Sixth recently elected Green councillor resigns, costing Londoners £120,000 in by-elections
London taxpayers are facing a bill of up to £120,000 after six newly elected Green Party councillors resigned within days of taking office, triggering forced by-elections across five boroughs. Each contest is expected to cost cash-strapped local authorities between £20,000 and £25,000, according to council estimates.
The resignations follow the party’s historic gains in the May 7 local elections, when the Greens took control of Hackney, Lewisham and Waltham Forest for the first time and added scores of seats across the capital. But the rapid departure of councillors in Camden, Haringey, Ealing, Lambeth and Hackney has prompted sharp criticism from Labour.
“The Greens can’t be trusted to deliver at your local council,” a Labour Party spokesperson said. “Now their incompetence will come at a huge cost to taxpayers everywhere.”
The latest resignation came from Joanna Eaves, who was elected in Clapham Park, Lambeth. In a statement she said she was “honoured to have been voted in as Clapham Park’s first Green councillor, but due to my ill health, I now won’t be able to do the job justice” and had taken “the difficult decision to resign.”
Eligibility errors and arrests
Two councillors stepped down because they were ineligible under the Local Government Act 1972, which disqualifies local authority employees from serving on the same council that employs them. James Tilden, elected in Hackney Central, was a primary school teacher working for Hackney Council. Muhammed Naser, elected in Camden’s Regent’s Park ward, was a teacher employed by Camden Council. The Green Party said it had not been aware of the eligibility rules when their nominations were submitted and has pledged to strengthen its vetting processes.
Jayon Henriques, elected in Haringey’s Northumberland Park ward, was also found to be ineligible to serve, though the party has not disclosed the specific reason. A Haringey Greens spokesman said: “As soon as we were made aware we informed the Electoral Commission and Haringey Council returning officer, and followed their instructions. No local campaigning took place in the ward.” They added: “We accept the candidate made an error in good faith regarding his eligibility. A by-election will be announced in due course and we look forward to campaigning with a new candidate.”
Saiqa Ali, one of 29 Green councillors elected in Lambeth, did not take up her seat in Streatham St Leonard ward after being arrested in the run-up to the elections over allegations she had made a series of antisemitic social media posts. She was suspended by the party but, under electoral law, her name could not be removed from the ballot. She has said she “unequivocally rejects all forms of discrimination and racism” and that false statements have been attributed to her.
Simon Anthony, who won in North Acton for Ealing council, quit on Monday. He was the only Green candidate to prevail in the ward, with the other two seats going to Labour. Anthony cited health reasons and has been living with Long Covid since 2020, according to party sources. He has stood for the Greens since 1991 and was a candidate in the 2024 general election. His departure leaves Ealing with four Green councillors after an historic five-seat breakthrough for the party in the borough.
Blow to historic gains
The resignations come just as the Green Party celebrated its best ever performance in London. Under leader Zack Polanski, the party seized control of three councils – Hackney, Lewisham and Waltham Forest – and increased its total number of London councillors to 297, a net gain of 248. Across the country the party picked up an estimated 450 councillors. Labour lost control of more than half its London boroughs, with Brent, Enfield, Haringey, Southwark and Lambeth falling to no overall control after decades of Labour rule.
In Camden, the Green victory in Regent’s Park unseated long-serving Labour councillors, including former council leader Richard Olszewski. In Hackney, the by-election to replace James Tilden may be held alongside a separate contest in Dalston ward triggered by Zoë Garbett’s election as Mayor of Hackney.
Each by-election bill will be met from the individual local authority’s budget, adding further pressure on town halls already facing tight finances. The total estimated cost to London taxpayers stands at £120,000.
