DISSATISFIED left-wing councillors have "regrettably" split away to form their own faction within Harrow's council chamber.

The Independent Labour group has been created in the wake of the election of Councillor David Perry as the new leader of the ruling Labour group at its annual general meeting on Monday April 15.

This new nine-strong group announced its formation with Councillor Thaya Idaikkadar, who was deposed by Mr Perry but remains the leader of Harrow Council at least until the Mayor-making annual council meeting on May 21, as its leader today.

Councillor Krishna James, the Independent Labour group chairwoman, said: "It is with great regret that we have to form the Independent Labour Group. It was impossible to ignore the lack of fairness, equality and justice, and attempts to resolve matters have not been successful.

"The Independent Labour Group subscribes to Labour values and its members remain members of the Labour Party."

Nine councillors in total have joined the breakaway faction.

The current Mayor of Harrow, Councillor Nizam Ismail, and the Deputy Mayor of Harrow and new mayor-elect, Councillor Nana Asante, are also among the rebels.

Twenty-five councillors are left in the 'ruling' Labour group - the same number as the Conservative opposition.

Consequently no one group has overall control of the council and it throws into question the future administration of the authority.

Mr Akhtar said: "At the end of the day what matters is the residents of Harrow.
"We will welcome any positive suggestions. This is something that we have to work out, and it is ongoing.
"We want to have a key part in an administration. We are very open minded."
Conservative group leader Councillor Susan Hall said: "Knowing the members of the new group as well as I do - some of whom informed me of
their desire to split a few weeks ago - I know they have not made this decision lightly.
"Conservatives believe in fairness and transparency; qualities which appear not to exist in the Labour group.
"We therefore support and welcome the decision of these councillors to form their own group, to make their voices heard, and to take a stand."

INDEPENDENT LABOUR:

Thaya Idaikkadar

Krishna James

Husain Akhtar

Asad Omar

Nana Asante

Zarina Khalid

Raj Ray

Nizam Ismail

Mano Dharmarajah

HARROW COUNCIL'S POLITICAL MAKE-UP:

Labour 25

Conservative 25

Independent Labour 9

Independent 3

Liberal Democrat 1

St Luke's Summer Proms returns for it's third year, bringing the West End experience to Harrow-on-the-Hill in aid of the local hospice.

The prom season opens in magnificent style at St Mary's Church at 7.30pm on June 15 with a line up of top string players such as the director of the Royal College of Music Colin Lawson, principal harp of the London Symphony Orchestra Karen Vaughan and conductor at London's Royal Opera House Christopher Willis.

TRAIN services are still operating with delays after two incidents this morning.

The Bakerloo line has reopened after being closed between Queen's Park and Harrow and Wealdstone due to a minor fire at Queen's Park.
elays on the rest of the line due to a trespasser on the track at Hyde Park Corner.

THE ONLY known poem written by Sir Winston Churchill as an adult went unsold at an auction.

The former Prime Minister attended Harrow School and during his time there he won an award for poetry.

AN EVENT celebrating the life and works of Oscar Wilde is being hosted at Harrow School's historic Speech Room, to help raise money for Harrow Mencap.

There will be music, drama and a raffle with a £200 Harrods voucher and a £50 John Lewis voucher as prizes on Saturday next week, at 6pm.

PASSENGERS were evacuated from a bus after it caught fire at Harrow Bus Station.

The incident happened at just after 9.30pm on Tuesday in College Road, Harrow.

SPECIALISTS installed a replica gantry on Harrow on the Hill that harks back 300 years to the area's roots as a coaching stop.

It took six hours for the wooden structure to be constructed on the green, in High Street, on Wednesday, March 27.

CHILDREN buried a time capsule beside the foundations of a new replica gantry in Harrow on the Hill.

The members of the children's committee of amenity association of Harrow Hill Trust slipped the hermetically sealed tube packed with modern day artefacts and personal effects into a hole on the green in High Street.

TWO chartered accountancy firms in Harrow merged last week.

Chartered accountants RDP Newmans and Stephen Daniel and Co joined together to create RDP Newmans LLP incorporating Stephen Daniel and Co.

Stephen Daniel has been going since 1979 and acts for a range of organisations, including sole traders, partnerships and limited companies in a variety of industry sectors.

The team will move to the Newmans office at Lynwood House, Station Road, Harrow.

Stephen Daniel partner Michael Kraus, said: "We believe we will be able to provide a wider range of services to our clients while retaining our personal contact.

"RDP Newmans share our ethos of excellent service, deep expertise, and an environment our clients and staff will want to be a part of."

Harrow on the Hill councillor David Gawn continued to claim his full councillor allowance despite not being able to attend evening council meetings for a month and a half due to a curfew.
The former Labour ward councillor, 35, of Lankers Drive, South Harrow, received concurrent 10-week prison sentences suspended for a year after admitting one count each of fraud and attempted theft, and had a six week doorstep curfew from 8pm to 7am imposed.