By the time next year’s election rolls around 15 current members of the council will have held their seats continuously for 20 years or more.
The table below shows exactly how long they’ve been around
| Name | Date elected | Years to date |
|---|---|---|
| A SINGH | 04/05/1978 | 39.31 |
| C McAULEY | 06/05/1982 | 35.30 |
| R WALES* | 09/07/1992 | 25.12 |
| I CORBETT | 09/07/1992 | 25.12 |
| L HUDSON | 05/05/1994 | 23.30 |
| E SPARROWHAWK | 05/05/1994 | 23.30 |
| N WILSON | 05/05/1994 | 23.30 |
| C FURNESS | 01/05/1997 | 20.30 |
| Q PEPPIATT | 01/05/1997 | 20.30 |
| U DESAI | 07/05/1998 | 19.30 |
| R CRAWFORD | 07/05/1998 | 19.29 |
| J LAGUDA | 07/05/1998 | 19.29 |
| W VAUGHAN | 07/05/1998 | 19.29 |
| P SATHIANESAN | 07/05/1998 | 19.29 |
| P HOLLAND | 07/05/1998 | 19.29 |
*Robin Wales was also previously on the council from 1982 to 1986.
When local branches meet this autumn to select their candidates, one thing they should consider is the urgent need to freshen up the Labour group.
NOTE: The original version of this post stated that 16 members will have held their seats for 20 years or more and the table included Cllr Bryan Collier. It has been pointed out that Cllr Collier was defeated at the 2006 election and returned to the council in 2010, so his current continuous service is just over seven years; first elected in 1994, his total period as councillor is more than 19 years. The same is true for Cllr Alan Griffiths.
forestgatedotnet 
Some of those dates aren’t quite right. Bryan Collier, for example, was defeated in 2006 and re-elected in 2010. Dates of London Borough elections:
2nd May 1974
4th May 1978
6th May 1982
8th May 1986
3rd May 1990
5th May 1994
7th May 1998
2nd May 2002
4th May 2006
6th May 2010
22nd May 2014
Thanks. I’ll update accordingly.
new blood needed
mr clark has done a good jobby on rid most of them nammes ,wunder what there parting gifte will be to mr clark
New blood desperately needed. Going by some of the recent changes in officers in local branches and local societies we might very well see some much needed change. Wont take names here but have my eyes on a few promising ones
Perhaps there should be a law only allowing two terms in public elected office?.
There was a Labour Party rule that said elected Mayors should serve no more than two terms. Robin Wales sat on the committee that abolished the rule if my memory revels me.
That shoul be ‘memory serves me’.
High levels of longevity have also been a factor in demise of Kensington and Chelsea, a similar form of political sclerosis with tragic consequences.