Nadine Osman
A pro-Palestine independent candidate secured a decisive victory over Labour in a London council by-election on March 28, underscoring the ruling party’s continued struggle to regain support lost over its stance on Israel since last July’s election.
Noor Jahan Begum, representing the Redbridge & Ilford Independents, won the Mayfield council by-election with 1,080 votes, significantly outperforming the Labour candidate, who garnered 663 votes. The Conservatives came third with 494 votes. The contest took place in the north-east London borough of Redbridge, home to a sizable Muslim population.
The defeat is particularly striking given the concerted efforts of senior Labour figures, including Health Secretary Wes Streeting—whose own constituency is nearby—who were actively campaigning in the area ahead of the vote. The result signals that the UK’s policy on Israel continues to influence British electoral dynamics, posing a potential challenge for Labour’s leadership.
At the general election in July, Streeting held on to his Ilford seat by just 528 votes after being challenged by independent Leanne Mohamad.
Begum, a local magistrate, campaigned on a broad platform addressing pressing local concerns such as council tax, crime, and housing, while also championing “justice for Palestine and Ukraine.” The issue of Gaza featured prominently in the campaign, with Palestinian flags adorning campaign leaflets distributed to voters.
The independent party also capitalised on a recent controversy surrounding local Labour MP Jas Athwal, whose resignation as Mayfield councillor last month triggered the by-election. In 2024, Athwal faced mounting criticism following a BBC investigation that uncovered severe neglect in rental properties he owned, including infestations of ants and black mould.
Following her win, Begum thanked volunteers who had come to Redbridge to campaign from “as far away as Birmingham and Hertfordshire”, adding: “The independents have had a historic win. The people of Mayfield have spoken loud and clear.
“They have chosen a new kind of politics…we are a grassroots movement that is of integrity, inclusion and independents.”
In a statement ahead of the election, Begum criticised Labour’s governance of the borough, stating: “Over the past 10 years, this Labour Council has had a very shoddy record in delivering for the people of Redbridge. Our streets are filthy, and crime is at epidemic levels. We desperately need local people to control their own destiny.”
Vaseem Ahmed, chair of the Redbridge & Ilford Independents, reinforced this sentiment, declaring on election night that “ordinary working people rejected a party that no longer represents them.” He went on to describe Athwal as a “rogue landlord,” accusing both him and Labour of believing they could “get away with this atrocious behaviour.”
Ahmed further criticised the government’s planned welfare cuts, stating: “Together, we defeated the politics that think it can, with total impunity, attack our NHS and cut benefits to the poorest in society, including the disabled and old-age pensioners.” He also condemned Labour’s position on the Israel-Gaza conflict, asserting: “A Labour Party that thinks nothing of arming and supporting Israel as it commits a genocide in Gaza is not a party of peace and internationalism.”
Although the Labour government introduced partial restrictions on arms export licences to Israel last September, it has continued to insist on maintaining a close alliance with the country, even as it has criticised Israel’s renewed offensive in Gaza in March.
The party has seen a rising threat from independent candidates in east London.
Lutfur Rahman’s Aspire retook control of Tower Hamlets council at the last local elections in 2022, while Newham Independents have become the opposition on Newham council after local by-election wins and a defection in the wake of anger at Labour’s response to the war in Gaza.
Since entering government, Labour has lost over 40 percent of the council seats it has defended in by-elections, with its vote share declining in more than 80 percent of contests. The latest by-election result suggests that this downward trend persists and that the UK’s support for Israel remains a significant electoral issue for sections of the electorate.
