The remaining Brent Labour councillors are apparently as jitttery as teachers before an Ofsted inspection as they await a second visit in January from 'Tatler's Troops' (Campaign Improvement Board). Further turmoil is expected with some surprises possible.
An article on Labour Hub, explains the background. Thanks to Labour Hub for permission to reproduce the article. The original article is available here: Labour Hub.
“Nightmare for Keir Starmer as he’s hit by five Labour defections,” headlined the Daily Express. Five councillors in the London borough of Brent have defected from Labour to the Greens and Green Party leader Zack Polanski says his party is ready to “bury” Labour at next year’s local elections as he welcomed them.
Another Campaign Improvement Board disaster
Four of the five councillors were barred by Labour from running again in 2026 after the Party instituted a ‘Campaign Improvement Board’ to replace the local Party’s usual democratic selection process. Normally, Labour allows local branches to select its candidates, but this time the Board interviewed the would-be candidates and then either approved or barred them from standing. The process was rubber-stamped by Labour’s National executive Committee, with no right of appeal.
This controversial and undemocratic process has been used elsewhere, most notoriously in Leicester. A Campaign Improvement Board was set up there ahead of the 2023 city council elections, and local Party members were denied the opportunity to select their candidates. Nineteen sitting councillors were barred, including all the Hindu councillors, and a high proportion of BAME councillors. The demoralisation and disgust at these manoeuvres meant the Party lost 22 seats in the subsequent election. In the 2024 general election, Leicester East was the only Tory gain from Labour in the entire country and Leicester South was won by an Independent.
Notwithstanding the damage done, a similar process was imposed on Brent earlier this year. Eight sitting councillors were excluded. All of them had signed a statement calling for a ceasefire in Gaza in October 2023. All eight were from minoritised communities.
The flimsy justifications for the top- down process, such as alleged concerns over the previous selection process in 2022, look absurd, given that all steps in that process were fully coordinated with and signed off by regional Party officials. Instead, the entire exercise smacks of a factional strike against councillors who are out of step with the increasingly right wing politics of the Party’s national leadership.
Statements from those leaving
On Monday, four of the sitting councillors, along with one who was not barred by Labour from re-standing, announced they were leaving the Party to join the Greens. A statement from the group said: “Like thousands of others, we joined the Labour Party because we believed in building a fairer society. As councillors, we took that mission into Brent, determined to stand up for the people who placed their trust in us…
“We have now come to the realisation that we can no longer play that role effectively while remaining within the Labour Party. We always knew being a party of government would put the principles and values of the party to the test, but we have watched as on every issue this government goes further away from the founding Labour Party principles of democracy, social justice and equality…
“We did not enter public life to serve a party machine – we entered it to serve our residents and we will not abandon that duty. That is why we are today resigning our membership of the Labour Party, and joining the Green Party, becoming the first Green Group of Councillors in Brent…
“We invite all who share this vision to work with us in offering Brent a real alternative. Together, we can build a Brent that puts people before profit, public good before private greed and hope before fear.”
The councillors, including a former council Cabinet member and the Labour group’s former chief whip, accused Keir Starmer of a lack of ambition to deliver change, and criticised the government for “copying far-right policy and rhetoric on migration”, being “complicit” in the war in Gaza and for “silencing internal debate dissent”.
In a personal statement, Iman Ahmadi Moghaddam, who served as the Labour group’s chief whip until his defection, said: “I have given thousands of hours of my life to this party – knocking doors, delivering leaflets, recruiting members, volunteering at conference, facilitating meetings, giving presentations, and taking on countless other roles. I did this because I believed Labour, in government, could deliver meaningful change and move us towards a fairer society rooted in socialist values.
“I stayed even when I disagreed with decisions taken locally or nationally. I stayed while experiencing bullying, racism and Islamophobia that many long-standing members will recognise. I stayed because I believed that, ultimately, Labour’s success would be in the service of the people we exist to represent.
“But it has become impossible to ignore the reality that Labour has already left the principles that brought many of us into public life. Remaining a Labour member no longer feels like a route to change, and increasingly feels actively harmful.
“Under Keir Starmer, Labour has abandoned any serious ambition to transform society. It has embraced austerity during a cost-of-living crisis, sided with big developers and corporate interests, and hollowed out internal democracy so that dissent is punished and conscience is treated as a liability. The party is now dominated by a narrow, self-serving clique more concerned with control and careerism than with delivering real change.
“This is clearest on Gaza. What is taking place is a genocide, with British roots and ongoing British involvement through arms sales and the criminalisation of peaceful protest. Members and elected representatives who have spoken out (from a position of basic human decency) have been bullied, suspended or silenced. I include myself among them.
“At the same time, the leadership has chosen to pander to the far right by scapegoating migrants and stoking division to mask its own economic failures. This is not only a betrayal of Labour’s values; it actively legitimises forces that threaten our communities and our democracy.
“There remain many members, Councillors and MPs in Labour who are principled, well-intentioned and committed to socialist values. Many of you will read this. This statement is not written in anger towards you, but in sadness at what the party has become.”
Councillor Mary Mitchell said: “The Labour Party has left the values that I stand for, and what the Party historically has stood for and achieved.
“In copying far-right policy and rhetoric on migration, scrapping jury trials and the draconian policing of protest, we have seen the Labour Party move to the right.
“In downgrading investment in the energy transition and deepening fossil-fuel interests, the party has gone against manifesto promises on tackling climate change and nature depletion.
“The appalling complicity in Israel’s genocidal actions in Gaza and suspension from the party of those who call this out is a stain on Labour’s historic record of free speech and human rights advocacy.”
Cllr Harbi Farah, former Cabinet Leader for Safer Communities, said: “I am leaving the Labour Party because my values have not changed; the party has. I still believe in a society structured around solidarity and genuine systemic change. I am a socialist, and I seek a political home that unambiguously champions these ideals.”
All the defecting councillors criticised the restrictive internal culture of the Labour Party that had abandoned its former inclusivity and openness.
Consequences
A London Labour spokesperson responded to the defections, saying: “For the avoidance of doubt, all but one of the individuals unveiled were not selected to stand for the Labour Party at the next election, as they fell below the standards we require of those seeking to represent Labour. The Labour Party operates rigorous and transparent selection processes and maintains the highest standards for its candidates.”
Most local members would disagree. There was no transparent selection process for the 2026 local elections – it was replaced by a secretive, factional operation that carved out a number of excellent councillors, many of whom enjoyed wholehearted support from their local members.
Brent councillor Shama Tatler is widely thought to have had a hand in this undemocratic process, as she did in the Leicester carve-up. She has now been rewarded with a peerage, as one of the 25 Labour nominees to the House of Lords last week. The list was one of the most narrowly factional in many years – it includes Geeta Nargund, the mother of the failed Labour candidate who ran against Jeremy Corbyn in Islington North last year – she runs a private fertility clinic.
One of the ostensible justifications for imposing a Campaign Improvement Board on Brent Labour Party was the significant drop in Labour’s vote share and the problem of left-leaning voters migrating to the Greens or independents. The consequence of the whole shoddy process is that this trend is likely to accelerate.
Brent Labour has a massive majority in Brent, but the Party’s national unpopularity is unprecedented. Locally, the Greens and Lib Dems are campaigning hard and upsets are expected across the capital next year: Brent is not the only borough experiencing defections from Labour.
The upshot is that politics for the foreseeable future is likely to get unusually messy, with a number of credible parties fielding progressive candidates. October’s Caerphilly byelection showed that in the right circumstances, progressive voters can find a way to defeat both Reform and their imitators within Labour, in that case voting for Plaid Cymru. This historic loss for Labour, it should be remembered, was again the result of factional interference in the local selection process, where an experienced and popular local councillor was barred from running on spurious grounds.
It wouldn’t be surprising if the narrow faction currently in control of the Party sees the latest resignations as a positive, given their utter hatred of the left. If this proves to be a “nightmare” for Keir Starmer, it’s very much a self-inflicted one.
28 comments:
Interesting read. Not before time was there a shake up due in Labour Party representation in Brent. Like to think come election day, those pushing through monstrous high rise developments will be replaced by those with a different viewpoint and contacts address book.
Local representation for local people, full stop. Never mind Starmer, middle east, fuel, transforming society.
Perhaps massed chorus of residents outside civic centre singing
"All I wanna say is that
They don’t really care about us”
"Chief Whip" enforcing voting along leader dictated lines would, one can believe, be part of problems, but has switched over.
Just for the record Liberal Democrats have being challenging the Labour policy of building ever taller tower blocks without providing the much needed local infrastructure and disregarding the needs of existing local residents as very damaging for our area for years.
Local roads are constantly being dug up causing traffic chaos in the area almost every single day depriving local people of the ability to go about their everyday business. Most of the flats built are not intended for local people and do not help tackle the local shortage of affordable homes of the right size that Brent actually needs.
Sadly the recent defectors knew the damage the Labour policies were doing to Brent and should have listened to us and made a stand much earlier.
There are many people in Brent who now welcome the self destruction of the arrogant Labour Party in Brent whose divisions are being highlighted and whose support is in freefall.
The Massive Liberal Democrat victory in the Alperton election in January 2025 was no fluke. While the Liberal Democrat share of the vote climbed that of the Labour Party more than halved.
Mike Phipps is right to point out that the Liberal Democrats are campaigning hard and as recent history shows we have beat Labour in real elections/.
The remaining Labour Councillors intending to defend their seats have much to fear and may be looking for safer seats - if there are any left.
Come on - Iman was a loyal member of the Labour Group obeying orders and doing what Councillor Butt told him to do (even if he disagreed with the orders) until he was deselected as a Labour Candidate. He made a 'principled' stand once his deselection was confirmed.
What is wrong with that?
Iman actually, along with other councillors, some who haven't defected, were affecting changes in policy in Brent, even though the Towerblock mentality rowed against this. Unfortunately for Brent, the Towerblock mentality managed to get control of the selection process for Labour Councillors, bringing in a many new candidates who know nothing about the Labour Party, but will tow the line, probably to be important, or like others, to become Mayor of Brent. As for these new people, knowing nothing about the party and never having canvassed, means that they have absolutely no idea what the people of Brent want, need and think important. Voting for these people and the other wannabes will be a big mistake. If you have one of these virgin candidates, or aspiring Mayor of Brent standing in your ward, don't vote Labour.
Thought mayor was a largely ceremonial / honoury role?
Poor old Himmler, he was just following orders… whats wrong with that?
Neasden Goods Yard proposal sums up well where most of Brent land is sadly headed C21. Ironic that Brent residents vote for a social equitable Brent every 4 years, rather than tower no where's of 'the worse the better' anti-rights, welfare state infrastructure removal and denial imposed, Kingdom Come in a Right Regal style.
I don't hear Lib Dems or Greens articulate the alternative to Neasden Goods Yard/ Kilburn Wall on Brent land. In City of Westminster 3 storey new build housing is viable to build in 2025, yet cross the borough boundary into Brent and only 51m towers are viable, go figure.
Ditto public green spaces all strong plan protect, cross the borough boundary into Brent and public green spaces are brownfield land. Social care and no social just by crossing a borough boundary and guess which borough pays the higher council tax rate.
The Labour Tower Lords vote Labour May 2026 visual would be the packed-in careless tower housing only, Neasden Goods Yard.
Would not this visual be the same from LibDems, Cons, Reform and Greens, as regards their vision for Brent's future brutal (no to social, no to civil rights) exclusion-by- design hostile environments C21 being the only political direction of travel?
Easy to see why councillors can't/ won't represent residents anymore in so many zones of Brent.
Labour central office machinery that was responsible for selecting the Alperton by-election candidate, SPECIFICALLY EXCLUDED anyone who was prepared to address the consequences for residents, of poor local Labour decision-making in relation to the plethora of high-density, high-rises taking root.
Alperton is the third most deprived ward in Brent and it was patently evident that the selection panel was clueless about the demographic of this ward.
Neither were they enamoured of anyone prepared to tackle the local Labour leadership openly on controversial topics impacting residents.
People get the representation they deserve. It may well be time for voters to start throwing their weight behind independent candidates.
.
yup, but you get emperor's new clothes and a crown that slips around your neck
I wish people would check that what they wrote makes even a little sense
Dear 18 December 2025 at 17:00 The decision to select the Alperton Labour candidate and the new ones for May 26, with no experience of the Labour Party or its values (not that it currently has any recognisable ones) currently being lined up, were without doubt down to the YIMBY, Right-wing, recently to be ennobled, yes, the one and only Cllr Towerblock Tatler, you know, Morgan McSweeney's buddy. B~ent will no doubt plunge even further into poverty and inequality with this punch in power.
London elections in at least part of Brent had Conservative + Reform resoundingly out numbering labour, but labour being let in due to split vote.
Greens, Your Party, Libs splitting Labour vote enough a lesser or greater probability?
Not recent pattern we saw SDP tactical votes as "only ones that could win" letting in Glenda Jackson after recount.
Voted for HS2 when believe constituents were vehemently against it.
Try reading some developer speak then.
As said regarding Alperton above, local independents might be an idea or a Towers must be in High Quality Neighbourhoods Party perhaps? This, a new party that thinks BIG and applies in full conservation area assisted living principles, inclusion and delivery into the 8 Brent growth zones. Upscale assisted living (all the services and life support facilities that families need to thrive and succeed in life amongst the car-free towers), rather than continued off-setting of public good to sad old conservation area 'life rafts' Brent. Give social inclusion a chance.
It should be basic respect to Brent voters that the other main parties offer their vision for population growth zones Brent, as Labour so brutally does with Neasden Goods Yard.
Three Blind Mice (Brent Variation)
Three blind mice,
three blind mice,
See how they run the Party.
Up from the centre, clipboards tight,
Campaign Boards descend at night,
Cut out voices that won the fight,
See how they run the Party.
Three blind mice,
three blind mice,
Ears sealed shut to members’ pleas.
Local branches locked outside,
Selections staged, then certified,
Democracy waved aside,
As mice scurry past on knees.
Did you ever see such sight in your life
As councillors carved with a factional knife?
Eight stood firm, eight stood tall,
All said “ceasefire”, that was all,
All from communities marked too loud,
Too brown, too Muslim, too proud.
Three blind mice,
three blind mice,
Starmer sits and calls it “standards”.
“No appeal, transparent still,”
Says the NEC with practised will,
While Leicester bleeds from the same old drill,
And Brent repeats the answers.
Four go Green, one follows too,
Not out of whim, but conscience due.
“We didn’t come to serve the machine,
We came for people, streets, routine,
For housing, dignity, public good,”
Not peerages handed to those who should.
Three blind mice,
three blind mice,
Can’t see Gaza on the screen.
Hear protest labelled threat and crime,
Migration dog-whistles dressed as “fine”,
Far-right scripts recited line by line,
While silence passes for “pragmatism”.
One mouse says “austerity builds trust”,
Another says “developers we must”,
The third just counts the seats and nods,
Career paths paved, not moral odds.
They feast on control, they starve debate,
Then blame the left for the Party’s state.
Three blind mice,
three blind mice,
Tatler’s Troops return in Jan.
Jittery councillors wait their turn,
Wonder who’s next to be made to burn,
While Lords lists gleam and members learn
What “improvement” really means.
But mice forget, in boroughs wide,
That voters see, they’re not all blind.
Greens grow roots, independents rise,
Plaid showed once how Labour dies
When factions gut the local ties
And call the wreckage “discipline”.
So run, blind mice,
run, blind mice,
From the nightmare you designed.
If Starmer wakes in sweat and fear,
It’s not betrayal ringing clear,
But the sound of conscience, long ignored,
Knocking hard on a bolted door.
Thank you for sharing this poem with Wembley Matters readers.
Local politics should always be about local issues concerning local people where they live and how their hard earned councl tax is spent - not national or international issues!!!
@paullorber when you say "Most of the flats built are not intended for local people" where are you getting this information from? By 'most' you mean over 50%? By 'not intended for' how does the developer keep out local people? If someone isn't 'local' when the flats are created but then lives in one of them at what point do they become 'local'? Here's a fact, most (55%) of the Brent population were born outside the borough, including yourself, are you local yet? We need many more homes of all types, for all types. Stop 'challenging' development for your own short term political gain.
Anti-socialism growth
Check Green party website, left of socialism
Its often national and international issues being forced onto locals, so of course such locals will try to understand Brent inequalities within and without.
If thats the case, how are reform winning all over the place? Local elections is always a place to show disgust at national government
I don't think Reform will be "winning all over the place" in Brent. I certainly hope not!
Anonymous19 December 2025 at 22:38 says "Local elections is always a place to show disgust at national government" but that's exactly how we end up with badly run local councils like our current Labour majority run Brent Council.
People who were fedup with the Tories in government for years voted Labour here in the local elections but voting Labour here in the local election didn't get rid of the Tories in government - that only happens in national elections - instead it gave Labour here the power to ignore residents concerns over so many issues such as building huge tower blocks everywhere, increasing stadium events, changing scrutiny on council decisions and generally letting standards in Brent fall as they continually blamed Tory government cuts rather than better manage what the highly paid Brent Council Executives and Officers could do as a council.
In local government you need a balanced council formed from various parties so that no one party makes all the decisions without proper scrutiny.
So vote for those you know locally who already do the hard work and who will make a difference to where you live and where you bring your family up.
Local issues not national issues.
Not sure it’s much of a nightmare if 4 of the 5 weren’t going to be restanding in 4 months anyway; what real difference is it going to make between now and then
They were ejected because they didn't agree with the right wing Labour government, and especially, Towerblock Tatler
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