Blow for Starmer as dozens of Labour councillors defect to Greens forward of key election
The Green Party is receiving up to three enquiries a week from disgruntled local Labour politicians seeking to change over, according to a source
(Image: Jaimi Joy, Getty Images)
Sir Keir Starmer is facing a fresh headache after claim that 50 Labour councillors have turned Green within the past six months ahead of the crucial May 7 local elections.
The Green Party, led by Zack Polanski is reportedly receiving up to three enquiries a week from disgruntled local Labour politicians who are seeking to defect. And the pace of defections is increasing ahead of the local elections, when Labour is expected to be trounced.
A Green Party source said: “More and more councillors have been moving to the Greens in the past six months. Like our polling and membership surge, this momentum is increasing.”
About a fifth of the defections have been in London, where all of the capital’s council seats will be contested. The Greens have also seen gains in Swindon, Bristol and Wales since Zack Polanski was elected party leader in September.
A left-wing Labour MP said the scale of the defections is “a reflection of the fact our base is deserting us”. They said the Labour leadership, policies and political culture has created a “toxic brew”, adding: “The intuition to many has been to leave.”
Tom Butcher, former Labour councillor in Swindon, cited the party’s stance on protests, ID and immigration for his decision to desert to the Greens.
The Green Swindon councillor said: “I’ve been contacted most weeks… since I defected, by somebody I knew in the Labour party to enquire more about the Greens.”
It comes after Starmer dismissed “cover-up” claims following No10’s release of the initial batch of evidence regarding Peter Mandelson’s ambassadorial appointment. It contained information about the vetting processes for Mandelson’s prestigious Washington role. Lord Mandelson was dismissed by the PM last year due to his connections with paedophile Jeffrey Epstein.
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