Opposition parties have accused Labour and the Conservatives of “a stitch up” in Brent following the recent election results which saw the council fall into no overall control. Labour will run a minority-led administration whilst supporting the Tories as the official opposition - a move which has angered both the Liberal Democrats and Greens.
Earlier this month, Labour lost overall control of Brent Council for the first time in 16 years. The party won 26 of the 57 available seats - falling three short of an overall majority - with both the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats taking 11 seats, whilst the Greens took 9. This meant Labour would have to reach across the floor for support.
Over recent days, the leaders of all groups have been in discussions to figure out a way forward and ensure an administration can continue to govern. An agreement has now been reached but it is one that has not gone down well with some parties, who see it as Labour “cling[ing] to power through a deal with the Conservatives”.
Cllr Muhammed Butt has been re-elected as Leader of Brent Council. With both the Liberal Democrats and the Conservatives winning 11 seats each at the May 7 elections, it was unclear which party would become the principal opposition. In this scenario, it is up to the governing party to choose - a decision further complicated by Labour, the largest group, not having a controlling majority.
But before that could be decided, councillors first needed to agree on who would become leader of the council, which, for the past 16 years, has been easy as Labour have had the numbers to vote through whoever they wanted. However, this time they would need support from elsewhere and where that came from was always going to be controversial.
The Liberal Democrats - and more tentatively the Greens - had been calling for “new leadership” of the council and wanted Cllr Muhammed Butt’s 14-year-long reign in the role to come to an end. At this week's All Council Meeting (ACM), Labour once again nominated Cllr Butt as leader and it appears the Conservatives were the only other party willing to facilitate this.
When the proposal was tabled, naturally all of the Labour councillors voted for and both the Liberal Democrats and Greens voted against. However, the Conservatives abstained meaning the nomination passed easily. Labour has stated explicitly that it is a minority-led administration and “not a coalition, an electoral pact or any form of strategic alliance”.
So what do the Conservatives get out of enabling Labour’s preferred nomination to pass? Firstly, it means that Labour officially declared them as the principal opposition - getting them longer speaking time when proposing an alternative budget and a larger special responsibility allowance - and secondly, one of their councillors will get to take up the role of deputy mayor.
The move has stoked anger amongst the two other parties. The new Leader of the Liberal Democrats, Cllr Anton Georgiou, called it “a total stitch up”. Addressing the chamber, he said: “Everyone will be able to see what’s happened today. The Tory group has colluded with Cllr Butt, and the Labour group, to stitch up the situation”.
Cllr Georgiou accused Cllr Butt of “getting into bed with the Tories”, suggesting he is “scared of scrutiny and opposition”. He then turned to the Conservative councillors and criticised them for spending the last month ahead of the local elections “talking about how terrible Cllr Butt is and how terrible this Labour administration is”.
Cllr Georgiou added: “You have allowed the continuation of this administration. Shame on you.” The Liberal Democrats had earlier called for a “four party alliance”, claiming there was a “clear indication” from residents that no one party should govern alone.
Cllr Georgiou proposed a nine person Cabinet - made up of four Labour members, two Liberal Democrats, two Conservative, and one Green - which was ultimately voted down.
The Greens said Labour had a chance to either “embrace a new era of collaboration and accountability, or cling to the status quo”. Following the decision, the party accused the Labour group of “cling[ing] to power through a deal with the Conservatives” despite a set of local election results where residents “clearly voted for change”.
Group Leader, Cllr Mary Mitchell, added: “It didn't have to be like this. The Green Party was ready to come to the table, do the hard work of negotiation and collaboration, and build a formal arrangement that included the need for new leadership. Instead, Labour has chosen to ignore the progressive values of its supporters and have prioritised protecting party power.
“This stitch-up delivers no meaningful reform for residents. It is old-party politics at its worst, and deeply disappointing for everyone who voted for change. We remain ready to work with anyone committed to transparency, collaboration and putting Brent residents before party interests.”
The Labour Group said that its priority has been to “secure an administration that can govern responsibly”, whilst also delivering on its manifesto commitments. It claims the decision is about ending uncertainty, establishing stable governance, and making sure it can deliver for residents.
A party statement added: “Regrettably, the Liberal Democrats have made clear that at this time they will not collaborate unless as part of an all-party Cabinet coalition. We do not believe that such an arrangement would provide the clear, stable and accountable leadership Brent needs.
“It would, to our knowledge, be without precedent anywhere else in London. Finally, it is also difficult to reconcile their proposal whilst they simultaneously call for Labour’s elected group leader to step aside.”
The Conservatives said the “old way of doing things are over” but were not prepared to support “an incoherent coalition of convenience” between parties with “conflicting agendas”. The party claims it will act “as a serious, responsible and independent opposition” and focus on the issues that “matter most”.
They added: “The reaction from other parties only confirms why Brent needs a serious and responsible approach. The Greens have now made clear that they wanted a formal political arrangement of their own, tied to conditions over Labour’s leadership. The Liberal Democrats have preferred outrage and procedural drama. That is exactly the kind of unstable politics and endless bargaining Brent residents did not vote for.”
Cllr Butt described his re-election as “an enormous privilege” and outlined the administration's priorities, citing “cleaner streets, safer neighbourhoods, more affordable homes and a borough where opportunity is shared more fairly across every community”.
He added: “We will focus relentlessly on the issues that matter most to residents. Brent is one of the most ambitious and dynamic boroughs anywhere in Britain. My focus now is on working every single day to make sure that ambition is matched by opportunity for all residents.”
