Friday brief: Northants Labour MP says party needs to ‘debate radical policies’ while another is appointed to the cabinet
As the Labour government begins to implode, we ask the county’s Labour MPs what they think of the political melodrama
Corby’s Labour MP says the party needs to come up with some ‘radical policies’ to deliver change, amid the implosion of the government this week.
The pressure for PM Keir Starmer to go after the party’s disastrous results in the local elections, has ratcheted up this week with the resignation of Health secretary Wes Streeting and the announcement that rival Andy Burnham is hoping to make a return to Westminster by winning a by-election in Greater Manchester. Amid the turmoil and resignations Northampton North MP Lucy Rigby has this morning been appointed to the cabinet as the chief secretary to the treasury.
Today Corby’s MP Lee Barron, who as a former trade unionist official, is more to the left of the party, has said the party needs to rethink its policies.
He says he was not one of what he termed the ‘rebel alliance’ who had called for Starmer to stand down, but said the party did need to change direction. Starmer and his government have come under significant criticism since they were elected in 2024 over a series of u turns. Starmer has also faced criticism for his appointment of former labour politician Peter Mandelson to the US ambassador role.
He told NN Journal:
“Following the shit show this week, what is important now is that we have all the players on the field. What we need is a debate about some radical policies so that we can deliver the change we promised to people.”
He said he will be campaigning in the Makerfield by-election, as he did in Gorton and Denton and said he had supported Burnham in the past to be leader of the party, but that currently ‘there is no vacancy.’
This morning Kettering MP Rosie Wright, who served as a parliamentary private secretary in the department of health under Wes Streeting has also resigned her role this morning. She has not made a public statement but her departure has been confirmed by the regional party.
While a leadership contest has not as yet been called, it is understood to be a matter of weeks before that happens. PM Keir Starmer appears to be very reluctant to give up the leadership and could stand in the leadership contest against expected rivals of Streeting, Burnham and Angela Rayner.
MP for Northampton South, Mike Reader, said he would not be commenting today as he thought his constituents would not be interested in the ‘Westminster psychodrama’.
Wellingborough MP Gen Kitchen is a whip, which generally means she does not comment on government matters, as it is her job to make sure the MPs line up behind the PM. Lucy Rigby, has also not responded to our approach, but as she has accepted the new role, is a clear backer of Starmer.
Other news from the week
The family of murdered Indian woman Harshita Brella have travelled to the county to demand justice and renewed police action.
Harshita, who had been living in Corby, was murdered in November 2024, and her body found in a car boot in East London. She had been victim of domestic violence before her killing and was known to local authorities and police.
Police have charged her husband Pankaj Lamba with her murder, but he has not been arrested or brought to trial. He is known to be living in Delhi, with a number of sightings.
Ms Brella’s family, including her sister Dabas, father Satbir Singh Brella and mother Sudesh Kumari have arrived in Northamptonshire this week to meet with authorities and speak publicly about their grief, anguish and their ongoing fight for justice. To date, there has been no confirmed progress on extradition proceedings.
They will meet with Corby MP Lee Barron in Westminster next week. There will also be a vigil next Saturday (May 23) from 3.30pm to 4.30pm at the Hazelwood Neighbourhood Centre.
The family are being supported by the Northamptonshire Rights and Equality Council (NREC) and the women’s rights group Indian Ladies in UK (ILUK). NREC and the Indian Ladies UK are calling on UK authorities to intensify efforts to secure justice and to work with Indian counterparts to ensure that Pankaj Lamba is apprehended and returned to the UK to face trial.
Anjona Roy, chief executive officer of NREC, said:
“We are supporting Harshita’s family as they come to the UK to seek answers and demand justice for their daughter and sister. They have waited more than a year with very limited progress. They deserve clarity, accountability, and urgent action. This case raises serious concerns about how domestic abuse cases are handled and highlights the risks faced by women, particularly those who may be isolated or new to the UK. Systems must do better to protect those at risk.”
Poonam Joshi, founder of ILUK said:
“Abuse of migrant Indian women like Harshita Brella is endemic in the UK as evident by the hundreds of such victims that ILUK has worked with over the years. These victims become completely isolated when they travel to the UK and have little or no access to the support that Harshita, for example, tragically needed. It’s a hidden epidemic in our communities that must be dealt with urgently”.
A review by the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) found that four Northamptonshire Police officers should face misconduct proceedings in connection with the handling of Harshita’s case.
In a statement, to the BBC, Northamptonshire Police said:
“The investigation into Harshita’s death is ongoing and we remain as determined as ever to bring the person responsible for her death to justice.
“It is an exceptionally complex case and with criminal proceedings active in the UK, we are unable to go into detail about the investigation at this time.”
The West Northamptonshire Reform UK group will have its annual meeting tonight to decide who takes on what role in the next civic year.
Unlike the drama in the North, there is not expected to be a challenge to Cllr Mark Arnull’s leadership of West Northamptonshire Council, although there could be some change in the cabinet positions, with a new deputy leader expected to be appointed.
Daventry town councillors have objected to West Northants Council’s (WNC) plans to introduce new parking charges after a free parking period in some of its town centre car parks, accusing the authority of making the changes “through the back door”.
The unitary authority posted a draft notice of changes to its off-street car parking regulations last month, listing four short-stay car parks across Daventry and Towcester that will be subject to £5 hourly tariffs, after a free period of three hours.
WNC previously said the proposals were to tackle “persistent” overstaying and that the £5 hourly charge would be less severe than the current approach, which risks an immediate £30 fine.
The Primrose Hill and St. Johns Square car parks in the town centre will be affected by the changes, though they already have a three-hour maximum limit for free parking at certain hours, with users having to vacate the car park after this time.
Under the new proposals, weekend parking would be affected as the three-hour limit has been extended to apply seven days a week from midnight to 6pm, instead of the current Monday to Saturday 8am to 6pm times.
Speaking at a special meeting of Daventry Town Council (DTC) on Tuesday, May 14, Mayor Katie Thurston said she was “disappointed” in the way the proposed charges and consultation were communicated, as they were picked up by town councillors and MPs instead of being actively promoted by WNC.
“Compared to the budget consultation, this has kind of gone through the back door,” she said.
“Townspeople that responded to the previous consultation weren’t happy with the charges being implemented and I don’t think they expected it to come back to this.
“We’re yet to see the evidence-backed data to show there’s a need for this in the town centre car parks because actually, at the majority of times, there’s optimal capacity in both and by putting a [ANPR] barrier across you’re more likely to impact the traffic flow.
“By this going ahead, this is sort of opening the flood gates to what will come next.”
Cllr Ted Nicholl (Daventry South West) also raised concerns that the £5 per hour charge proposed would be higher than the current rates for Northampton parking at weekends, which currently offers two hours free and a flat rate of £2.20 for the entire day.
A council spokesperson has encouraged the town council to submit its comments as part of the consultation on the proposals, which is due to close today (May 14).
They added that all responses will be considered before a final decision is reached.
WNC previously said in response to concerns raised about the market town parking changes that persistent issues with overstaying in short‑stay car parks were identified in its draft budget consultation.
“To address this, the council is consulting on enforcing the existing free three‑hour limit in four larger short‑stay car parks – two in each town – using ANPR,” a spokesperson explained.
“To avoid penalising minor overstays, this approach replaces an immediate £30 penalty charge with a £5 per hour overstay charge, while leaving the free parking period unchanged.
“All comments on the draft order will be considered and amendments may be made, including the removal of overnight restrictions, as part of a pragmatic approach to supporting motorists, local businesses, and the vitality of both towns.”
Residents making representations or objections can email their feedback to WNCParkingenquiries@kier.co.uk
Report by Nadia Lincoln, local democracy reporter
A recent decision to move black bin collections across the whole of West Northants to every three weeks is facing a bid to have the ruling reversed, after concerns were raised that it could lead to more litter and odours on Northampton streets.
The Reform UK administration voted to bring its waste collection services into line across the authority, by introducing the ‘1 2 3+’ system, which has been in place in the Daventry area since 2018, to Northampton and South Northants.
This will see food waste collections every week, fortnightly recycling collections, and general waste bins being picked up every three weeks from spring next year. Residents in flats, households who use communal bins, and terraced properties who use black sacks will continue to be collected on a weekly basis.
The changes to the bin collections have now been called in by opposition councillors on the Conservative group, meaning the decision will be looked at more closely and reviewed by a scrutiny committee.
The request, sent by Conservative group leader Daniel Lister, raised a number of concerns around the wheeled bin changes, saying that applying the Daventry system to the highly dense, urban environment of Northampton is a “fundamentally flawed comparison”.
He continued:
“High-density housing and terraced streets face entirely different challenges regarding waste storage, side-waste, and vermin.
“Additionally, there has been a distinct lack of due consultation and proper advice. Asking residents a general question about whether services should be harmonised across the unitary authority is entirely different from explicitly consulting the residents of Northampton and South Northamptonshire on a massive reduction in their residual waste collection frequency.
“Due and targeted consultation with the specific residents who will be negatively impacted by this change has simply not been undertaken.”
A petition in opposition to the changes, which was launched a week before the cabinet decision took place, has now reached over 2,000 signatures from residents.
Other concerns raised include the disproportionate impact on larger families, lower-income households, and individuals with specific medical needs, who may fill up their bins more quickly or dispose of nappies or hygiene products.
The call-in request concluded:
“While we understand that harmonising services across West Northamptonshire is a stated principal goal of the Resource and Waste Strategy, achieving this by levelling down the service for Northampton and South Northamptonshire residents is a disproportionate and punitive measure.”
A council spokesperson has confirmed that the call-in has been received and accepted. An extraordinary scrutiny and overview committee has been scheduled for May 26 to discuss the decision.
In accordance with the constitution, the scrutiny committee may request that the cabinet revisit its decision and consider a range of alternative actions. Though the panel will be able to debate the matter in detail and make recommendations, they have no power to overrule the administration’s decision on the waste services.
An alternative course of action has already been set out by the call-in, which will ask the cabinet to reconsider its decision and pause the three-weekly collection rollout to undertake a targeted public consultation. It also says WNC should produce a risk assessment detailing the specific financial impact of increased fly-tipping and pest control in dense urban areas.
In a statement released by the council announcing that the three-weekly pick-ups had been approved, it said it would spend the year ahead engaging with communities and making sure people know what extra help is available.
This would include supporting larger households, families with babies, and residents with medical needs and providing larger black bins to eligible households.
Cllr Nigel Stansfield, cabinet member for environment, recycling and waste, added: “We know that changing waste collections can worry people, and we understand why.
“Our commitment is to work closely with residents to address as many issues as we possibly can. Our focus now will be listening to residents to understand their concerns and put the right support in place before any changes happen.
“We are not starting from scratch. We have real experience from Daventry about the varying needs of residents and we will use this to get it right.”
By Nadia Lincoln
NN Events
🌷Wilbarston, near Corby, is hosting an Open Garden this Sunday from 1pm to 5pm. Entry is £5.
🌿The life of Northampton leveller William Thompson will be commemorated on Tuesday (May 19) at the churchyard of All Saints’ Church in Northampton at 7pm.
⭐ The Oundle Vintage Festival is being held tomorrow from 10am to 4pm.