Brent Council Budget and Council Setting meeeting is at 3.30pm tomorrow. Links to full alternative proposals from Tory, Green and Lib Dem Groups

The Council's Budget and Council Setting meeting tomorrow (Monday February 23rd) is the last Full Council Meeting of the Municipal Year. The next meeting will be after the May 7th Council Election and will see the fromation of a new adminstration.

The budget meeting will be at 3.30pm rather than the usual 6pm to allow for Ramadan observation. WATCH LIVE HERE

There is some history attached to the meeting as it will be the first time a Green Group of councillors will present alternative proposals to Labour's budget.

All three opposition groups have submitted alternative proposals and the full details can be found on the links below:

  

·  6.2 Brent Conservative Group Alternative Budget Proposdals 2026 -27, item 6. PDF 604 KB

 

·  6.3 Green Group Alternative Budget Proposals 2026-27, item 6. PDF 462 KB

 

·  6.4 Liberal Democrat Group Alternative Budget Proposals 2026-27, item 6. PDF 284 · 

  

In their introduction to their proposals the Greens say:

 

This Green Group set of budget amendments is not a fully comprehensive view of investment opportunities, cost saving measures or income generation opportunities.
 

Rather, it intends to set core principles for financial prioritisation and a direction of travel based on Green Party values of social and environmental justice.

Our priorities for investment fall within three areas:

1. Aligning with the energy transition away from fossil fuels and ensuring long- term energy resilience

2. Ensuring housing equity for all Brent’s residents including enhanced scrutiny of housing policies and operations and landlord licensing arrangements

3. Protecting and investing in Brent’s Green Spaces, including parks, protected areas of natural interest and pocket parks and other green spaces

Brent Council, as with all local authorities, remains in a local government funding crisis, despite the new Labour government’s funding settlement. There are therefore only hard decisions to be made in terms of cost savings, and it is not within the scope of our budget amendments to scrutinise the spending within service delivery. The Green Party is calling for a radical overhaul of the funding of local government as the present system, including council tax, is regressive and unsustainable.

However, we have proposed cost savings as they relate to internal processes such as removing costs associated with the Mayor and Deputy Mayor role, reducing the number of cabinet members, and a reduction in costly engagement initiatives with a low ROI (Return on Investment).

It is also our position that there are a number of under-utilised avenues for income generation and maximising the council’s assets, some, but not all of which have been costed up as part of these budget amendments. These include expanding CPZs and increasing parking revenue through a mix of increasing the base rate and introducing a variable parking rate which takes into account vehicle size, weight and emissions type, further investment in debt collection initiatives, and ensuring maximum ROI of Brent-owned properties, whilst recognising the social value they add to Brent as well as financial value. Where further exploration is required, we have budgeted for feasibility studies for these initiatives.

These budget amendments propose a modest use of SCIL funding at £2.4m, which will part-fund travel initiatives to enhance active travel and traffic calming measures.   

 

As noted by the Budget Scrutiny Task Group, there is an opportunity to deploy CIL funding more widely to support infrastructure and to offset financial pressures on services, while ensuring the residents that benefit are those most impacted by development across the borough.

 

The Full Paper sets out proposals in detail HERE. Below is a summary. Note that in the first item the sum of £15,000 is for a feasibility study - not a programme of work.

 

Greens take up key scrutiny roles on Brent Council as new appointments announced ahead of tonight's Council EGM

The full list of Cabinet and Committee changes has been published ahead of tonight's Extraordinary General Meeting of Brent Full Council.  The changes follow the creation of a Green Group when 5 former Labour councillors made the positive choice to transfer their allegience to the Green Party.

Cllr Ishma Moeen (Wembey Hill ward) will succeed Cllr Harbi Farah in the revised portfolio of Cabinet Member for Community Safety and Cohesion. Cllr Moeen has wide outside interests in addition to her councillor responsibilities:

 

The full changes are appended but it is  worth noting that Cllr Nerva is replaced by Cllr Farah on the General Purposes Committee and that Cllr Dixon comes off Planning. Cllr Dixon becomes Chief Whip succeeding Cllr Ahmadi Moghaddam who has joined the Greens.

The need for effective scrutiny and full transparency has long been a theme of the Green Party in Brent Cllr Mitchell, leader of the Green Group) is on the Resources and Public Realm Scrutiny Committee and Cllr Ethapemi on the Community and Wellbeing Scrutiny Committee. Cllr Gbajumo joins the Audit and Standards Committee and Advisory Committee.

Cllr Bajwa, currently revelling in the role of Deputy Mayor, comes off the Licensing Committee and is replaced by Cllr Ethapemi.

Greens now take over the role of second opposition party from the Lib Dems.

The appointments come on the eve of what I understand is a return visit of the Campaign Improvement Board that made the Labour selections for May 2026. 

 

Extraordinary Meeting of Brent Council on January 13th 2026 to agree new committee positions following Labour defections to Brent Green Party

 An Extraordinary Meeting of Brent Council has been called in line with constitutional rules to allocate the new distribution of committee positions This follows the move of 5 Labour councillors to the Green Party and the formation of a new Green Group, led by Cllr Mary Mitchell.

The Green Group becomes the second largest opposition group after the Conservatives taking over from the Liberal Democrats for the purpose of the Members Allowance scheme. LINK

The distribution of Committee seats:

 

New Green Group on Brent Council: We are proud to be part of the Green Party's vision of hope and providing a real alternative to the status quo

Left-Right: Tony, iman, Erica, Mary and Harbi

A statement from the newly formed Green Group of Councillors in Brent Council: Cllr Tony Ethapemi, Cllr Erica Gbajumo, Cllr Harbi Farah, Cllr Iman Ahmadi Moghaddam, Cllr Mary Mitchell. 15.12.25

 

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.

Between us we have over 80 years membership of the Labour Party and over 30 years experience as local councillors representing our communities and advocating for residents. 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 have a huge amount of respect for many of our hard working Labour colleagues and party members in Brent, but we don’t feel that the party represents the values we hold any longer.

We want to represent a party that believes in radical overhaul of our systems to tackle the cost of living crisis and rising inequality, including wholesale reform of our tax system to ensure that the richest pay their way, rather than tinkering around the edges.

We want to represent a party that recognises that there is a not just a conflict, or even a humanitarian emergency, but a genocide taking place in Gaza, one with British roots and one that we are supporting through arms sales and criminalising peaceful protest.

We want to represent a party that recognises that people and planet are inextricably linked and that we need to do much more to tackle the biodiversity and climate crises. That this is not something that will only affect our children, but is a case of national security here and now.

We want to be members of a party that has a real and open conversation about national identity & community cohesion and that doesn’t scapegoat immigrants, a party that maintains its international obligations to asylum seekers and stands firm against racism.

We want to be members of a party nationally and locally that values diversity of opinion rather than a top-down structure with no space for difference, that silences and expels members who speak out against the party line. We want to shape politics differently in Brent.

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 are proud to be part of the Green Party’s vision of hope and to be providing Brent residents with a real alternative to the status quo. Because there is an alternative. An alternative to austerity. An alternative to a politics that tells you “there’s not enough money” whilst billions keep flowing into the pockets of the wealthy and we continue to chase economic growth at all costs.

Today marks a new chapter in local politics in Brent, rooted in accountability and a commitment to environmental and social justice.

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.