Six members of Luton Borough Council have resigned from the local Labour Group, saying they will form a new group to prioritise the town’s residents after a clash with the party’s eastern regional office.
Who has quit and why
The councillors who announced their resignations are Cllr Javed Hussain (the current mayor and former deputy council leader), Cllr Rob Roche, Cllr Tom Shaw, Cllr Yarun Begum, Cllr Rehana Malik and Cllr Rumi Chowdhury (the newly appointed portfolio holder for adult social care and public health).
In a joint statement the group said they were stepping away from the Labour Group because, in their view, decisions about the local Labour group’s democracy had been removed from locally elected Labour members and, by extension, from Luton residents. They added that control of the Labour Group was now with the Eastern region Labour Party and said they intended to "concentrate on the people of Luton and give back the democracy to them, and we will concentrate on their needs."
“As a group we have taken the decision to resign from the Labour Group . We feel that based on recent events the Labour Group of elected Councillors decision making on democracy has been taken away from the local elected Labour members and therefore the Luton residents.”
Immediate political implications
The council declined to comment on the resignations. A spokesperson for Luton Labour expressed disappointment at the departures and said they hoped to continue working together "to deliver the stronger, safer Luton our communities deserve." The statement from the party did not elaborate on the specific issues that led to the dispute with the regional office.
At this stage the principal facts are the six resignations and the formation of a separate group focused on local concerns. The moves may have practical consequences for how the council operates, how portfolios are delivered and how cross-party working is managed, particularly where the councillors held leadership or portfolio roles.
Quick reference
| Councillor | Role (as stated) |
|---|---|
| Javed Hussain | Current mayor; former deputy council leader |
| Rob Roche | Councillor |
| Tom Shaw | Councillor |
| Yarun Begum | Councillor |
| Rehana Malik | Councillor |
| Rumi Chowdhury | Portfolio holder for adult social care and public health (newly appointed) |
- Number involved: Six councillors resigned from Luton Labour Group.
- Main reason given: Alleged takeover of local decision‑making by the Eastern region Labour Party.
- Official responses: Luton Borough Council declined to comment; Luton Labour expressed disappointment and a hope to continue working together.
The full local impact — on committee composition, portfolio delivery and the council’s working majority where relevant — will become clearer as the councillors establish their new group and detail how they intend to operate within the council. InfoRadar will follow developments and report any formal changes to committee memberships or voting arrangements affecting Luton residents.
