New Lib Dem council chief names leadership team

The new Liberal Democrat leader of Luton Borough council has named his first executive team.

It includes two of the six Labour councillors who quit the party in July, plus Liberal Democrat Steve Stephens, whose no-confidence motion saw previous leader Tahmina Saleem ousted after just four months.

Amjid Ali was elected on 14 September and his administration has councillors from the Liberal Democrat, Independent Alliance and Conservative groups, with Labour now the official opposition.

He said: "I want this to be an open and accessible administration and we will listen to residents, work with our communities and be willing to hear different views."

Ali held his first full council meeting on 22 September and will lead the authority until the next local elections in May 2027.

He had been opposition leader of the Liberal Democrats since 2024, having represented the Barnfield Ward since 2019.

He said: "Our focus will be simple: to serve the people of Luton and get on with the job of delivering for our town.

"There are challenges ahead, but we will face them together with openness, responsibility and a clear focus on what matters to people."

On 3 September, Stephens put forward the motion to remove Saleem, which was carried by 26 votes to 21 with one abstainer later in the month, and will now be responsible for waste, climate change and neighbourhood services on the authority.

Rob Roche is the new deputy leader, having left Labour in July to form the Independent Alliance group, after being a member of long-serving leader Hazel Simmons' executive team.

Simmons stood down as leader in March after 19 years but Roche later claimed he was driven to quit the party because she had been "forced out" of her leadership role.

Roche said: "I am really pleased to be back on the executive as housing portfolio holder.

"I am able to build on the work I did previously and build on the constructive partnerships in the sector including homelessness and temporary accommodation."

Rumi Chowdhury was another who quit Labour in July, just two months after being named in Saleem's first cabinet, but returns to the executive as the member responsible for women, equalities and community safety.

Khtija Malik, a former Labour councillor who joined the Independent Alliance in August, is now responsible for public health, having previously served on Simmons' executive team.

Aslam Khan, who leads the Conservative group on the authority, will now be in charge of regeneration and inclusive growth, having previously been deputy leader of the authority during his 12 years as a member of the Labour group.

Liberal Democrat councillors Adrees Latif (sustainable development and highways), Matt Fry (finance), Lee Bridgen (children's services) and Richard Underwood (adult social care) make up the rest of the executive.

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