Cllr Muhammed Butt has been leader of the council for 14 years
A call has been made for Brent Council’s long-standing leader to step down from the role after last week’s election results saw Labour lose overall control of the local authority.
The Liberal Democrats claim local people “want change” and have urged Cllr Muhammed Butt to “step aside”.
Labour lost control of Brent Council last week after losing 17 councillors, leaving it still the largest party but falling short of an overall majority. The Greens took nine seats, whilst the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats both won 11 – with it as yet unclear which one of the two will form the official opposition party.
Over the weekend the Liberal Democrats announced a new leader of the group who has wasted no time in calling for a change at the top of the council. Cllr Anton Georgiou has now demanded Cllr Butt doesn’t seek to be re-elected in the role, claiming “services have declined, trust has eroded, and a toxic culture has taken hold” within the local authority.
Cllr Butt has led the council for 14 years, having first taken up the reins in May 2012. Speaking after the election result, he described it as a “difficult day” but said he would begin having conversations with opposition parties “to support what we can moving forwards”.
The latest move by the Liberal Democrats may impact how productive those conversations are, with decisions on which party forms the official opposition and who has what allocation on various committees, as well as the makeup of the Cabinet, still to be made. Cllr Butt’s office has refused to comment.
Ahead of the elections, Cllr Georgiou claims residents told the party on the doorstep that they want a council that “listens, delivers and works with its communities” and that this can only be delivered “if there is new leadership” at the council.
Cllr Georgiou told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS): “The thousands of people we spoke to across the borough had a clear and unmistakable message: residents want a council that concentrates on the issues that impact their everyday lives and the places where they live. They want cleaner streets, safer neighbourhoods, genuinely affordable housing and real support for the most vulnerable.
“The result of this election provides a much needed opportunity for a new start for Brent. No single party now has overall control, and with that comes both responsibility and opportunity. Residents expect a more mature, pragmatic and collaborative politics — one where different voices are respected, where decisions are made through consensus, and where the priority is always what is best for Brent.”
Whilst Brent Green Party has not explicitly called for Cllr Butt to stand down, the party has suggested the council is in need of “fresh leadership”. Group Leader, Cllr Mary Mitchell, said residents “gave a resounding response” regarding the type of leadership they want at the recent elections – where Cllr Butt only narrowly held on to his own seat.
Speaking to the LDRS, Cllr Mitchell said: “Across Brent, Labour secured under 30 per cent of the popular vote. This is not a mandate to continue the status quo. 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.
“We want to see a transformation in the way decisions are made in Brent. It’s time for genuine collaboration, scrutiny, and accountability. This will require hard work. It will require a cultural shift within the Labour Party in Brent. Fresh leadership and genuine commitment to engagement, dialogue and partnership is required.”
Conservative Leader, Cllr Suresh Kansagra, told the LDRS that the leadership of Brent Labour Group “is an internal matter for them”. However, the election of a new council leader will take place at next week’s All Council Meeting and as Labour do not have the numbers to push through their preferred candidate, the party will be relying on support from political opponents.
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