Keir Starmer hit by five Labour defections to Zack Polanski’s Greens in London
Keir Starmer has been dealt a blow after five Labor councilors in London announced they would defect to the Green Party.
As London prepares to become a major battleground in next year’s crucial local elections, Green leader Zack Polanski has invited five Labor councilors from Brent to join his party.
It comes amid concerns the Greens could take control of Labor councils at next year’s election, which could decide the fate of Sir Keir’s premiership.
Mr Polanski claimed the action of the five asylum seekers “reflects what we are hearing across the country”.
he said before Independent He said he had also spoken to potential asylum seekers among Labor MPs.
Councils under threat include Camden, which covers Sir Keir’s own constituency.
The five Brent councilors to leave Labor include Harbi Farah, a former cabinet member, and Iman Ahmadi-Moghaddam, a former whip.
Mary Mitchell, Tony Ethapemi and Erica Gbajumo accompany them in the transition to the Greens.
A heavy defeat in May could spell the end of his premiership, as Downing Street sources fear the Prime Minister could be sacked after a briefing on health secretary Wes Streeting.
Those believed to be following the Labor leadership include Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham, former deputy chancellor Angela Rayner and energy minister Ed Miliband.
Labor’s defection to the Greens comes as the party’s membership rose to more than 180,000 in September, from 70,000 when Polanski was elected leader.
The Green Party has seen a few defections from Labor across London recently, but not in such a large bloc.
Mr. Polanski claimed that “the green surge is getting louder in London.”
He added: “What we are witnessing in Brent is exactly what we are hearing on doorsteps and in polls across the country.
“Good Labor councilors can see that Labor has abandoned any sense of progressive policy and has shown utter cowardice in its failed attempt to outpace Reformation with its politics of division and scapegoating.
“More and more people are finding the alternative they need by joining the Green Party and working for a better world shaped by hope rather than fear.
“The Greens will lead the Reform fight in May’s elections and we are showing our intention in Brent today.
“This is just the beginning.”
The defections from Labor to the Greens reflect a similar political phenomenon on the political right, where Conservative councilors and former MPs are flocking to Nigel Farage’s Reform UK.
In the polls, Labor is averaging around 20 per cent of the vote after just 18 months in power, while Reform is around 30 per cent and the Greens are climbing to around 12 per cent.
