London Labour councillors defect to the Green Party

Yet more labour councillors have defected.

Transcript

00:01Keir Starmer has suffered a blow after five Labour councillors in London announced they were defecting to the Green Party.

00:10With London set to be a major battleground in next year's crucial local elections,

00:17Green leader Zak Polanski has welcomed five Labour councillors from Brent to join his party.

00:25It comes amid concerns that the Greens could take control of Labour councils in the coming elections next year,

00:34which could also decide the fate of Sir Keir's premiership.

00:39Not only that, though, among the councils under threat is Camden covering Sir Keir's own constituency.

00:47The five Brent councillors to defect from Labour include a former cabinet member, Harbi Farrar,

00:55and a former whip as well.

00:57They were joined by Mary Mitchell, Tony Etafemi and Eric Mdumo moving to the Greens.

01:05With concerns that the PM could be ousted following a briefing against Health Secretary

01:12West Streeting by Downing Street earlier in the year,

01:17a heavy defeat in May could be the end of his time as Labour leader.

01:23Among those believed to be eyeing the Labour leadership are Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham,

01:30former Deputy Minister Angela Rayner,

01:33and Energy Secretary, who was once leader of the Labour Party, of course, Ed Miliband.

01:40Zak Polanski has said he is ready to bury the Labour Party in the upcoming elections next May.

01:47Here's what the leader of the Green Party had to say.

01:53So if I go in reverse order, first of all, on Labour MPs, I'm talking to Labour MPs all the time,

01:59some of which are very friendly and I'm very happy to work alongside them.

02:02I was pretty disappointed, I'll say this, to see Barry Gardner yesterday on GB News criticising me.

02:08I think if you're a left-wing Labour MP, you should probably have better solidarity to the politics that is similar to yours.

02:14And I think it speaks to some of those Labour MPs being threatened by things that are happening here today,

02:18but as well as the May elections coming up.

02:21And I would say to those Labour MPs, rather than digging in deeper and maybe getting closer to Starmer's project,

02:26it might be time for you to think about if you're really in the right home.

02:30In terms of London...

02:30Sorry, I didn't quite answer your question, did I?

02:32So there's different categories.

02:34There is no one that I'm talking to who is imminently about to defect.

02:37So sorry to disappoint the media in here.

02:38There isn't a story coming tomorrow.

02:40There are lots of people, and I mean lots, who I'm speaking to,

02:43who are saying they're deeply unhappy with Keir Starmer.

02:46They recognise that the Labour Party that they joined,

02:48they wouldn't be leaving the Labour Party just like these guys.

02:51The Labour Party has left them.

02:53And their values are still in the same place,

02:54but they can no longer justify being in Starmer's project.

02:57The Labour Party has left them.