Harrow Borough Council meeting cancelled due to Labour split

A group of nine, which includes councillors Krishna James, Husain Akhtar and has Thaya Idaikkadar as its leader, announced the split over concerns over the leadership of the council and the party in Harrow.

Tomorrow’s council cabinet meeting has been cancelled due to the split, which has left the ruling Labour party with 25 councillors.

The opposition Conservative group has given its support to the new breakaway party.

Speaking to the Harrow Times Conservative group leader Councillor Susan Hall said: “We have already expressed our concern at the way the Labour group attempted to ditch Councillor Idaikkadar as leader so soon after his appointment and without clear reason, and it now seems there may have been unsavoury motives behind their actions.

“Knowing the members of the new group as well as I do – some of whom informed me of their desire to split a few weeks ago – I know they have not made this decision lightly.

“Many of them are hard-working and long-standing councillors who have made serving Harrow residents their priority. That they feel they have been discriminated against is an appalling indictment of the Labour group.

“Conservatives believe in fairness and transparency; qualities which appear not to exist in the Labour group. We therefore support and welcome the decision of these councillors to form their own group, to make their voices heard, and to take a stand."

The council's cabinet committee had been due to discuss the closure of Harrow Civic Centre library, which was to be merged with Gayton Library, in St John's Road.

Also on the agenda were plans to outsource library services in the borough to John Laing Integrated Services Ltd, which will also run the same service in neighbouring borough of Ealing, as well as the future organisation of Cannon Lane First School and Cannon Lane Junior School.

The Harrow Times has contacted the Harrow Labour party and is awaiting a reply.