Lambeth (Parliament Politics Magazine) – Labour has deselected a Jewish councillor in Streatham, Lambeth, citing her pro-Gaza stance, sparking debate over party discipline and internal tensions.
The leaders of Keir Starmer‘s party have been charged by Councillor Martin Abrams with “pursuing their factional obsession against the interests of both the community and the Labour Party.”
Because he demanded a stop to the slaughter in Gaza, Martin Abrams, a councillor for Lambeth’s Streatham St Leonard’s ward, was deselected by the Labour Party and is not permitted to run for office in the 2026 local elections.
The action was taken a few weeks after Manchester Mayor and former Labour leadership candidate Andy Burnham demanded an end to the party’s factional internal strife, which has resulted in tens of thousands of members leaving since Keir Starmer took over in 2000 with the support of former Lambeth Council governor Morgan McSweeney.
The ward of Streatham St Leonard’s is located in the Streatham and Croydon North parliamentary constituency of right-winger Steve Reed OBE, who was close to McSweeney while serving as Lambeth Council’s leader.
With the most votes of all the Labour candidates running in his ward, Abrams defeated the Greens to win his council seat in 2022. However, three years later, the council’s Labour leadership prohibited him from ever giving his first speech at Brixton Town Hall.
After endorsing a Green Party motion advocating for “an immediate ceasefire and the end to human rights atrocities in the Israel/Palestine conflict,” Abrams had the position of party whip rescinded in 2024.
Abrams was given a three-month suspension from the group, which has remained in place for nearly 18 months despite the fact that the motion was one month ahead of official Labour policy.
The Jewish councillor, Abrams, called Labour’s disciplinary process “a show trial.”
To avoid facing disciplinary penalties from their party (for voting with the Greens) over this significant moral issue, 20 of Labour’s 58 council members did a bunk when the Gaza motion was presented at a Lambeth Council meeting in January 2024.
“Former Labour cabinet member, Cllr Sonia Winfred, was also suspended. She quit her role as a councillor in Knight’s Hill and has now joined the Green Party.”
Due to a legacy policy that dates back to Reed’s tenure at Brixton Town Hall and his “Cooperative Council” project, Lambeth has stumbled from disaster to crisis under council leader Claire Hollands.
Like its neighboring borough Croydon, Lambeth is currently under special financial measures after needing a £40 million government bailout for its housing service and its failed housing company, Homes for Lambeth.
Longtime and well-known, Abrams is a member of Momentum, the Labour membership organization founded to back former leader Jeremy Corbyn.
Although he was prohibited from running for Labour again, Corbyn won the parliamentary seat for Islington North in the General Election in July while running as an independent. Since 1983, Corbyn has represented Islington North as an MP.
When Inside Croydon questioned Abrams last night about his potential intentions for the election, he only replied, “I’m sleeping on it.”
Andy Burnham advised the Labour Party last month that factionalism “has bedevilled us on all sides of the party and across the left,” yet Abrams’ deselection appears to contradict that counsel.
Abrams sent a statement on social media last night.
He said:
“I have recently been notified by the Labour Party that I am being blocked from re-standing as councillor candidate in the 2026 local elections in Lambeth.
The reason given was because I remain suspended from Lambeth Labour Group for breaking the whip in January 2024 and voting for a motion that called for a full and immediate ceasefire in Gaza, only a month before this belatedly became official Labour policy.
I do not regret using my small platform to stand up and speak out against the genocide taking place in Gaza, carried out by the Israeli regime with the support of the UK government.”
He further added that as a local councillor he has worked tirelessly to be a strong voice for a fairer, more equal and greener community in Streatham St Leonard’s ward and it was one of the proudest days of his life being elected as Lambeth councillor in 2022.
Since being trusted with this opportunity by the local community, he has worked hard to be as accessible and responsive as possible, to listen and be empathetic to the needs of our community during a time when people are facing one of the most severe cost of living crises and housing emergencies in living memory.
He said:
“I am very proud of the work I have done as a local councillor in our wonderful community of Streatham St. Leonard’s, but my work does not stop here. There is 11 months until the elections in May 2026 and I will continue what I was elected to do and stand up for the voiceless and for those facing injustice in Streatham, Lambeth and beyond.
I have always seen my political purpose is to fundamentally shift wealth and power away from the rich, powerful and those few people where it is concentrated most and that will never change.
Thank you to everyone that has supported and expressed solidarity.”
How did the Gaza ceasefire vote influence disciplinary actions against Lambeth councillors?
Because Lambeth Labour council members disobeyed the party whip by endorsing a Green Party motion demanding an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, the vote on the ceasefire immediately led to disciplinary proceedings against them.
Four Labour council members—Martin Abrams, Sonia Winifred, Deepak Sardiwal, and Sarina Da Silva (who abstained)—voted in support of or against the ceasefire motion at a full council meeting on January 24, 2024.
The Labour leadership rejected the motion, calling it “divisive.” The proposal asked the leader of the Labour council to urge national leaders to look into human rights abuses and seek a ceasefire.
Jewish councilor and vocal pro-Palestinian activist Martin Abrams was suspended indefinitely after being called the rebellion’s “ringleader”.