burgeoning numbers is preparing for its most serious campaign yet in Brent. Reform has been lurking in the shadows of our tube stations and Your Party is trying to get organised. Lib Dems have adopted a 'steady as it goes' approach concentrating on failing local services.
There have been Independents sitting on the Council previously, but these have always been as a result of suspension or expulsion from their party. John Duffy, acted as an Independent, even when a Labour councillor! However, recently, in several parts of the country, councillors have resigned from Labour to form their own Independent Group while others have crossed the floor to the Greens.
Elsewhere Residents' Associations have stood candidates but this is unusual in London, although with matters so fluid it is a possibility - the council is not popular with many such bodies.
In Brent it is likely that parties to the left of Labour (everyone but Conservatives and Reform) will be speaking to each other so as not to split the vote against Labour and unwittingly allow Reform in.
There is much to play for and interesting times ahead.
36 comments:
Never heard of them
Why are the other parties hiding their list of candidates?
I believe an independents organisation including independent councillors is a good solution for the members and councillors who are against Starmer’s leadership.
In local elections you should be voting on local issues not national or international issues.
Ask yourself who will run your borough properly?
Music to my ears, I am looking forward to this. I will vote independent for sure. I am so impressed with Asif Zamir's work rate - the work he has put into st raphs is commendable.
Google him - asif zamir, st raphs
Plus check their website
Well done - boot out labour
👏
Starmer's sinking ship, ably assisted by Brent Labour
Local independents standing against Labour in Stonebridge Ward at the 2026 local elections is an interesting development, and I wish them well.
Labour has controlled Brent Council since 2010, with Muhammad Butt as Leader for the past thirteen and a half years. Despite the positive publicity which the Council tries to spread on his behalf (he is the Cabinet Lead Member for Communications!), there have been many bad decisions and costly (to Council Tax payers) mistakes under his leadership. As a politically independent observer, I believe it is time for a change.
Despite the current national unpopularity of the Labour government, taking control from Labour in Brent will not be easy. They have a big "war chest" to spend on campaigning ahead of the May 2026 elections (under Butt's leadership, the basic annual allowance for councillors has risen from £4k in 2014 to nearly £13k now, and Labour members have to pay ten percent of their allowance into local party funds).
Opposition candidates will need to be out in the community and active, inspiring people with their vision for a better future for Brent. Among the roughly one third of local voters who actually bother to vote ('what's the point, it won't change anything ' is a common view), there will be some who will always vote Labour, because traditionally it is seen as the party of working people. Other parties, and independents, need to galvanize the residents who would not usually bother to vote, and convince them of the importance of using their vote in May 2026, so that they and their neighbours can bring about something better for our local community.
It won't be easy, but that does not mean they should not try. I think that some cooperation between Parties like the Lib Dems and the Green's (perhaps also with Your Party, if it materialises, and independents) may help - perhaps only putting up one candidate each, or not fielding any candidates in Wards where the other is clearly the party most likely to defeat Labour.
That's my view. What is yours? Whatever you think, please use your votes next May for the candidates you believe will work hard for you as local councillors, and for a better Brent!
He seems like a good bloke, don’t know him Personally but seen him quite a few times on the estate doing work with the community
They haven't selected yet
Can't make my mind up
Quite a popular idea
Phillip Grant - absolutely hit the nail on the head! Well done! Agree, dont think it will be easy however we must get behind all credible candidates, may they be independent, lib, green, your - but they should not be 2 or more options from this list. I love that these independent candidates have announced really early and have checked out their profiles and website, as well as their materials. They appear as exemplary candidates, really impressive - im feeling energised -that these are the first announcements and more in other wards will follow. I do pray the public back these candidates. But I guess it is all up to us to inform people too.
Agree
Selections will be next year I think
Brent Labour is an embarrassment, i hope these guys win and others in the other wards and end the Labour reign
Clearly not labour 🙄
Even labour cllrs you’ve heard of do absolutely nothing. They need a kick up the bum
If we were voting just on local politics, Brent is consistently the worst performing borough in a range of areas. So even if we pretended Sir Sadiq Khan wasn’t useless and Sor Keir Starmer wasn’t useless, labour would be even less likely to get elected locally on their own merits
Vote in the local elections for the candidates who are active and get things done - don't vote based on political party - we have 3 Labour Councillors in our ward who are invisible - it's the Lib Dem campaigners who are making a difference locally and they will surely get the votes of local people.
Labour unpopularity is at record high. In 2006 Labour lost control because Brent was dirty and local services were failing - sounds familiar? In the 2006 election the Lib Dems started with 9 Councillors and ended up with 27 and the Greens ZERO! Real local by elections across the country show the Lib Dems making gains from Labour and the Tories - and even Reform. So forget theoretical opinion polls - if you want to end the Labour chaos in Brent look at the facts and the record of who has and is actually beating Labour in real elections.
But please remember the local elections are about local issues not national or international issues!
The harsh total exclusion of the tenants living in the 8 Brent growth zones managed as colonies by their lords/ meanwhile brownfield lands held hostage in states of permanent development.
I don't think Labour thought the outcome of this total exclusion and councillor non engagement through properly.
I agree, vote your neighbour not labour is a great slogan and i hope it goes far in reaching the masses in Brent who blindly vote Labour in local elections. I would urge all to look at the Labour Government currently in power and look at the chaos being created by these MP's who are not qualified to do the job's they have been given, let alone the ones that clearly think the rules do not apply to them which then trickle down to local politics Brent labour is useless and we need to ensure we have a change come the next local elections as Brent is already at the bottom of the list, the only way is up, vote for any candidate that is not labour.
Brent prisoners of tenanted towers planning zones are not being politically represented. Aristocratic anti-democratic is the Brexit dividend.
Yes didn't Starmer keep saying he would hit the ground running to sort out issues but now, over a year in, he keeps blaming the Tories!
Never in the history of elections has a national government and its decisions not affected a local vote. Sometimes leaders nationally even resign due to poor local election performance. So if starmer is still there and we want him gone, labour must lose Brent
Totally agree. We need to support these guys and get as many labour councillors out. We only have ourselves to blame if we dont take this chance
Exciting times ahead
Vote for your neighbour dont vote labour - love it
Depends which zone you live in. Being lorded over zones of permanent development will always be lorded over zones of permanent development. I think the conserved and cared about zones are also fixed regardless of what colour badge or no badge the politician is this week.
Labour Mayor Of London wasted money of pointless projects like the £6.5 million spent on renaming the London Overground lines and now looks it looks like he's going to have to make staff redundant ... https://www.standard.co.uk/news/london/sadiq-khan-gla-job-cuts-city-hall-accounts-ps19m-mayor-b1257516.html
Londoners deserve better services not vanity projects.
Because people don't vote on local issues it means we've been stuck with this Labour majority which has ruined Brent!
Starmer and Co certainly hit the ground running, fell over each other and hit their head and forgot what they were going to do, but then, they didn't know in the first place.
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