It was with great pleasure we welcomed back Labour Cllr Danny Beales to Camden. Rather than re-write the whole story the text from The Camden New Journal is copied below, or you can read it on the CNJ page here
Camden New Journal 22 September 2023
CONSERVATIVE Party members waited outside the Town Hall chamber with “welcome back” signs for a Labour councillor living in west London.
The political banter was aimed at Danny Beales, a cabinet chief in Camden who registered his permanent address in Hillingdon – and then voted for himself in a parliamentary by-election over there.
In a shock result which he blamed on London Mayor Sadiq Khan’s expansion of the ULEZ (ultra low emissions zone) to outer boroughs, Cllr Beales ended up failing to unseat the Tories in Uxbridge and South Ruislip. But he had not given up his place in Camden and was back on the front bench for Monday’s full council meeting.
Outside, three Conservative members held up “Welcome Back Danny” posters in old red and yellow Labour branding.
The Conservatives are aware that Cllr Beales, who had previously been living in Kentish Town, would not have been able to rent a house locally in west London simply for the purposes of voting in the by-election in July – so must now be officially a Hillingdon resident.
There is no suggestion that Cllr Beales has broken any of the electoral or local authority rules, and he can still qualify to be a councillor in Camden as long as his place of employment is within the borough. In the past, Camden has ruled that being an existing councillor can count as a work tie.
Tory members with ‘welcome back’ signs on Monday night
CONSERVATIVE Party members waited outside the Town Hall chamber with “welcome back” signs for a Labour councillor living in west London.
The political banter was aimed at Danny Beales, a cabinet chief in Camden who registered his permanent address in Hillingdon – and then voted for himself in a parliamentary by-election over there.
In a shock result which he blamed on London Mayor Sadiq Khan’s expansion of the ULEZ (ultra low emissions zone) to outer boroughs, Cllr Beales ended up failing to unseat the Tories in Uxbridge and South Ruislip. But he had not given up his place in Camden and was back on the front bench for Monday’s full council meeting.
Outside, three Conservative members held up “Welcome Back Danny” posters in old red and yellow Labour branding.
The Conservatives are aware that Cllr Beales, who had previously been living in Kentish Town, would not have been able to rent a house locally in west London simply for the purposes of voting in the by-election in July – so must now be officially a Hillingdon resident.
There is no suggestion that Cllr Beales has broken any of the electoral or local authority rules, and he can still qualify to be a councillor in Camden as long as his place of employment is within the borough. In the past, Camden has ruled that being an existing councillor can count as a work tie.
Conservative leader Gio Spinella kept the banter going
In a further quip, Camden’s Conservative group leader, Councillor Gio Spinella, said during the meeting: “May I give my greetings to the most illustrious resident of Uxbridge here in our midst – I hope that the Metropolitan line down to King’s Cross was not too long and arduous.”
Cllr Beales remains Labour’s candidate in Uxbridge and South Ruislip which will be heavily targeted at the next general election, while holding the regeneration chief role for Camden Council.
Labour councillor Danny Beales back in the council chamber in Camden
He has already said that there is not a conflict and that he plans to stay on as a councillor here.
“I’m still a Camden councillor and will continue to be and have been completing my casework and other responsibilities,” he said after the by-election result.
