With some of the old guard leaving and a host of new comers to the Labour Group of Brent Council there appears to have been a political shift in its composition. The recent elections to officer positions within the group indicated a more finely balanced division between Butt loyalists and those with a left of centre or unaligned approach.
The results varied for the various posts but the gap between loyalists and the rest was often only 3 or 4 votes. At this stage, with many councillors new to the role and politically untested, it is hard to assess the size and consistency of the left of centre/unaligned group but the voting indicated 20 plus out of a total of 49 Labour councillors. This is an advance on the previous administration. Butt is likely to deploy his powers of patronage to try and subdue any potential critics.
As readers will know the number of positions on the council directly elected by the Labour Group has been reduced by Muhammed Butt with most now appointed by him. The Scrutiny Committee is interesting as the chair role is elected by the group but the vice chair, after the council AGM, appointed by Butt. Kilburn councillor Rita Conneely won 21-17 against Rita Begum for the Resources and Public Realm Scrutiny chair while Ketan Sheth surprised with a large majority over Begum and Robert Johnson for the Community and Wellbeing Scrutiny chair. Cllr Butt appointed Janice Long as vice chair of Resources and Diane Collymore vice chair of Commumnity.
Mili Patel won the deputy leader position with 26 votes followed by Daniel Kennely and Ellie Southwood with 23 between them. The leadership of the group was not contested.
