A number of defections from Nottingham’s ruling Labour Party to form a new opposition group show “divisions have boiled over”, a councillor says.
Five city councillors resigned from the Labour Party to form the new Nottingham People’s Alliance group on Thursday (October 30).
Councillors Kirsty L Jones (Mapperley), Imran Jalil (Lenton and Wollaton East), Anwar Khan (St Ann’s), Naim Saqab Salim (Hyson Green and Arboretum), and Faith Gakanje-Ajala (Bilborough) have quit to form the new group.
A sixth independent councillor, AJ Matsiko (Sherwood), has also joined the new group, having already resigned from the Labour Group in April. He had been suspended after posting a statement on social media alleging party officials had engaged in “unacceptable” behaviour at a local group meeting earlier this year.
Labour’s grip on the council, which began in 1988 before solidifying in 1991, has loosened. While maintaining a majority, only 43 Labour councillors of a total of 55 seats now remain on the council.
The formation of the new group also means the Nottingham Independents and Independent Group are no longer the official opposition.
Four councillors who formed the group will no longer be entitled to additional allowances as a result.
The Nottingham Independents group has also had a change of leadership in recent days, with Cllr Kevin Clarke opting to step down as leader.
Cllr Andrew Rule has since become the leader of the group. Of the defections, he said: “Today’s announcement shows the divisions in the controlling group have boiled over.
“It remains to be seen whether any other members of the controlling group will follow the example of their former colleagues.
“Whilst our group is no longer the official opposition, we will nevertheless continue to hold the controlling group to account at committee meetings and Full Council, and ultimately make the case for an alternative political leadership of the council.
“For us it has never been about allowances, but for the privilege of representing our community and this work will continue.”
The ruling Nottingham Labour Group said: “Whilst today’s news is regrettable, Nottingham Labour will always put our residents first and our focus remains on continuing the major improvements through firmer financial management and providing the people of Nottingham with value for money, while investing in the services which are important to local people.
“What matters now is that we continue with renewing our council, delivering for our residents, and leading Nottingham forward, and with the investment we are proposing this year alone, we are turning words into action.”
A Labour Party source added: “Rather than focusing on delivering the promises they made to their residents who elected them under a Labour banner, this ‘alliance’ is clearly more focused on their own political ambitions.“Whilst we get on with the job in hand and act to rebuild this country after 14 years of Tory decline and chaos – whether it be bringing in the largest ever rise to the minimum wage, giving an additional 500,000 free school meals to children, or legislating for more renters’ rights – they’d prefer to snipe from the sidelines.“Labour is no longer a party of protest, it is a serious party determined to deliver for the working people of this city. This group needs to be honest and tell voters if this is just the first step to them joining Your Party.”
The Nottingham People’s Alliance says it will now form the largest and “much-needed opposition group” on the council.
“We can no longer be in a party that has abandoned traditional Labour values under Sir Keir Starmer’s leadership,” the group said in a statement.
Tensions in the Nottingham Labour Group have been rising ever since it secured 51 out of 55 seats in the 2023 election, particularly amid the party’s difficulties nationally.
Cllr Nadia Farhat was the first Labour councillor to resign from the party over the Israel-Gaza conflict, and now sits as an independent.
Berridge ward councillor and former Sheriff of Nottingham, Cllr Shuguftah Quddoos, was then suspended after voting against widespread council cuts in March 2024.
She later quit Labour and has since joined the Green Party.
Cllr Matsiko was then suspended in April this year after publicly claiming he was mistreated during a heated local Labour Group meeting where libraries were being discussed.
Dissent was also prompted after some councillors disagreed with the way Cllr Neghat Khan was chosen as council leader last year, after the party’s National Executive Committee (NEC) stepped in to oversee the election.
The NEC interviewed potential candidates, and suitable applicants were due to be presented to the local group at a meeting. However, Cllr Khan was deemed the only suitable candidate and was installed as leader ahead of the meeting.
Her installation had been a contentious issue at the time among some councillors.
