Regional interference to blame for Labour defections claim Luton councillors
A breakaway group of former Labour councillors quit over regional interference in local party elections and its candidate selection policy in Luton, a meeting heard.
Two of the six who left the party last month spoke out at an extraordinary council meeting, during which Labour council leader and Biscot councillor Tahmina Saleem was removed from office after only four months in the role.
An opposition coalition voted to make Liberal Democrat Barnfield councillor Amjid Ali the local authority’s new leader. A full council meeting on Tuesday will signal the start of his administration (September 22).
LBC scrutiny meetings due to be held this week have been cancelled.
At Monday’s meeting to oust her, councillor Saleem said: “Councillors who left Labour are now working with the opposition to replace this Labour administration without the mandate to do so.
“In effect, this is handing power to the parties responsible for years of austerity. Luton has benefited as a town from having two excellent Labour MPs and more recently a national Labour government.
“To those councillors who subsequently left the party, you were elected under a Labour banner and a Labour manifesto. If you no longer believe in the mandate, do the right thing, call an election and let residents decide.”
Independent Alliance Group Northwell councillor Rob Roche told the council: “We left because the eastern region Labour Party removed Luton’s elected leader without explanation, and went on to remove the locally elected deputy leader and disband the locally agreed cabinet.
“Replacements were chosen by eastern region without consultation and not in accordance with the proper procedures that have been recognised for decades,” he explained.
“The Luton Labour Party has brought this on itself. So blinkered, it refused to acknowledge the appalling treatment of councillor Hazel Simmons. She was forced out of office after 36 years of service at the behest of their masters, the eastern region.
“We, the Independent Alliance, aren’t selfish or undemocratic; we’re not usurpers, and not politically aligned with any other party. We’re not interested in political hypocrisy, in-fighting, careerism or point-scoring.
“Our one aim is to restore democracy to the people of Luton to ensure the council’s leader, deputy leader and executive listen and act on behalf of those who voted for them.
“We know the eastern region Labour Party is already interviewing and choosing candidates for the 2027 local elections without a reference to any local party members.
“If the party wins the 2027 election, eastern region will decide who will serve as leader, deputy leader and who will be the executive. We cannot stand by and let a political machine come into Luton and take away the local voice.”
Independent Alliance Group Challney councillor Tom Shaw added: “You’re being told what wards you’re going to stand in.
“You’re not even going in front of selection committees. That’s not democracy. That’s a dictatorship by eastern region.”
Asked by the local democracy reporting service to respond to the comments made by the two councillors, Labour East reiterated in a statement: “While the Labour Party doesn’t comment on internal processes, we can confirm that there was a National Executive Committee (NEC)-led process earlier this year.
“All Labour Party internal processes are conducted in line with party rules and procedures.”