Their defection bring the number of Green Party councillors on Newham Council to three, reports Daisy Miles
A Councillor for Canning Town North has left the Labour Party to join the Greens.
Councillor Areeq Chowdhury was a member of the Labour Party for 13 years. Councillor Chowdhury made the announcement on X (formerly known as twitter) just days before the General Election on 4th July.
He cited three reasons behind his decision to leave the party.
First, he described Labour’s support for a ceasefire in Gaza as “very belated”.
He said: “I believe strongly, and have always believed strongly, in the need to oppose the collective punishment of civilians in Gaza. What has happened over the past year was predictable from the outset and should have been opposed forcefully.”
He also reflected on remarks made by Keir Starmer about “sending back migrants to Bangladesh” during the election campaign.
His final key reason for leaving Labour focussed on “integrity”.
He said: “As political representatives we should strive to improve, rather than risk, trust in democracy. An important part of this is being clear about our principles and staying true to them.”
Councillor Chowdhury said he opted for the Green Party as they seem more aligned with his political beliefs.
He announced on General Election day that he voted for the Green Party for the first time in his life.
His defection increases the number of Green Party councillors in Newham Council to three, re-establishing them as the largest opposition party alongside the Newham Independents Group which also has three councillors.
The Council is yet to update their website with his defection.
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