Jas Athwal has been elected as Labour MP for Ilford South after a decade as the leader of Redbridge Council.
Cllr Athwal was declared the new MP at around 4am on 5 July, with 16,537 votes – a majority of 6,894.
Noor Jahan Begum, an independent candidate, placed second with 9,643 votes. She comfortably beat candidates from the Conservative Party, the Greens, and the Liberal Democrats.
Cllr Athwal will remain as leader of the council until 25 July, when a new councillor will be appointed to the role. He gave no indication of who his successor will be, and said it would be up to the controlling Labour group to decide.
In his speech, the father-of-four said he would “stand and fight for my neighbours,” putting “country above party and personal above politics”.
He added the nascent Labour government offered the “opportunity and privilege to “shape a brighter future for Ilford and our country”.
The 4 July election saw Keir Starmer’s Labour claim a landslide victory over the Conservatives. As of 10.53am this morning, Labour has gained 214 seats in an election that has seen former prime minister Liz Truss lose her seat. Labour currently have 412 MPs, while the Tories have faced bitter defeat with just 121 seats.
Cllr Athwal told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) his first priority as Ilford South’s MP would be its finances. He said: “The council cannot keep surviving – and not just this council, but all the councils.
“We need to look at how the funding formula works. There are a lot of problems – where do you start?”
He also pointed to tackling issues with housing, crime, and NHS waiting lists as priorities for the new Labour government.
Cllr Athwal said Labour leader Keir Starmer had “galvanised support” within the Labour Party and had now done so within the country, having led the party to a “historic” victory over the Conservatives.
In a word, he felt “relieved”. His election had been a “long journey,” he said, and he was seen sharing embraces with tearful family members and fellow councillors.
Having taken over Redbridge Council in 2014, the Mayfield ward councillor had initially sought the Labour nomination for Ilford South in 2019.
Accusations of impropriety – later found to be baseless – derailed his application, and Sam Tarry was instead put forward for the Labour safe seat. Tarry was then controversially deselected in 2022 and replaced by Cllr Athwal.
During his own victory speech, Ilford North’s Labour MP Wes Streeting congratulated his neighbour for “finally” being elected. Streeting’s majority was much slimmer, with the future health secretary beating independent Leanne Mohamad by 538 votes.
Begum had similarly stood against Cllr Athwal as an alternative to mainstream politics. Though she acknowledged the Labour victory, she said she was positive about her “really strong, uplifting” campaign.
She added: “There’s a very strong appetite for positive change. We’ve had Labour for eleven years in Redbridge – and I’d like some improvement.”
The election was also a proving ground for the Greens, candidate Syed Siddiqi said.
He said he wanted the party to be formidable in the 2026 local elections and they would be the priority.
Speaking to the LDRS at around 11pm – five hours before his seat was called – Siddiqi said: “We’re hopeful for a positive response from the residents, and hopefully this will be the start of Redbridge Green Party being more vocal, more present and proactive in local elections coming forward.”
Voter turnout in Ilford South was 59.67%, with 41,338 votes cast.
The full results of the Ilford South election can be found below:
Jas Athwal – Labour – 16,537 votes
Noor Jahan Begum – Independent – 9,643 votes
Sayeed Syduzzaman – Conservatives – 6,142 votes
Syed Siddiqi – Green Party – 3,437 votes
Forhad Raj – Reform UK – 2,329
Golam Tipu – Works Party – 1,366 votes
Claire Richard – Liberal Democrats – 1,340 votes
Andy Walker – Trade Unionists and Socialists Against Cuts – 376 votes
