Yes Claire: Loyalty wins the early selections for Lambeth Labour ahead of the May 2026 local elections

The next local elections in Lambeth aren’t until May 2026, but the Labour Party has already started lining up its candidates.

And in true Town Hall fashion, it’s proving to be less about finding the best people for the job and more about who’s in favour, who’s fallen out, and who can be relied upon to clap loudly enough when Council Leader Claire Holland finishes her speeches.

On paper, the selection process is straightforward. In practice, it’s a game of factional politics, friendships, and making sure the right people are in place to keep the current Leader, Cllr Claire Holland, in post.

Loyal Councillors – the Yes Men (and Women) – are quietly being ushered into safe seats. All of which matters because, should Labour once again sweep to a majority next May, Cllr Holland will need a reliable bunch of bessie mates behind her if she wants to avoid yet another leadership challenge.

That’s not theoretical. Holland has already faced questions about her grip on policy and politics. Housing continues to be a flashpoint.

Then there’s Brockwell Live, the West Dulwich LTN debacle, and the small matter of Lambeth failing to legally merge local schools.

Cabinet Members may have dropped the ball on the detail, but ultimately the buck stops with the Leader.

Labour dominates Lambeth Council with 57 out of 63 seats. The Greens and Liberal Democrats trail with three apiece. But even in the Labour ranks, things aren’t exactly united.

Cllr Martin Abrams has been suspended since January 2024 after he backed a Green Party Gaza ceasefire Motion, a move that got him blocked from standing again.

Meanwhile, Cllr Irfan Mohammed is suspended while dealing with “a little local difficulty” – in this case, serious sexual offence charges – which he denies – currently before Inner London Crown Court.

So, while Labour looks secure in the borough, the internal politics are fractious. That makes the current round of candidate selections all the more important.

So far, Labour has selected 29 candidates across 11 wards. Here’s how the deck is shaping up:

Titantic ahoy!

Brixton Acre Lane: Sarbaz Baznji, David Bridson, Rachel Duncan.

Not standing in 2026 is Cllr Maria Kaye, a former Cabinet Member who had what can politely be called a “challenging time” when given the Finance brief.

Brixton North: John-Paul Ennis, Nanda Manley-Brown, James Seabridge.

Current Cllr James Bryan is bowing out.

Brixton Rush Common: Adrian Garden, Marcia Cameron, Ben Kind.

No change here – just some old hands with considerable experience (and a touch of sycophancy) back for another four years if elected.

Brixton Windrush: Donatus Anyanwu, Scarlett O’Hara.

The Labour old guard rides again. Cllr O’Hara, the current whip, is invaluable to Holland – shielding her from awkward backbenchers and keeping the whip hand firm.

Donatus, meanwhile, spectacularly dropped the ball over Brockwell Live planning permission. He knows it, and so does his party Leader. The fact he’s still in post is less about forgiveness and more about the lack of fresh talent queueing up to replace him.

Clapham Park: Verity McGivern, Louie Somerville-Sutherland, Martin Tiedemann.

Missing is suspended Cllr Irfan Mohammed, who appeared in court on 27th August to deny multiple sexual assault charges – including allegations he showed a woman homemade masturbation videos.

Knight’s Hill: Ibtisam Adem, Jackie Meldrum, Emma Nye.

No change here. Particularly notable is Cllr Meldrum. If re-elected in May 2026, she’ll add to an already remarkable record of longevity in Lambeth Labour politics. She remains the borough’s Great Survivor.

Myatt’s Fields: Annie Gallop, Mollie Hartill.

Gone is Cllr Paul Gadsby, another former Cabinet Member. He broke ranks by publicly criticising Labour’s plans to turn to the private sector to bail out the failed Somerleyton Road regeneration. It seems his race is run.

Oval: Diogo Costa, Claire Holland, Bryn Scott.

Absent from the list is Cllr Issa Issa, who once worked for Vauxhall MP Florence Eshalomi. Relations between Eshalomi and Holland aren’t exactly warm, but of course personal politics never enter Labour selections…

Meanwhile, Bryn Scott is a fascinating pick: once part of Holland’s Leader’s Office at the Town Hall, now working for ex-Councillor turned MP Tom Rutland.

He also played a central role in drafting Lambeth’s pro-Israel Gaza motion at Full Council last year. If Holland likes to keep her friends close, Scott’s selection suggests she’s keeping them very close.

Stockwell East: Mohamed Hashi, Rebecca Spencer.

Cllr Spencer currently represents Gipsy Hill, but Labour has effectively given up that seat to the Greens, so she’s jumping to the safer climes of Stockwell East.

Spencer is Chair of the Corporate Committee and has earned a reputation for her “friendly” scrutiny of her leadership colleagues.

Notably absent here is Cllr Tina Valcarcel. Quietly suspended for two months after abstaining on cuts in this year’s Budget, she now looks done with the whole circus.

Streatham Common & Vale: Danny Adilypour, Dominic Armstrong, Sarah Cole.

No change.

Streatham Hill East: Liz Atkins, Rezina Chowdhry.

Again, no change.

Potentially four more years of Adilypour and Chowdhry. Whoop-de-doo.

Some of the biggest names are those not even in contention.

Cllr Jacqui Dyer, the Cabinet Member for Digital, Data and Resident Experience, is stepping down, reportedly fed up with the current leadership.

Cllr Jess Leigh has also decided not to re-stand, choosing instead to focus on her rather well-paid day job as a SpAd to Home Secretary Yvette Cooper, where she’s busy promoting “SMASH THE GANGS.”

Good luck with that one.

Still undecided are Cllr Deepak Sardiwal (Herne Hill & Loughborough Junction) and Cllr Sarina Da Silva (Waterloo & South Bank).

Both abstained on the Green Party Gaza ceasefire Motion, rather than vote it down as instructed by whip Scarlett O’Hara. Neither has confirmed whether they’ll seek re-election.

Taken together, the selections so far tell a story. Trusted loyalists are in, dissenters are out, and some of the borough’s longest-serving Councillors are finally calling it a day.

With Cllr Holland already weathering internal challenges, the next Labour group looks set to be one built to protect her leadership rather than test it.

Whether Lambeth voters in 2026 will care about these internal manoeuvrings is another question. Labour will almost certainly win big again.

But when the dust settles, it may be a very different type of Labour group sitting in the chamber – one with fewer awkward questions for the Leader, and a few more people willing to say “YES, Claire!”