A day after its best election results for 10 years, the Hillingdon Labour group unceremoniously dumped its leader.

Councillor Peter Curling lost a vote at the group annual meeting on May 24 to colleague and former group leader Mo Khursheed, pictured below . The vote numbers have not been revealed.

“That’s the way the cookie crumbles”, said a philosophical Mr Curling this week. “It’s just the democratic process. At the AGM, everybody has the chance to stand for a position. Mo stood, he got it and I didn't.

“I’m OK. I had two years, taking the group to the election and I think I have done my bit. I have taken us to our best election results for 10 years and I’m happy with that. I’m happy to take a back seat and support Mo as much as a I can.”

Councillor Mo Khursheed

In last week’s local council election, Labour won four seats from the dominant Conservatives but lost one back late in the day – in Yiewsley – by a wafer thin margin. The parties ended the day on 42-23 seats, a net gain for Labour of four.

But it took all three seats in the Heathrow Villages ward, where the future of the airport has been the most bitter of election issues.

“On the whole I think we did well,” said Mr Curling.

“The four gains were really encouraging and the loss (Yiewsley) was by two votes, which was really gutting.

“Lindsay (Bliss) is going to be a real loss.”

Mr Curling said his observations at the count suggested a lot of voters had ‘split the ticket’, using a scattergun approach by voting for one candidate each from non-mainstream parties such as UKIP, the Green Party and independents.

He said that, and the relative success of UKIP in some wards, where they polled fourth, indicated voter disaffection, although he was not surprised UKIP did not win a single seat in Hillingdon.

“I think that shows there is a large protest vote out there but I don’t think people were voting for UKIP to run the council or to have a UKIP councillor, but there was a large protest vote and I think the national parties should take note of that message.”

Councillor Khursheed has said the Labour group under his leadership will continue its ‘traditional values of fairness and equality.’

In his first leader’s column in the Uxbridge Gazette next week, he hails Labour gains in the capital and thanks everyone who voted for Labour candidates.

“We are as committed as ever to provide an effective opposition to the Tory administration and will continue to strive for the very best for the residents of the borough,” he wrote.

Councillor Ray Puddifoot, leader of the Conservative group, used his first post-election column to re-visit the airport issue, again accusing Labour of double dealing over Heathrow’s future.

And he concluded: “Against the tide of what has happened in some other Conservative controlled councils, I am both grateful and reassured that in Hillingdon our residents continue to support our honest approach of Putting Residents First.