Labour city councillor defects to Greens

Alistair Chisholm (second from left) has joined Green Party councillors Khaled Musharraf, Sarah Peters, and Nick Hartley

A councillor has quit his city's ruling Labour Party to join the Green Party.

Alistair Chisholm, a representative for Newcastle's Ouseburn ward since 2018, said he was "increasingly uncomfortable with the direction of the party in government" – criticising Labour's stance on the war in Gaza, welfare cuts, and Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood's asylum reforms.

Labour said it regretted Chisholm's decision but that its focus remained on "delivering for residents and continuing the work that matters".

The defection gives the Greens a fourth seat on the city council, which is in no overall political control, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

Labour has been in power at Newcastle City Council since 2011 but now runs a minority administration, now holding 36 out of 78 seats.

Chisholm said: "Residents tell me they feel let down by Labour — and I can't tell them they're wrong.

"The attack on disability benefits, the cut to the winter fuel allowance and the government's failure to show moral leadership on Gaza have caused real distress."

He added the "housing crisis" in the city was getting worse with young people struggling to find places to live, and that too many residents were living in damp or overcrowded conditions.

Labour split

A Labour Group spokesperson said: "We regret that councillor Chisholm has decided to step away from our ambitious agenda for our great city.

"Our focus remains on delivering for residents and continuing the work that matters to communities across the city."

The defection comes after the split with former council leader Nick Kemp and the five other councillors who left Labour to form their East End and Associates Independents group last year.

Former lord mayor Habib Rahman and city centre councillor Jane Byrne have also become independents.

The Greens won their first two seats on the council last year and recently secured a third with Sarah Peters' by-election win in South Jesmond.

Chisholm said he hoped to stand for the Greens at next May's city council elections, when all 78 seats would be contested rather than the usual one-third.

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