An ex leader of Southwark Labour and current borough cabinet member has joined the Greens as Sir Keir Starmer’s party continues to see a wave of councillor defections in London in the run up to local elections.
James McAsh blamed Labour becoming “intolerant of anyone pushing for progressive change” for his defection on Wednesday.
He added: “I grew up in a Labour household and I’ve devoted much of my adult life to the party. I’m proud of the work I’ve done in Southwark - but Labour is no longer the vehicle for social justice I once thought it was.
“My trade union and political life has been defined by fighting austerity.
“I cannot in good conscience tell residents to vote Labour, knowing the harm that Labour’s cuts will do.”
Council elections are due to be held in London on May 7.
London Labour has lost at least 20 councillors in the city defections and by-election defeats since Sir Keir became Prime Minister.
Mr McAsh is the Southwark Labour cabinet member for clean air, streets and waste. He follows Southwark councillor Sam Foster, who revealed in December that he had joined the Greens from Labour, and Rotherhithe councillor Kath Whittam, who also defected to the Southwark Green Party in November.
Zack Polanski, Leader of the Green Party, said: “I am hugely proud to welcome James to the Green Party today.
“He is a hard-working and principled champion for his community. Labour is more interested in toxic factionalism than choosing the best people to represent local communities, such as James, a primary school teacher and trade unionist.”
He was briefly elected the leader of Southwark Labour in July last year but the result was overturned by the national party.
It prompted some of the borough’s councillors to accuse Labour of a "stitch-up" after they were forced to re-run the election when the left-wing candidate was chosen.
The London Labour Party ordered that the result be quashed due to breaches of party rules.
It followed reports that some councillors had voted by proxy. Neil Coyle, the Labour MP for Bermondsey and Old Southwark, raised concerns over the process as the contest had been so tight.
It resulted in the regional party ordering a new ballot be held online rather than in person. Sarah King won the second poll to become leader of Southwark Labour and the council.
The party has been haemorrhaging councillors in the capital to the Lib Dems, Greens, Tories and independents for several months
Hounslow councillor Vickram Grewal announced in November that he was joining the Conservatives, accusing Labour of financial “mismanagement.”
Lewisham councillor Liam Shrivastava and Haringey councillor Mark Blake last summer blamed what they described as the Labour’s shift to the right under the Prime Minister for their defections to the Greens.
Ex Lambeth Labour councillor Martin Abrams also defected to the Greens in September. He was suspended from Labour in 2024 for supporting a Green motion calling for a ceasefire in Gaza.
Three Barking and Dagenham councillors formed the first political opposition to Labour in Barking and Dagenham in over a decade in September.
Moin Quadri, Victoria Hornby and Faruk Choudhury said they had become uncomfortable with Labour “refusing to take a principled stand on Gaza” and “adopting divisive anti-immigration rhetoric" as they joined the Greens.
Two Hammersmith and Fulham Labour councillors - Trey Campbell-Simon and Liz Collins - also resigned from Labour in July and joined the Greens, citing Sir Keir’s rightward shift.
Westminster councillor Paul Fisher quit the party and joined the Conservatives, blaming London Mayor Sir Sadiq Khan's Oxford Street pedestrianisation “vanity project”.
Councillor Toby Benton, who represents Colville Ward in Kensington and Chelsea, joined the RBKC Independent Group.
Labour has also lost several council by-elections in the capital since Sir Keir won a landslide general election victory.
The Lib Dems stormed to victory in the poll for the West Hampstead seat on Camden council in the Prime Minister’s backyard in August.
Pro-Gaza Independents beat Labour in an east London council by-election amid grassroots anger at the Government in March.
Noor Jahan Begum won the Redbridge council seat vacated by the borough’s former leader, Jas Athwal, who was elected a Labour MP last year.
Sir Keir’s party also suffered a surprise by-election defeat in west London amid ongoing anger over council tax increases.
Independent Theo Dennison, who had previously worked for George Galloway’s parliamentary office, won the Syon and Brentford Lock seat on Hounslow Council by just 12 votes following a poll in March.
Labour lost a central London by-election to the Tories amid the row over Sir Sadiq’s plans for Westminster and concerns about traffic changes in February.
