Another Defection from Labour

News has been trickling in since Friday about the Labour Party selections for candidates for 2026.

It seems that Cllr Nur Begum was not deemed worthy of reselection. The one-term councillor was informed that she would not be standing for Labour on Friday and by Sunday had decided on a point of principle that she felt more at home with Newham Independents. She has since informed the council that she will be sitting for the remainder of her term as a member of the Newham Independent Group.

This brings the total number of Newham Independents up to five. Two defections and three elected in byelections.

For Labour this is obviously an embarrassment and an unwelcome distraction when they should really be seeking to build a policy platform that distances them from the current mayor.

There are other concerns. How many rejected candidates are about to switch allegiance? How many selected candidates will see the writing on the wall and switch to the Independents before May 2026?

Below this is a greater issue of concern for Labour. Given the clearly transactional nature of the relationship between some Labour councillors and the party, how many can they rely upon?

We are aware of other sitting councillors who have been deselected. We hope to bring more news of this in due course.