Deselected Barnet Tory Sury Khatri urges voters to back Labour in council elections
Cllr Suri Khatri. Picture: BARNET COUNCIL - Credit: Archant
A deselected Conservative on Barnet Council hopes his own party loses to Labour on May 3.
Sury Khatri, former deputy chair of the council’s audit committee used his valedictory speech to urge voters to back local Labour candidates.
As reported in the Ham&High, Cllr Khatri resigned the party whip in March, losing the Tories their majority on the council when he was not selected to stand again in the north London borough.
Speaking at his final meeting on Thursday evening, he said: “My time at the council has been overshadowed by the disastrous Capita contract, which is falling apart at the seams,” he said. “Four years on, issues still keep crawling out of the woodwork. This contract represents poor value for money, and the residents are being fleeced.”
He also criticised Barnet deputy leader Cllr Daniel Thomas, who deselected him from Mill Hill ward after eight years on March 15, allegedly due to his scepticism of Capita.
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Cllr Khatri said: “As Cllr Thomas lays the ground for his right-wing and hard-Brexit based leadership coup, he only wants yes men in the Conservative group.
“The people of Hale will get a significant upgrade in the quality of their representation if they vote for the Labour candidates.”
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He endorsed Labour candidates Rachel Barker, Liron Velleman and Ernest Ambe.
Rachel Barker tweeted: “I am very pleased to receive the endorsement of Cllr Khatri.
“There aren’t many Barnet Tory councillors I believe care about the local area above and beyond their own interests - but he is one.”
Cllr Khatri also criticised the handling of bin collections and the move from Mill Hill to Abbots depot by Cllr Thomas.
He said: “One cannot put such important projects in the hands of such a useless person.
“Who is going to pick up the tab? Not Capita but Barnet taxpayers.”
Chairman of the Audit Committee Cllr Hugh Rayner tweeted: “After three hours of intelligent cross-party discussion analysing the inner workings of London Borough of Barnet it is sad that Cllr Khatri thought it to be the right time for a vitriolic outburst criticising the way the LBB operates in general & insulting me in particular.”
