Cathall ward councillor Jonathan O’Dea is appealling the party’s decision to deselect him, reports Marco Marcelline & Sebastian Mann, Local Democracy Reporter
A Waltham Forest Labour councillor is challenging a decision to deselect him from standing in the May 2026 local elections.
Waltham Forest Labour unveiled its list of incumbent candidates standing in next year’s local elections last month.
Cathall councillor Jonathan O’Dea is one of three incumbent councillors who does not appear on the list, a decision which he is now appealing.
The Echo understands that two reasons were cited by the selection shortlist panel; these include concerns about Cllr O’Dea’s campaigning record, and an Israel-Hamas ceasefire motion that the Cathall councillor submitted before ceasefire support became wider Labour Party policy.
In documents related to the selection process seen by the Echo, candidate assessment panellists “felt [Cllr O’Dea] had not fully appreciated the role of the whip and the need for discipline by submitting a motion at a febrile time”.
Additionally the panel stated they “felt [Cllr O’Dea] did not give enough evidence, or show remorse, for why he submitted the motion… despite knowing party rules”.
Cllr O’Dea’s ceasefire motion was submitted on 3rd November 2023. He withdrew it on 6th November 2023, three days before Labour councillors backed a similar motion calling for a ceasefire submitted by the party leader Grace Williams.
The panellists also alleged he had not attended any formal campaigning sessions. He denies this, stating in an appeal letter that he had been to a total of nine between October 2024 and February this year.
Cllr O’Dea was not available for comment.
Tom Connor, who is generally seen as being on the left-wing of the party, was also not included on the list.
Councillor Connor, who represents the High Street ward and sits on the housing scrutiny committee, was suspended in January after voting against cuts to council tax support.
The controversial scheme, which officials said would save the town hall £2.23 million, changed the tax rules so thousands of residents on low incomes who previously only paid 15% of their council tax bill now pay as much as 43%.
The councillor told the Echo, shortly after his hearing: “A decision that would increase the financial hardship of those residents already known to be in poverty is not something I could vote for.”
A retired local government worker, he was supported by the socialist pressure group Momentum when he was selected to stand for election in 2017.
Other absences include St James ward councillor Sebastian Salek, while Lea Bridge councillor Gerry Lyons will now stand for election in the Valley ward.
No cabinet members have been removed from the ballots.
The party says candidates for the remaining wards will be selected later in the year.
Next year’s local elections, set for 7th May, will be seen as an indicator for how people feel about the mainstream political parties.
Most seats in the country were last up for election in 2022, when Labour won control of 74 councils against the Tories’ 35.
Waltham Forest Council is controlled by a substantial Labour majority, with the Conservatives forming the official opposition with 13 members.
The local Labour group did not respond to a request for comment.
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