Labour won 86% of the 57 Council seats on just 51% of the votes last night adding to the case for a proportional voting system.
However, the opposition doubled with 5 Conservatives elected (Kenton 3 and Queensbury 2) and Paul Lorber performing a convincing 'Come Back Kid' routine for the Liberal Democrats in Sudbury where Cabiner member Thomas Stephens was defeated, to join Anton Georgiou and his running mate in Alperton.
There had been plenty of nail biting during the final stage of the count when 'mixed votes' are laboriously recorded on tally sheets. These are votes where people give a vote to different parties (sometimes one for each!) rather than vote a party slate.
The Liberal Democrats will now qualify as a party group and like the Conservatives be entitled to seats on some committees although Labour will still have a hefty majority.
Although winning none of the 16 wards in which it stood a single candidate the Greens performed quite strongly in line with the national picture becoming the second or third party in some wards with a total of 7,580 votes. Their highest percentage votes were in Brondesbury Park, Cricklewood and Mapesbury, Willesden Green, Kilburn and Queens Park.
Attention will now turn to the Labour AGM where the new Labour Group will elect the deputy leader and chairs of the two Scrutiny Committees. Cllr Butt will exercise his patronage in other positions including Cabinet and the important Planning Committee.
The Labour Group AGM takes place on Saturday May 14th. The recommendations then will be rubber-stamped at the Council AGM on May 18th (5pm) along with committee membership, the leadership of the opposition groups and the installation of a new Mayor, widely tipped to be Cllr Tariq Dar.
Conservatives and Liberal Democrats will also be electing their new Group leaders.
Detailed results on a ward by ward basis can be found on the Brent Council website: LINK
