Labour has lost control of Brent Council though still the biggest group on the council. They now have 23 seats fewer compared wit 2022 (26/49). They lost to Conservatives, Liberal Democrats and Greens. Greens were elected for the first time and gained 9 councillors. Conservatives and Liberal Democrats both increased their number of councillors.
Notable Labour losses were Deputy Leader Mili Patelt, unseated by Green Amandine Alexandre in Harlesden and Kensal Green, Cllr Krupa Sheth (Cabinet member for Environment) in Tokyngton, Cllr Neal Nerva (Cabinet member for Adult Social Care) in Queens Park, Cllr Rita Conneely (Chair of Scrutiny, Resources and Public Realm) in Kilburn and Cllr. Ketan Sheth (Chair of Scrutiny, Community and Wellbeing) in Wembley Central.
Greens took all 3 seats in from Labour in Kilburn and Lib Dems from Labour in in Queen's Park. Greens won both Northwick Park seats with veteran ex-Labour councillor and cabinet member, Keith Perrin, one of the victors. Reform and independents won no seats, though the latter achieved some substantial votes.
Only two of the five Labour councillors who defected to the Greens won their seats although the results were close apart from a large personal vote for current Mayour Ryan Hack in Brondesbury Park.
75 comments:
Martin, you omitted Deputy Leader Mili Patel missing out in Harlesden to Amandine Alexandre (Green).
Brilliant. I had a feeling Labour may lose control of the council but wasn't too sure. Glad to see a large increase in Green and Lib Dem representation on the council, and perhaps a lot more consensus building over the next term.
I do wonder if Muhammed Butt will still be the Leader of the Labour group in a week's time, mind.
This is a wonderful day for the residents of Brent. After several years of Labour failures, residents drew a line and said they won’t have wool pulled over their eyes.
As a reminder,
X - Failed blue bag paper policy, half the time the waste is dumped back into the plastic bin during waste collections
X - Poor highways management, ‘medium’ priority defects not repaired and other defects only selected for “possible” repair and no accountability of highways what so ever
X - Zero Management of Event Days, caused Mayhem in Zone Ex during the Euros where Brent Council played its part in mismanaging Olympic Way causing Brent to become a worldwide laughing stock as crowds got drunk and gathered outside
X - Little affordable housing, approving tower block after block without investment in resources or infrastructure, and spending millions to repair housing that they had purchased (more than it cost to buy the flats) and approving dozens of student accommodation rooms/schemes
X - Closing libraries over their tenture as well as youth facilities
X - Not maintaining our high streets and trying to stop gambling shops a few months before elections, and giving them a ‘Spring clean’ just before the election.
Enough is enough, and the residents have had their say. This is now a new chapter for Brent Borough Council, a new chapter that will be welcomed by hundreds of thousands of residents. Goodnight.
Congratulations to the green party on their historical wins in Brent. Will Labour tap up it’s old councillors who are now Greens? If so, what is it Greens most want in a coalition deal? Apart from Cllr Butt’s head.
Locals can be proud to live in an area with absolutely no Reform representation.
Look forward to the footage of The Fall and Rise of Cllr Keith Perrin
The Labour party now holds 22 seats, down by 21, falling well short of the 29 needed for a majority.
The Liberal Democrats have made significant gains to reach 11 seats, while both the Conservatives and the Green Party have nine seats each.
Labour Councillors who sat back and took their alowances whilst not responding to residents nor attending important local community meetings have been ousted - they will blame Starmer but they only have themselves to blame!
It is a shame Ahmed Squared didn’t manage to push Matt Feltcher our to join Green’s Amandine Alexandre in Harlesden and Kensal Green. Well done to Double AA, a right battery. 🔋
I'm pleased to see a much more balanced Council, with the chance for different views to be heard, and hopefully taken into account when decisions are made.
Although Labour are still the largest Group, Muhammed Butt must stand down as Leader, or be voted out if he tries to hold onto power. What Brent needs is a Leader who will work collaboratively with the other Parties (not just try to form a coalition with just one "junior" partner) in the best interests of all Brent residents.
I realise that won't be easy, and would require goodwill across all Parties, and good faith from the new Leader. It might help the transition if Ryan Hack would be willing to serve another term as Mayor.
What do others think would be the best way forward?
Hope Not, He' s been in tenure too long. And doesn't care for Tokyngton. His main concern is Self- promotion.
how did liz dixon, parvez ahmed, and the other one remain in dollis hill when they do absolutely nothing ! so glad to see the shift !
Agree, Great that Labour has lost its stranglehold on Brent. Thre should be a limit on tenure for the Council Leader. People have lost pride in their area. Wembley Central and Tokyngton are Dirty. ' Brent Matters ' is a waste of Council tax money. Totally self promoting for Butt. With no forum for residents discussion, questions or dissent. Great that there is some change - But not enough.
I am pleased with the result. I hope they can all take a more pragmatic approach and all Councillors from all parties work together to improve the lives of residents, that all the committees and cabinet will have a fair proportion of members from all parties, put their ego's aside and truly make a difference to how this borough operates it's services.
I agree with Anonymous (8 May at 21:38). There is no place for Reform UK in our wonderfully diverse borough.
I hope that the relatively small number of Brent residents who thought that jumping on Farage's billionaire-backed bandwagon would be a pathway to power will think again, and support one of the other Parties in future.
As the Councils which Reform took control of in 2025 have shown, Nigel's nasty national agenda does not lead to good local government. That message did not get through to the voters in the further Councils which Reform have gained this time, but I hope that people across the country will realise that by the time of the next elections.
Momentus!
Don’t think they delivered a leaflet.
Hooray, Tokyngton has lost it's Environment leader and local councillor Krupa Sheth. Tokyngton and Wembley Central became Dirtier under her watch. Especially the Neeld Parade / Oakington Manor Drive area. Hopefully we will get a Councillor who will take residents concerns seriously and act to help us.
Seeing Queen's Park and Kilburn flip to LibDem and Green respectively deserves a little analysis.
Greens will mostly vote with Labour.
I am glad Labour is minority now, Hope things will improve in brent, we need a new leader who can take us forward and make brent best of all.
Perhaps rather than Mayor, maybe Ryan Hack would be a good Leader to replace Butt to be honest. Seems well liked across the parties and we’ll need someone who can command respect.
It’s obvious Butt will have to go, but many of the ‘obvious’ successors lost their seats.
Agree ,Labour has had a stronglehold on Brent too long. There should be a limit on tenure on the Council Leader. He has not listened to his Tokyngton constituents. The magazine ' Brent Matters 'is a waste of Council tax Payers money. It is glorified self promotion. With no forum for debate, dissent or residents questions.Why didn't we get Butt Out ?
Now Greens have some power, perhaps common sense, social justice and action for the public good will happen..
Previously, report a nuisance and a letter advising about the law would be sent.
Once people knew council were aware, generally would comply.
Now, 3 or 4 breaches in a month for a case to be opened.
Residents have to suffer nuisance for example every other weekend and nothing is done where a letter might bring peace?
Some roads stink in cold weather from wood burning.
Well documented harm from leisure activity of wealthy people poisoning the whole community.
Nationally equivalent on some pollutants to all vehicles.
Councils have the power to ban wood burning.
Tackling both nuisances and wood burning will have a huge impact on quality of life for residents. Just need political will.
Who do we think Labour will miss the most and who are the biggest names gone?
Martin,Are you censoring replies undemocratically ?.
It’s disappointing to see the Green Party will face struggles and challenges; these are my concerns.
SCRUTINISING MO BUTT' S DEVELOPMENT DECISIONS, FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT & SENIOR OFFICER APPOINTMENTS
Now that Labour lost control , among grounds common to rolling back Butt s frontiers could be a rigorous immediate moratorium & freeze on, and then audit on development decisions made by Butt s cabinet, budget allocations made, drivers for key senior officer appointments and how those posts were established .
Less important is whether Butt s Head rolls, wriggles or quake. Opening up those key decisions by, for example an audit by a relevant, respectable body should go beyond head rolls.
Might persuasion (incentive ??) work to trigger one detection from Labour?
Can we have a feature on the green councillors and how to follow them on social media. Hackney Greens have a good manifesto what is brents?
Coalition with Greens. They have a focus on the environment, which others don’t.
Will the Brent Council photographer get redundancy pay coz photoshoot favourite Krupa Sheth has been voted out?
Are there any other videos of declarations available? Always enjoy watching them.
Whilst Ryan did a good job as Mayor, it is just a ceremonial role. Let others be given a chance!
If one defects does that make lib dems and greens a majority?
Would be nice to see the turnout and votes cast so we can see how close it was
Paul Lorber was a good leader of Brent when Lib Dems had control and would certainly be a good choice going forward, Keith Perrin would also put it in good hands, this will be an interesting meeting on the 20th May.
Brent woke up with quite the fright:
Labour got mugged on counting night.
Not wiped out — no, not quite dead ☠️
Just twenty-three seats short instead.
From forty-nine they dropped to twenty-six,
A masterclass in centrist tricks.
For years they ruled with careful grins,
Photo ops and recycling bins,
Consultants talking “shared ambition”
While rents performed a space mission.
Luxury flats shot through the sky,
Workers asked politely: “Why?”
Then came the count. The knives came out.
The borough finally gave a shout.
Not for Reform’s bitter bile,
Nor independents’ local style
But Greens and Lib Dems, votes cast,
As in Manchester & Gorton,
Green as vessels for the working class.
In Harlesden and Kensal Green,
The changing guard was plainly seen.
Deputy Leader Mili Patel
spamming nextdoor app didn’t sell
When people’s wages disappear
And every landlord’s drinking cheer.
Green Amandine Alexandre came
And lit the count room up with flame.
One side spoke in managed lines,
The other talked about real lives.
In Tokyngton the voters said
Krupa Sheth could pack instead.
“Environment” looked rather thin
When mould and rents are closing in.
No number of trees ceremonially planted
Could hide what Brent’s elites had granted.
Neal Nerva lost in Queen’s Park too,
Where Labour learned the old taboo:
If you’re racist to Cllr Fiona’s face,
It’s you who’ll eventually leave the place.
Then Kilburn swung with glorious spite
Three Greens marching in one night.
Rita Conneely shown the door,
Scrutiny chair no more, no more. 🪑
And Wembley Central joined the queue
As Ketan Sheth got launched there too.
Meanwhile Keith Perrin — veteran hand,
Once of Labour’s ruling band
Came back wearing Green instead,
Like Marx returning from the dead
To say, with barely hidden smirk:
“You lot forgot who does the work.”
The Lib Dems gained. The Tories too.
That’s what happens when the blue
And red start sounding much the same,
Differing mainly font and name.
And though Reform won not a seat,
Their noise still haunted every street.
Because when parties fail to fight,
The rats all crawl toward the light.
So here’s to Brent’s new fractured map:
No more comfortable machine-room clap.
No more cabinet men explaining
Why austerity is “community sustaining.”
The borough finally changed the script
And gave Labour grandees whiplash fits.
The message rang from street to street:
We are tired of managed defeat.
You cannot ‘brand’ your way through pain
While pretending nothing must change.
And somewhere in the civic hall,
Among the stunned and shell-shocked pall,
A Labour aide still softly said:
“At least the lanyards stayed red.”
You missed Teo Benea (Lead Member for Regeneration) who lost to the Lib Dems in Sudbury. Does that make it 4 Cabinet Members dumped by the Brent electorate?
OMG I SO AGREE WITH THIS. ever since they introduced paid garden waste collections people just burn stuff and it’s really bad
Was told that Brent Matters is advertising funded, so no cost to council
Rita Conneely was quietly effective as Scrutiny chair (albeit within the limits of the role). She was an effective caseworker too and didn’t get involved in pettiness so kept a relatively low profile. She’ll certainly be missed in Kilburn.
Get rid of the mayoral role and save money
Funny, and so true, Had to laugh.
Had the reform voters Tokyngton voted Conservative , Butt would have been Gone.
To unite in putting the interest of residents First. To give residents pride in where they live. To cut out the dirt and rubbish on our streets. To put a stop to petty party self promotion. Work together for the best for Brent.
putting a freeze on could see Brent miss housing targets and doing so could see Brent lose planning control - which would be worse in the long run
Can anyone tell me who to approach to get rid of the 3 tawdry Krupa crates on Wembley Triangle. We used to have real trees there and they still are viable. Little children can't see anything green . It looks awful, not inspiring pride. Please can the Green party or new Councillors help. Who can help?
It was a shame not to see Alison Hopkins re-elected there
Will the leader cabinet model now change
Labour who are you?
This shows the full election results in Brent by ward...
https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/uk-news/brent-local-election-results-2026-33861819
And the costly Brent Magazine which was only ever Labour propaganda!!!
Sadly the Labour Government no longer allows return to a democratic Committee system where all Parties are represented and proper debate can take place.
How does Manchester have this but it is not on the brent council site
A good question. The data was all there but presumably council worker overtime was not approved to transfer it to the website.
They always had enough time to upload photos of Butt & Sheth :(
From Cllr Matt Kelcher:
🌹🌹A huge thank you to people across #Harlesden and #KensalGreen who elected Cllr Matt Kelcher and Cllr Tina Amadi to represent our area as your Labour Councillors.
We are devastated that our colleague Mili Patel did not make it, losing by just 150 votes.
Mili is a working-class girl who was born and raised in Harlesden and Kensal Green. As a councillor she made a huge positive impact in our community and wider borough. She led the campaign to save the Roundwood Youth Centre when it was threatened with closure and as Deputy Leader ensured it received new funding and support. When she was Cabinet member, Brent’s Children and Young People’s Department achieved the best results in the borough’s history – with the inspector’s report particularly commending political leadership in delivering these outcomes. As Deputy Leader of the Council she oversaw major investment into our community include our brand new £6m community centre at the old Picture Palace.
We will continue to be your champions and fight for what matters – cleaner air, better public spaces and real investment in the community. In addition, whilst the Greens are soft on crime and want to legalise all drugs including heroin and GHB, we will continue to work with the police to get more resources include CCTV into our community to deliver safer streets. 🚔
📩 If you need our help, just email cllr.matt.kelcher@brent.gov.uk or cllr.tina.amadi@brent.gov.uk.
Yes, I would like that.
Dear Aninymous, Thank you for your lovely verse about my smashing husband, Keith. After nearly (cripes) 43 years of my getting to know his many qualities, and driving each other mutually mad, I am delighted to find someone getting my lovely lad bang to rights, and writing about him in such an esteemed blog. And WHAT a poet of our Borough you are! Looking forward to.more from The Bard of Brent .
In fact, I hope you are even now sharpening your quill thinking about this rumour that Brent Labour will save some or all of its collective skins by doing a deal with the Tories. I would have said "Surely not! " then "You could not make it up.." But, no, thinking about it, an obvious solution from some perspectives. But, IF it comes to pass, what a message to send to the Ward residents of those Labour & Tory Councillors. The end of two party politics? I certainly hope so...if that speculation proves right.. Gaynor Lloyd
Learn to read Cllr. Kelcher, or even listen to the truth, for instance, your comment "Greens are soft on crime and want to legalise all drugs including heroin and GHB" has no truth to it. A bit like your none declarations on planning. As Butt said on Friday, the wrong councillor lost.
As Deputy Leader of the Council Mili Patel was on Barham Park Trust Committee which oversaw the removal of the restrictive convenant on the site of the two ex park keepers which sit within Barham Park (an area of SSSI vital for nature) which will allow a local developer to build on this site after her hubby Cllr Matt Kelcher as Chair of the Brent Planning Committe oversaw the planning approval - all despite hundreds of objections from local residents and local councillors.
Also on Barham Park Trust at this time was Cllr Mo Butt Leader of the Council and now ex Cllr Krupa Sheth who was supposed to be Lead for the Environment!
Also on Brent Planning Committe at this time was Cllr Saqib Butt and now ex Cllr Akram - Leader of the Council's brother and brother in law.
Councillors with family connections like this should NOT be allowed to sit on all these commitees that help influence various connected decisions.
Georgia Gould, 'I won't do a walkabout' of South Kilburn should have woken up now. The entire southern borderlands of Brent want seamless links into good growth (human life supportive growth) happening south along the entire Brent borough boundary. Labour blockers and excluders like Kelcher/ Butt are on the backfoot now too.
Kilburn Greens need to move very carefully in Brent Kilburn, ONE KILBURN. Brent Kilburn's only park is South Kilburn Public Open Space 2ha. That is the actual Brent Kilburn green gem to be Local Green Space designated, expanded and major green invested in in 2026 (there is a 2024 'park plan' that went to cabinet nothing happened since). This park is a key battleground against Labours degrade, non-invest to tower this park like the rest of SK bit-by-bit-by-bit-by-bit real agenda of Neighbourhood Denial SK/ American Psycho Lone Star-led reform policies delivery.
End the exclusion of South Kilburn from Kilburn and get SK mapped into the Kilburn Neighbourhood Plan/ Forum Area, revise this map asap.
Massive population growth with rules, safeguards, guidelines and inclusion of South Kilburn local people as is urgently needed, we are also human and of human worth. Labour failed Kilburn, really hope that the Three Greens don't attach to Labours local people Exclusion Colonial Meanwhile Machine that is on site and deeply entrenched in the South Kilburn No Hope No Neighbourhood political project.
Martin has been key to this Kilburn result. Lets build on this. GREEN DAY, set up tables in SKPOS and talk to those who voted you in.
Read Green Party Drug Policy here ...
https://share.google/zDuaYaxiy6osfkvrn
Dear Martin, Sorry not a direct reply to your comment
Also with every admiration for your work for Brent. Is it true that planning applications are afoot for a 26 storey building on the site of the Holiday Inn Wembley Hill ?? We will have no sky, The population density will be untenable. Brent planning Ap. 26 / 09 / 67 What does anyone know about this ? How's best to object ??
yes Alison Hopkins cares about the residents and really onnit . you just get a load of lip service or completly ignored by the ones mentioned!
agree she seemed like she had a good heart and was assertive with the corrupt demonic ones! she needs to be brought back!
potentially admirable to write a public biog for your spouse while shes nursing your child, unfortunatly bootlickers tend to get lost in the stampede whixh appears to be the case here. no one wants ugly brown band grey high rise brick towers in their bqxk gardens mate!
amen to that! its an absolute stick up that has been torn down!!
Please could you name the Sponsoring advertisers for 'Brent Matters ' ?? Could an audit be done on this ridiculous obsequious publication. Could we have Freedom of information on the cost?
Will test if its an overdevelop Brent political consensus, or if voters did have an actual political project choice for Brent's direction of travel towards 2050.
Labour should enact the Leasehold Reform Bill of 2024 now in 2026.
Get new flats ownership into the Brent population overcrowding zones. That includes council/ housing associations owning new flats (that they then rent out) in the tower zones, thereby having rights and influence on how human and how neighbourhood these tower zones (zoning-out exclusions at present) are.
Rent and tower lords only is a disaster and the end of the Labour Party, as Reform in government will never enact the Leasehold Reform Bill of 2024 and the Brent zones will be feudal colonies of extreme tenant extraction tower lorded over.
Thank you for the very kind words. Appreciated.
And end the Brownfield estates government policy which has been ongoing since 2010. A Labour less Blue, a Labour less Reform.........
A new tower block proposed for the Holiday Inn site. Ow, Aargh . Stop it. ! We will have no sun or sky. Population density will soar. Stop this overdevelopment. Improve the environment for residents.
I’m not feeling very hopeful about seeing real, positive, and lasting changes following the recent shift in local authority. After living in Brent for nearly 60 years, I can’t help but feel disappointed by how it’s been managed, both in the past and now. Housing, the environment, and infrastructure all leave a lot to be desired. As the area grows more crowded, it’s even clearer that residents and the cabinet need to connect to make it known that change and improvement are long overdue, while elections carry on without delivering the progress people deserve.
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