A West London councillor, Naser Abby, formerly representing Yiewsley on Hillingdon Council, has been suspended by the Labour Party amid unsubstantiated allegations of collaborating with Reform UK — claims he fervently denies. The suspension, announced on 28 October 2025 by Hillingdon Labour leader Stuart Mathers, resulted in Abby losing the party whip and now sitting as an independent councillor. However, Abby insists that he resigned prior to the suspension due to internal party strife, submitting a resignation letter that Labour claims it has not received. Abby’s letter, shared with the Local Democracy Reporting Service, accuses Hillingdon Labour of being “consumed by internal politics and personal career ambitions,” and strongly refutes the accusations of involvement with Reform UK, stating, “I have never been involved with Reform, nor do I have any intention of doing so.”
Hillingdon Labour declined to disclose specifics behind the suspension, only confirming that Abby would continue to vote with the Labour group despite sitting as an independent. His suspension marks the sixth departure of a Labour councillor from Hillingdon in the last four months, a clear sign of internal chaos within the local party. Among those who have recently left or been expelled are former Labour leader Peter Curling, who resigned after being deselected and publicly criticised the party for political gamesmanship; councillors Rita Judge and Scott Farley, who resigned in September with Judge joining the Hayes Independent Group led by Curling; and Jas Dhot, who defected to the Hillingdon Conservatives.
This string of resignations and deselections underscores the growing challenges Labour faces in Hillingdon, especially in recruiting enough female candidates for the 2026 local elections, with their strict gender balance requirements complicating candidate selection. The current council composition sees the Conservatives significantly in control with 31 seats, Labour diminished to 16, and the Hayes Independent Group holding five, leaving Abby as the sole independent councillor in the borough.
These developments in Hillingdon are part of a wider pattern across London Labour groups, where dissatisfaction with party leadership, factional infighting, and allegations of authoritarianism have led several councillors to resign or defect to other parties. In Hammersmith & Fulham, for instance, two Labour councillors joined the Green Party amid discontent with the party’s move to the right under current leadership. Similarly, in Lambeth, a former Labour cabinet member switched to the Greens after her suspension over her stance on the Gaza conflict. Elsewhere, Hackney Labour faced accusations of opaque deselections ahead of the upcoming elections, fueling further internal discord.
The ongoing spate of defections and internal disputes highlights a party struggling with its identity and leadership ahead of the 2026 elections. Such disarray threatens to deepen the fragmentation within what once was a formidable political force, further weakening Labour’s grip on London’s local governance and casting doubt over its electoral prospects in the capital. Meanwhile, critical voices argue that factions loyal to reformist agendas are exploiting these divisions, aiming to reshape local politics in their image while sidelining genuine grassroots concerns. With the party’s cohesion in shambles, the outlook for Labour’s future in London remains increasingly grim.
Source: Noah Wire Services