The Labour party in North West Essex has gained a new member after Stansted Liberal Democrat councillor Ayub Khan announced he was defecting.
The parish councillor who lost Stansted South and Birchanger seat on Uttlesford District Council at last year’s local elections said he was “rejoining” Labour.
It comes in the wake of the party’s success at the Saffron Walden town council by-election on June 12 when Cherry Parker won Labour’s first seat on the authority in 20 years.
Ayub has since been out campaigning on the streets of Stansted with Labour’s parliamentary candidate Issy Waite, who takes on Conservative Kemi Badenoch at the polls on July 4.
He told the Indie that he had left the Lib Dems with no hard feelings. “I left the Labour party because of Jeremy Corbyn and when I came to Stansted the Lib Dems gave me a welcome home which I am grateful for and I consider them friends.
“But before coming to the village I was a Labour member of Ilford North and I am excited to represent them again given their commitment to social and economic justice and I’m looking to bring my experience back to them once more.”
Ayub moved to Stansted in 2018 with his family and said he would still campaign on local issues such as airport fly parking and holding Essex County Council to account over highways issues.
“I succeeded in getting a council tax rebate for people on lower incomes as a Lib Dem and can use my expertise on local issues and bring all of that to Labour.
“The Lib Dems gave me a welcoming, temporary home and they were disappointed I was leaving, but wished me well and I left on very good terms,” he added.
“But we all work together on local issues in the interest of our residents and my priority as a parish councillor is to stick up for the people of Stansted and I will continue to do that.”
“I think people want to see a positive alternative and that’s what Labour has always represented. People are fed up in this constituency with Kemi Badenoch who is more interested in what goes on in Westminster and people can see through that.”
There is currently a vacancy for a new Stansted parish councillor following the resignation of Jamie Hogg, who has left for personal reasons. No requests for an election have been received so the council will co-opt a new member.