Phil Graham

REBEL councillor Phil Graham has become the fourth to join the independent benches at the Town Hall after yesterday (Thursday) resigning from the Labour Party.

Cllr Graham, who has represented Bunhill since 2018, has been outspoken about his disagreements with his own party in recent months, criticising its treatment of former leader Jeremy Corbyn, and Sir Keir Starmer’s approach on Gaza.

He was suspended from the party in May after he openly backed Mr Corbyn’s successful campaign to hold the Islington North constituency as an independent candidate.

Mr Graham told the Tribune: “I couldn’t hold my head up high in public any more saying I support the Labour Party.”

The now independent councillor said the final straw was Tuesday evening’s vote to keep the two-child benefit cap and Labour’s move to withdraw the whip from the seven MPs who voted with an SNP motion to scrap it.

“It finally showed me that there’s no place left for me in this party,” said Cllr Graham.

“For Starmer to use starving children as a ‘show of strength’ is a disgrace.”

He added: “There’s no one more happy to see the back of the Tories than me, but it demonstrates that you can’t put a cigarette paper between us and them. Labour is not far off being the Tories.”

He does not accept Mr Starmer’s claim that scrapping the cap would not be economically possible.

“One of the first things he announced was £3billion to Ukraine,” Cllr Graham said.

“So we can afford money for wars, but we can’t afford to take children out of poverty.”

Asked what his message to Labour councillors would be, Cllr Graham said: “I’ve got every respect for you. I’ve enjoyed working with you over the past six years.

“You’re a good bunch but you’re being led astray from Labour principles by a leadership who have demonstrated they have no care for the poor.”

He said that he was looking forward to working with the other independent councillors, and insisted that he remains committed to “pushing for more and more social housing”.

He said: “I’ve stuck by my principles all along, and that’s all I can do. I don’t want to be treacherous to the people who voted for me, and I hope they don’t see me resigning as a sign that I’m going to represent them less. I’m going to be able to represent them even more.”

Council leader Kaya Comer-Schwartz said: “Cllr Graham has been a great champion of Bunhill residents as a ward councillor since being elected and has been a great advocate for worker’s rights across our borough and beyond.”

She added: “I hope that Cllr Graham will continue to work with us to deliver for Islington’s residents and create a more equal Islington.”