De-selection of ‘excellent’ councillors sparks allegations of Labour ‘lack of transparency’

Cllr Soraya Adejare when she was Speaker of Hackney, 2017. Photograph: Hackney Council

Two Hackney councillors, who have served their wards for more than a decade, have been axed by the Labour party.

Three weeks ago a change.org petition launched under the title, ‘Save Hackney Councillors Soraya Adejare and M Can Ozsen from deselection’.

Whilst they still hold their positions, they will not be able to stand again on behalf of the Labour party in next year’s local elections.

Cllr M Can Ozsen. Photograph: Hackney Council

The party line is that the pair simply failed their interviews, but onlookers have highlighted a crucial vote which may have sealed their fate, prompting an allegation of a lack of transparency.

Speaking to the Citizen, Diane Abbott MP said: “Now more than ever we need councillors who really represent the local community and stand up for it.

Diane Abbott, surrounded by supporters. Photograph: Maya Sall

“These two councillors are the best example of that in Hackney Labour, and they should not be deselected.”

The Change.org petition, which currently has 375 signatories, describes the two councillors as prolific anti-racist campaigners, advocates for social housing and supporters of the vulnerable, who work tirelessly to ensure residents’ voices are heard whilst holding authorities to account.

As a black, working class woman who grew up in Hackney, Cllr Soraya Adejare (Brownswood ward)  “has excellent understanding” of the community and as a social tenant and single mother she can empathise with many residents, the petition says.

Cllr M Can (London Fields ward), who speaks Turkish, also lives in social housing and works closely with Hackney’s large Turkish and Kurdish population, advocating and translating for Turkish speakers across the borough.

But this summer, Soraya Adejare and M. Can Ozsen were interviewed by a panel ahead of selections for the 2026 local elections, after which they were informed that they had failed their interviews.

Both were later told they had lost their appeals.

Despite support from Mayor Caroline Woodley and motions passed by members of the constituency Labour party, there has been no indication that the Labour party’s London Region would discuss or review their decisions.

The petition concludes: “We the undersigned are very disappointed by this treatment of excellent local councillors who are deeply rooted in the community and want to keep serving their constituents.

“We ask that London Region reverses the decision to exclude them from the panel.”

Questions have been raised and accusations made over why the candidates were deselected.

The main takeaway from a source the Citizen spoke to, is that the decision-making process is “opaque”.

The de-selected Labour councillors are not sure why they have been axed.

However, a Hackney Labour party member, who asked to remain anonymous, told the Citizen that a vote almost two years ago had had a strong influence.

They said: “In November 2023, Soraya and a few other councillors abstained on a Green [party] motion calling for a ceasefire in Gaza.

She was then investigated by Hackney Labour party and, after reviewing her case, she was given a final written warning.

“She had never received one before this time so it’s not clear why she was given a final warning. The Labour Party doesn’t let councillors appeal against decisions like this.”

Around the same time, Cllr Adejare defied the party line by penning an open letter to Keir Starmer calling for the Prime Minister to back a ceasefire in Gaza.

When Cllr Adejare was interviewed for re-selection in July, the source said her abstention and “discussions about the way in which Hackney Labour functioned” were raised as reasons for excluding her for consideration for the 2026 elections.

The source told the Citizen: “There appears to be a lot of intent behind these actions. Basically the Labour party has worked to block her from the process and from being a councillor.

“The Labour party in Hackney don’t care about dropping people like Soraya and M Can. Hackney will be worse off for losing them.”

When approached for comment by the Citizen, a Hackney Labour party spokesperson said: “These are internal Labour Party matters which we cannot comment on”.

This is not the first time Hackney Labour have come under fire from accusations of a lack of transparency.

In May 2024, councillors Claudia Turbet-Delof, Penny Wrout and Fliss Premru sensationally resigned from the party to form their own independent group.

Their excoriating parting shot claimed Hackney Labour party was “stifled by a lack of internal democracy, transparency and scrutiny”.

L-R: Cllrs Penny Wrout, Claudia Turbet-Delof and Fliss Premru. Photograph: courtesy Hackney Independent Socialist Group

The trio were suspended by Hackney Labour earlier that year for voting in favour of hearing a motion calling for a ceasefire in Gaza.

However, Labour’s controversial de-selections reach far beyond Hackney.

Last week My London reported that Hillingdon Labour party have embarked on a “clear-out” which saw veteran councillor and group leader Cllr Peter Curling resign alongside three colleagues who shortly followed suit.

Three of those four councillors were reportedly deselected by Labour.

Cllr Peter Curling, now leading the Hayes Independent Group, told the Local Democracy Reporting Service that his former party was in “chaos”.

He said: “The authoritarian and toxic environment that has been cultivated in the Hillingdon Labour party has resulted in chaos, with a very rapid decline in terms of membership and those willing to put themselves forward for public office.”

In response, Councillor Sital Punja, deputy leader of Hillingdon Labour, told the Local Democracy Reporting Service that “Hillingdon Labour are focused on one thing and that is winning next year’s local elections in order to deliver a safer, cleaner and fairer borough”.

She added: “We have already selected an incredible group of candidates who represent the diversity of the borough and bring competence and campaigning to the fore after decades of Tory mismanagement.

“We are happy to re-open the selection process to meet the high standards expected of Labour councillors.”