Labour defections in Newham

[SionnachRuadh]

Two big names in East End politics, longtime mayor of Newham Sir Robin Wales and former Newham cabinet member Clive Furness, have left the Labour Party. They've both been in the party for decades.

Their statement covers a lot of ground about Labour losing its way, but a couple of points of particular interest:

Then there is the grooming-gangs scandal. The party’s reluctance to hold Labour-run councils to account over their role in the scandal has only compounded the harm suffered by thousands of girls and young women. For years, it failed to even acknowledge the gangs’ existence. Even now, following the revelations made in Louise Casey’s National Audit on Group-based Child Exploitation and Abuse, London mayor Sadiq Khan refuses an independent inquiry into the extent of the problem in the nation’s capital – presumably for fear of what it might find.

And I don't think they're about to jump ship to the Greens:

Labour’s embrace of transgender ideology has been particularly dispiriting. Back in April 2025, the Supreme Court ruled that the terms ‘man’, ‘woman’ and ‘sex’ in the Equality Act 2010 refer to biological sex. The case, brought by For Women Scotland, clarified the law, making it clear that sex triumphs over wishful thinking. New guidelines from the Equality and Human Rights Commission followed. Nonetheless, a full nine months later, secretary of state for education Bridget Phillipson, who has the backing of unions GMB and Unison (both cheerleaders for gender self-ID), has yet to publish any updated guidance on single-sex spaces. The fact that Keir Starmer has come around to the idea that women can’t have a penis is certainly progress – but behind the words of frontbenchers lies an unreconstructed activist hinterland. Rather than confront them, party leadership quietly appeases them.

More here:
Why we’re leaving the Labour Party - spiked

I didn't realise that the lads had a book out, which I must read: A Route Map for Change — OPEN Newham

@IwantToRetire the news section of Clive's website is a treasure trove of the Goodfellas style happenings in Newham Labour Party.

I should probably explain that, even by east London Labour standards, Newham is a bit special.

Gone are the days when Labour could be confident of winning every seat on the council. It's likely that in May they will lose bigly to Newham Independents (Muslims), Greens (middle class lefties who love LTNs) and even Reform (the residual working class whites in the borough).

Mayor Rokhsana Fiaz has worn out her welcome, and a whole bunch of councillors are also standing down. Apparently Labour HQ have noticed the unusual number of Newham councillors who have close relationships - spouses or parent/child - with other councillors. We can't tolerate nepotism, because Sir Keir Starmer is an ethical man.

Also, I believe both CLPs in the borough are still under suspension, having initially been suspended all the way back in 2020, which means candidate selections will be imposed - that seems to mean that the local MPs will give their preferred names to some anonymous apparatchik in HQ who will get it rubber stamped by a subcommittee of the NEC.

Nobody knows what's going on.

If this all sounds like some Soviet Bloc regime on its last legs, you aren't wrong.

This happening in other east London boroughs, ie Labour Councillors resigning and going independent or being expelled and going independent.

A lot of it specific local issues, but also because of Labour becoming less and less democratic in how it operates and its absolute rule that you must follow the agreed line.

However on reading more about the 2 men concerned, dont expect much local news coverage and local papers just want shouty headlines about what will happen at the elections.

Not interested in theory or proposals.

They've now joined Reform.

I thought they might eventually. They may not be big names nationally but that's quite a coup in the world of London local government. Clive will be candidate for mayor of Newham - I don't expect him to win but he could pull more voters than a generic Reform candidate.

Lower profile but more significant will be Robin's role as director of local government in London. Reform have had problems with councillors going rogue. This is a counter-measure - a Robin Wales bollocking is not an experience you soon forget.