Brent Central CLP backs Starmer for Labour Leader and Butler for Deputy

When I was campaigning in the Barnhill by-election a resident told me confidently that Momentum had taken over Brent Council.  I chuckled.

I respect many of the local activists in Brent but they are nowhere near taking over Brent Council which remains a stronghold of Labour managerialists. Although Brent Momentum had mobilised to campaign for Gaynor Lloyd  in Barnhill the other candidate was Muhammed Butt's brother-in-law. Mo Butt joined Momentum not out of an ideological commitment to socialism but in order to keep an eye on his potential challengers. He is by no means a Momentum activist- indeed someone suggested the group rename itself Mentum in order to remove Mo.

Last night Brent CLP met to nominate their candidates for the Labour leadership and nominated Keir Starmer for the Labour leadership rather than Rebecca Long-Bailey the Momentum supported candidate, and loyally supported Brent Central MP Dawn Butler for the deputy leadership rather than Richard Burgon.

Dawn Butler made her pitch for the deputy leadership on Novara TV LINK:



Meanwhile some Green Party members were quite impressed by Rebecca Long-Bailey's pitch on climate change