Brent Council's Labour leader has vowed to "reflect carefully on the message voters have sent" after the party lost overall control of the authority in a crushing result at last week's local elections. Labour remains the largest party in the borough but fell three seats short of a majority. Brent Labour, led by Tokyngton ward Councillor Muhammed Butt, is entering its fifth term as the largest party in the North West London borough.
However, unlike the previous four terms where it won a controlling majority, the next four years will require opposition support to pass its agenda, necessitating greater compromise and co-operation. The party held 42 of the 57 available seats going into the May 7 election, down from 49 seats won in 2022 following a suspension and defections to the Greens and Conservatives. It now holds just 26 seats, with the Liberal Democrats, Conservatives, and Greens winning 11, 11, and nine seats respectively, collectively holding more seats than Labour.
With the council now under no overall control for the first time since 2006, the way in which the council is run over the next four years will be vastly different from the previous 16. Labour Council Leader Cllr Butt, who has been in charge since 2014, told the Local Democracy Reporting Service that "radical, practical action, not soundbites" is what is needed.
Cllr Butt said: "Of course, this election result was disappointing, and Labour locally and nationally must reflect carefully on the message voters have sent. But when people are frustrated with politics, the answer cannot be to tear everything down. The real fight is to tackle the causes of that anger: insecurity, poor housing, under-funded public services, declining town centres and communities that feel left behind. That requires radical, practical action, not soundbites, and that is what I am determined to deliver for Brent."
In terms of moving forward beyond the election results, Cllr Butt emphasised the importance of not standing still, describing it as "not an option". Over the next term, he wants the party to focus on issues including housing and homelessness, public safety, an ageing population, climate change, and tackling the growing demand on local services.
He said: "That is why our ambitions for the next four years remain so important. We want to give young people the best possible start by bringing back the Education Maintenance Allowance, launching a school uniform grant, expanding access to sport and swimming, and opening up new routes into jobs, skills and opportunity. We want residents to see change in their own neighbourhoods, with £40m of Pride in Place funding invested in streets, parks, estates and town centres, alongside tougher action on fly-tipping, more CCTV, more community skips and better street lighting. We want Brent to be fairer, safer and better connected: ending rough sleeping, protecting renters, improving council housing, building genuinely affordable homes, upgrading leisure centres, expanding grassroots sports facilities, and making the West London Orbital a reality, connecting Brent to Old Oak Common, HS2 and the Elizabeth Line."
Which party will form the official opposition is still up in the air. As the Liberal Democrats and Conservatives both won 11 seats, it will be up to Labour to choose between the two. Alperton representative Cllr Anton Georgiou, who returned to the role of Lib Dem Group Leader following his election win, described the results as "significant" and wants to leverage the party's increased presence to provide greater scrutiny and opposition.
Cllr Georgiou told the LDRS: "Our focus remains on the issues residents raise with us every day: cleaner and safer streets, tackling fly-tipping and antisocial behaviour, investment in local infrastructure, protecting community spaces, and delivering genuinely affordable housing for local families. We also want to see a more inclusive and collaborative style of leadership that reflects the new makeup of the council. Too often, overdevelopment has been approved without the infrastructure needed to support it. Now that the precedent has been set for millions of pounds of Community Infrastructure Levy funding to be reinvested into local neighbourhoods, we will fight to ensure this money is spent fairly, transparently, and where it is needed most."
The Conservatives also increased their share of seats on the council at last week's elections, more than doubling their representation from five to 11, which they described as "a major step forward". The party is sticking with its previous leader, Kenton ward councillor Suresh Kansagra, who said voters "sent a clear message" that they want change with regards to how the council is run. The new council party makeup creates opportunities for the minority parties to negotiate for some elements of their manifesto to make it into the ruling party's agenda. The Conservatives have promised to "engage seriously in whatever discussions follow".
Cllr Kansagra told the LDRS: "We want to thank every resident who placed their trust in us and went out to vote, and we are deeply grateful to all our candidates, activists and supporters whose hard work made this possible. Labour has now lost its majority, and with it the ability to govern alone without listening. The council is in no overall control, and our approach will be responsible, constructive, and focused firmly on residents. We will engage seriously in whatever discussions follow, with one test in mind: what is best for Brent. Our priority is better services, stronger accountability, safer neighbourhoods and better value for taxpayers' money."
Whilst the Green Party held five council seats going into the elections, following defections from Labour in December last year, last week was the first time the party had representatives elected by residents. In total, the Green Party took nine seats across the five wards of Wembley Park, Harlesden & Kensal Green, Kilburn, Willesden Green, and Northwick Park. In the wake of the results, the Greens want to see "a transformation in the way decisions are made" through "genuine collaboration, scrutiny, and accountability". The party believes that to achieve this a "cultural shift" is needed within the ruling party, which will require fresh leadership and a greater commitment to "engagement, dialogue and partnership".
Brent Green Party Leader and representative for Willesden Green ward, Cllr Mary Mitchell, told the LDRS: "For the first time in 16 years, Brent residents voted for meaningful change. They voted for accountability, for transparency and for an end to Brent Labour taking residents for granted. This is a unique moment for politics in Brent. A new window has opened in which decisions can be made about how political governance is structured to shape the lives of residents for the better, alongside policy-making and implementation of the services the council delivers. Rather than opposition voices not being recognised through leading the committees that scrutinise decision-making and delivery, or failing to meaningfully engage with opposition proposed budget amendments, there is an opportunity for collaboration. Indeed, the result of democratic decision-making demands it."
