LOCAL ELECTIONS: Labour scents victory at last in Barnet

Barnet Council’s Conservative administration faces “serious difficulties” in stopping Labour taking control of the borough at next week’s local elections, a leading Tory peer has told Jewish News.

Polling expert Lord Robert Hayward believes there is “every prospect” Labour could win Barnet for the first time in history as voters go to the polls next Thursday in England, Wales and Scotland.

Success for the Barnet Labour Group would be seized upon by leader Sir Keir Starmer and his supporters as the clearest evidence yet that the party has begun to rid itself of the stain of antisemitism that was so prevalent under former leader Jeremy Corbyn.

Polling expert Lord Robert Hayward believes there is “every prospect” Labour could win Barnet for the first time in history

More than 15 percent of Barnet’s population is Jewish, around 55,000 people – the largest community in the country.

While Barnet Tories continue to retain strong support in wards such as Garden Suburb, Golders Green, Edgware, and Totteridge Woodside, the picture is believed to be less rosy for the party in some of the critical marginal seats.

Publicly, Labour is refusing to talk up its chances of seizing Barnet, which has been under continuous Conservative control since its creation in 1964, except for two terms between 1994 and 2002 when Labour governed but only with the support of the Liberal Democrats.

But in the past week, at least three senior MPs, including shadow chancellor Rachel Reeves, have been helping activists, many of whom are linked to the Jewish Labour Movement (JLM), with door-knocking sessions in target wards in Barnet.

One senior Labour source, closely allied to leader Starmer, told Jewish News: “It would be a huge achievement for Labour to take control of Barnet given the short amount of time Keir Starmer has had to restore the Jewish community’s trust after the Corbyn era. It does appear possible, but it is a tough target.”

Success for the Barnet Labour Group would be seized upon by leader Sir Keir Starmer and his supporters as the clearest evidence yet that the party has begun to rid itself of the stain of antisemitism that was so prevalent under former leader Jeremy Corbyn.

But Hayward, who has long specialised in predicting election results and patterns, said: “Barnet is one of the London boroughs that the Tories face serious difficulties in.

It was a major surprise the Tories increased their majority on the council last time in 2018. This was not only to do with Labour’s antisemitism, there were also local issues. But there is every prospect Labour could win this time.”

Standing in Labour’s way are leading Barnet Tories such as Peter Zinkin, previously a candidate for United Synagogue president, who is standing in the Childs Hill ward, Dean Cohen, who stands in Golders Green and Melvin Cohen, the council’s longest serving councillor, who is celebrating 40 years of public service. Eva Greenspan also stands in the Finchley Church End ward, while Mark Shooter contests Hendon again.

Zinkin told Jewish News: “Barnet Conservatives have a clear vision for the borough – A Borough residents enjoy living in and non-residents want to come and live in.

“This means the infrastructure of the borough good schools, excellent parks and green spaces, provision for all ages from the old to the very young, transport links, roads and pavements , retail and leisure facilities have to support the vision.

“Our policies will ensure that this positive vision for Barnet is maintained. By contrast Labour spend most of their time running this excellent Borough down and will not deliver a borough residents want to live in.”

“Lord Robert Hayward: “Barnet is one of the London boroughs that the Tories face serious difficulties in.

In a borough with many issues over major roads and concrete flyovers, Barnet Tories are attempting to capitalise on frustration among motorists over issues such as oversized cycle lanes, blaming the Labour Mayor of London.

The Tories also claim to be best placed to oversee development and densification concerns, and claim success on issues such as rubbish collections.

Barnet Tory Group leader Dan Thomas, told Jewish News: “Barnet Conservatives are proud that our borough has the largest Jewish population in the UK. We’re also proud that a third of our councillors elected in 2018 are Jewish.”

“We’ve worked hard to ensure Barnet is a family-friendly, cohesive borough with the best schools, safe places of worship and beautiful open spaces.

“We understand that the cost of living is a concern, which is why we’ve frozen council tax and continue to have lower council tax than our neighbouring Labour councils.

“Many residents take advantage of the Chometz collection service at Pesach; we pledge to retain this service and keep weekly bin collections. ”
The national picture, with Boris Johnson at the centre of “Partygate” allegations, and with the rising cost of living crisis, is also hitting the Tory local election campaign hard. Hayward said he believed the “difficulties” faced by the prime minister will “go on and on and on”.

With the LibDems concentrating their efforts in the West Finchley part of the borough, the straight fight between Labour and the Conservatives is likely to come down to the result in around six marginal seats in the borough.

The national picture, with Boris Johnson at the centre of “Partygate” allegations, and with the rising cost of living crisis, is also hitting the Tory local election campaign hard

These include the Whetstone, East Barnet, Edgwarebury and Childs Hill wards in which votes cast by members of the Jewish community could make all the difference to the result on 5 May. Labour can seemingly also rely on traditional strongholds such as the Colindale wards and that of Burnt Oak. But they are also said to believe wards such as High Barnet and West Hendon are winnable.

The previously ultra-safe Tory seat of Hendon has also been affected by the emergence of an independent candidate attempting to whip up support by opposing the current administration’s Hendon Hub plan.

Owing to ward boundary changes in Barnet ahead of next week’s election, there is an increase in the number of wards from 21 to 24, resulting in the election of 63 councillors.

Jewish News understands Labour’s decision to field young activists from the Jewish community such as Ella Rose and Liron Velleman in Whetstone is also deemed to be having a positive effect.

Labour’s Ella Rose told attendees to a London Jewish Forum hustings event at Finchley Reform Synagogue on Tuesday that the party’s antisemitism crisis was now “in the past” under new leader Keir Starmer.

She said: “You heard it from Keir Starmer but you also need to hear it from us…the Labour party was institutionally antisemitic.

“They are sorry, and we are sorry. I’ve said ‘was’ because I firmly believe it was in the past, and I wouldn’t be here today if it wasn’t in the past.”

In nearby Edgwarebury, Josh Tapper, the former Jewish Googlebox star is also winning praise for his appearances at hustings events.

But one Labour source admitted “die-hard Tories are proving difficult to shift” in the newly- created ward.

Elsewhere in the borough, Tory sources insist the fact they are standing largely experienced candidates is working to the party’s clear advantage, as the electorate trusts those who have been in the game for longer.

One Labour source admitted “die-hard Tories are proving difficult to shift”

Meanwhile Rozenberg, the LibDem Group leader, who is standing in West Finchley, insisted his party is “offering residents a strong message”.

Attempting to build on ex-Labour MP Luciana Berger’s impact in the area, where she stood as a parliamentary candidate, Rozenberg said: “Just like in 2019 in some wards we came first and Labour third. The Conservative administration has run out of ideas and is going to be rejected by voters next week. I’m confident we will be key to giving voters a fresh start.”

Jewish News understands that if Labour wins the borough next week, leader Starmer will travel to the north London borough to take part in a press conference in which he is sure to thank Jewish voters for returning to his party.

Elsewhere, in CAMDEN, there seems little doubt that the council will remain under Labour control, with the local party fighting what is largely a defensive campaign aimed at maintaining the party’s sizeable majority over the other parties in the borough.

Council leader Georgia Gould has put considerable effort in making sure Camden Labour tackles problems around candidates and the Jewish community locally.

in Camden, there seems little doubt that the council will remain under Labour control

Sitting councillors deemed to be too close to the Corbyn era were deselected in advance of candidate selections.

The local Conservative Group, led by Oliver Cooper has decided not to be make the Labour antisemitism a major campaign issue, and the topic did not come up at a recent election hustings event at JW3. Cooper told Jewish News: “On issue after issue, Labour-run Camden isn’t listening to residents – and it needs a strong Conservative opposition to hold it to account.

“Both Labour and LibDems voted this month against banning high rises at the O2 Centre – only Conservatives will stop high-rises across Camden. Ensuring every resident and community is heard by Camden is our top priority.”

The Tories want to avenge losses in Belsize at the 2018 election, when the LibDems seized two seats. It is one of the few wards where Labour is expected to struggle, leaving two opposition parties to fight it out on a redrawn boundary map.

In Camden’s Hampstead Town ward, traditionally a Tory stronghold, the decision of popular communal figure Adrian Cohen to stand for Labour has also been a talking point.

The Tories want to avenge losses in Belsize at the 2018 election, when the LibDems seized two seats. It is one of the few wards where Labour is expected to struggle

Elsewhere in the newly-created South Hampstead ward, Izzy Lenga, a leading member of JLM who was outspoken about the impact of antisemitism under Corbyn is one of three Labour candidates standing.

HARINGEY is again one of Labour’s safest boroughs. But eyes will be on the Crouch End ward, with Rabbi David Mason standing for Labour in one of the LibDem Group’s favoured wards, with three councillors. Labour managed to win two seats in 2014, but the LibDems won them back with a 10 percent lead in 2018.

Rabbi Mason told Jewish News:””I’ve been out day in day out as part of an exciting and dynamic campaign in Crouch End. The response has been good and Jewish residents have in particular welcomed my candidacy.

“There’s no getting away from recent issues in the Labour party and my candidacy is a sign that Keir Starmer is cleaning things up and preparing the Labour movement for government.”

In ENFIELD, the gap between Labour, which currently controls the borough, and the Conservatives, is slightly closer than in some other London boroughs.  But it would still need the Tories to win all the marginals and pull off major surprises to win control again next week.

Main communal interest will be centred around the Oakwood and Cockfosters wards.

Father-and-daughter Tory candidates Julian Sampson (Oakwood), and Ruby (Cockfosters), are both expected to enjoy success.

Over in HACKNEY there are 57 seats up for grabs, representing 21 wards. Labour has previously held 52 seats and the Conservative opposition held five. This year, Labour and the Greens are fielding the full set of candidates, while the Independent Network is putting forward 10 – including three in Hackney Central – in the hope they can pick up votes from those opposed to low traffic neighbourhoods.

Hershy Lisser stands for the Conservatives in Stamford Hill West, Caroline Selman for Labour in the Woodberry Down ward.

In BRENT, Labour has again enjoyed overwhelming success in recent years, although there are signs of at least minor improvement for both local Tory and LibDem groups in the four early 2020 council by-elections, along with a 7.3 percent swing from Labour in Brent North at the 2019 general election.

Cllr Neil Nerva, Brent’s lead councillor for public health, is also a senior figure within the Jewish Labour Movement, who is standing again for Starmer’s party in the Queens Park ward.

For the Tories, Michael Maurice stands again in the Kenton ward, having previously been outspoken on the need for Holocaust education in the borough, and on the need for interfaith work.

In the Tory-run borough of WESTMINSTER, there has been talk of a strong challenge by Labour this time. And reductions to the number of councillors in the borough, as a result of ward changes, has certainly favoured the red party. But expected to perform strongly for the Tories in the Abbey Road ward is Alan Mendoza, an experienced operator in local politics.

Elsewhere, in RICHMOND, expected to perform well for the Greens in a borough where they enjoy increasing support is Andree Frieze, who stands in the Ham, Petersham and Richmond Riverside ward.

Frieze, who is involved in the EcoSynagogue, is married to Israeli husband Shimon Morad.

Meanwhile in REDBRIDGE, Labour, the Conservatives, Liberal Democrats, Greens, Redbridge Independents and Trade Union and Socialist Coalition are all fielding candidates.

In the Barkingside ward Judith Garfield stands for Labour, while in Churchfields Lloyd Dudderidge also represents the same party.

For the Conservatives, Howard Berlin stands in the Fairlop ward.

Elsewhere in HARROW, Nicola Blackman stands in the Edgware ward for the Tories.

In WANDSWORTH, home to the Moziac Jewish Primary School and the Nightingdale House care home, Jack Mayorcas, a JLM executive member, stands for Labour in the Trinity ward, while his party colleague Leonie Cooper fights the Furzedown ward.

Meanwhile, in BURY, Greater Manchester, the sizeable Jewish vote will be hugely important in determining whether the local Labour Group retain control of the Greater Manchester council.

Russell Bernstein stands for the Tories in the Pilkington Park ward.

Nathan Boroda stands for Labour in Unsworth as does his fellow Board of Deputies representative Michael Rubenstein in Pilkington Park.

Lord Hayward told Jewish News if the Tories do enjoy success locally it will be because of issues such as criticism of Mayor Andy Burnham’s clean air zone (CAZ) policy.

Jackie Harris stands for the Conservatives in Bury West.

Councillor Eamonn O’Brien the Labour Leader of Bury Council told Jewish News: “Bury Labour Group have always stood shoulder-to-shoulder with our Jewish community.

“From standing up to antisemitism within our party and without, to delivering new initiatives like a Shabbos crossing in Sedgley Park.”

Labour have also been attempting to capitalise on the local Tory Group’s issues around candidates making comments around Zionism and Israel.

It was significant that Prime Minister Boris Johnson decided to visit Bury earlier this week, suggesting the Conservatives believe they are in with a chance of making in-roads, and possible leaving Bury under no overall control next week.

Lord Hayward told Jewish News if the Tories do enjoy success locally it will be because of issues such as criticism of Mayor Andy Burnham’s clean air zone (CAZ) policy.