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Original poster

Six Green councillors quit after election, leaving councils facing by-election costs

60 replies

Twiglets1 · 20/05/2026 16:51

A sixth newly elected London Green Party councillor has quit, leaving taxpayers to foot a £120,000 bill.

Green representatives in Camden, Haringey, Ealing, Lambeth and Hackney councils have immediately stood down meaning by-elections will have to be held.

Each poll is expected to cost the cash-strapped town halls between £20,000 and £25,000 each to run.

Joanna Eaves, who was elected in Clapham Park at the local elections on May 7, has become the latest to resign. She cited health reasons.

It follows Saiqa Ali, who was also elected as one of 29 Green councillors in Lambeth, stepping down following her arrest in the lead up to the polls over allegations she had made a series of antisemitic social media posts.

Simon Anthony, who won in North Acton, Ealing, quit on Monday. He was the only Green candidate to win in the ward, with the other two seats being taken by Labour.

James Tilden was elected to represent Hackney Central ward, but failed to realise his job as a primary school teacher meant he was ineligible to be a councillor because he works for the local authority.

Muhammed Naser, who was elected in the Regent's Park ward of Camden council, has also had to stand down for the same reason.

Jayon Henriques was elected to represent Northumberland Park ward in Haringey but it has since been revealed he was also ineligible to be a councillor. The party has not revealed why he cannot serve in the town hall.

https://www.standard.co.uk/news/politics/green-party-councillors-quit-election-costs-b1282285.html

OP posts:
user1471538275 · 20/05/2026 19:28

If you field a candidate that is unsuitable and they have to step down then your party, whoever they are should be charged with the costs of a by election.

Original poster
Twiglets1 · 20/05/2026 19:21

I guess Reform and the Green party are just making it easier for Andy Burnham to win. He doesn't need to be perfect, he just needs to be better than them which shouldn't be that hard!

OP posts:
Whyarentyoureadyyet · 20/05/2026 18:59

I think there should be a financial penalty for anyone who stands down within a certain period (unless for genuine unanticipated health reasons). By-elections are hugely expensive

RedTagAlan · 20/05/2026 18:57

What does the data say ?

That is, what is the normal rate of failure for councilors ?

What was it ? 5K seats contested in England ? Always going to be a fair number that fall by the wayside I would have thought.

Original poster
Twiglets1 · 20/05/2026 18:56

loislovesstewie · 20/05/2026 18:26

It's the gift that keeps on giving, isn't it?
Not enough brains to check eligibility.

Meanwhile, the Greens are doing emergency vetting on their preferred candidate for the Makerfield by election. They might want to do a deep dive into her social media before appointment:

A frontrunner to be the Green Party candidate in Makerfield shared posts that claimed Israel is “ruining the world”.

Hayley Pierce, a portrait artist, is understood to be the Greens’ preferred choice to take on Andy Burnham and Reform UK in the upcoming by-election.

Party sources said the mother of two, understood to have been selected by local party members at a meeting this week, was undergoing “emergency vetting” by Green Party HQ in anticipation of the announcement.

archive.ph/6jOOB#selection-1547.0-1555.208

OP posts:
loislovesstewie · 20/05/2026 18:26

It's the gift that keeps on giving, isn't it?
Not enough brains to check eligibility.

Monty36 · 20/05/2026 18:05

I would at least expect someone who is standing as a Councillor to know the rules as to whether or not they can even do so.
As should the Party they represent. Perhaps some sort of fine for the person and the Party should be in place to offset the costs to the local taxpayer.

Gasp0deTheW0nderD0g · 20/05/2026 17:58

Twiglets1 · 20/05/2026 17:49

Interesting.

I hadn’t heard that 2 Green Mayors have resigned too including Zoe Garbutt in Hackney that there was a lot of fuss around!

Show quote history

As I see others have already said, she hasn't resigned as Mayor. She resigned her seats in the London Assembly and Hackney Council because she can't do those alongside being Mayor. Not quite the same as the other cases mentioned here.

Original poster
Twiglets1 · 20/05/2026 17:58

Chersfrozenface · 20/05/2026 17:57

She hasn't resigned from the Mayor's post.

She resigned as a councillor because you can't be a councillor and an elected Mayor.

Show quote history

Thank you yes, as explained by @DuncinToffee

OP posts:
WatermelonSalad1 · 20/05/2026 17:57

Twiglets1 · 20/05/2026 16:58

What the hell is going on with politics in the UK? It's all ridiculous.

Right

We told that the next election will be greens versus reform

They can't even get their councillors to stay in post! Better with independents who really understand the area. I think those people are very underrated. Probably doing all the work.

Chersfrozenface · 20/05/2026 17:57

Twiglets1 · 20/05/2026 17:49

Interesting.

I hadn’t heard that 2 Green Mayors have resigned too including Zoe Garbutt in Hackney that there was a lot of fuss around!

Show quote history

She hasn't resigned from the Mayor's post.

She resigned as a councillor because you can't be a councillor and an elected Mayor.

Original poster
Twiglets1 · 20/05/2026 17:56

DuncinToffee · 20/05/2026 17:54

They had to resign as councillor once elected as Mayor.

Show quote history

Ah right, I misunderstood that.

OP posts:
WheretheFishesareFrightening · 20/05/2026 17:56

Pieceofpurplesky · 20/05/2026 17:20

Which is why the elections should have remained cancelled for a year as per labour's plan, until Farage got involved and riled the country in to thinking they were cancelled full stop. People were shoehorned in with no clue what they had to do!

Postponing democratic elections on the grounds of cost is a slippery slope we shouldn’t want to start sliding down.

This (these specific Green councillors) is not Farage’s fault, it is the fault of the Green Party only and they should be made to cover the cost. Now for the Reform Councillors who’ve stepped down - Farage and Reform should be held accountable.

Original poster
Twiglets1 · 20/05/2026 17:55

selffellatingouroborosofhate · 20/05/2026 17:51

Forget about which party has the most councillors standing down, that's not important. What matters is why they stood down, and whether it was preventable.

In the case of the primary teachers, it's staggering incompetence on the part of the candidates, their parties, and the council themselves that no one at any point determined that who the candidates worked for would cause conflict of interest. That is something that party processes and council "registering as a candidate" processes could both pick up if they were designed properly.

Edited

Agree it was entirely predictable that the candidates would have to stand down in the case of the teachers who work for the LA. And entirely predictable where Green/Reform candidates have antisemitic/ Islamaphobic/racist shit on their social media.

Where is the vetting process? Seems to have been non-existent.

OP posts:
DuncinToffee · 20/05/2026 17:54

Twiglets1 · 20/05/2026 17:49

Interesting.

I hadn’t heard that 2 Green Mayors have resigned too including Zoe Garbutt in Hackney that there was a lot of fuss around!

Show quote history

They had to resign as councillor once elected as Mayor.

MynameisnotJohn · 20/05/2026 17:51

Dollymylove · 20/05/2026 17:41

What happened, did someone tell them there is more to the job than shouting abuse at anyone who doesnt agree with them?

Love this. It really is pathetic that the failure of the main parties to instil confidence has opened up opportunities for these professional opposition types that don’t actually want to do the job. Just moan about anyone who does.

selffellatingouroborosofhate · 20/05/2026 17:51

Forget about which party has the most councillors standing down, that's not important. What matters is why they stood down, and whether it was preventable.

In the case of the primary teachers, it's staggering incompetence on the part of the candidates, their parties, and the council themselves that no one at any point determined that who the candidates worked for would cause conflict of interest. That is something that party processes and council "registering as a candidate" processes could both pick up if they were designed properly.

Original poster
Twiglets1 · 20/05/2026 17:49

DuncinToffee · 20/05/2026 17:35

Lib Dem Peer Mark Pack is keeping a tally

Reform
https://www.markpack.org.uk/176783/how-many-councillors-has-reform-uk-lost-since-the-may-2026-elections/

Greens
https://www.markpack.org.uk/176832/how-many-councillors-have-the-greens-lost-since-the-may-2026-elections/

Interesting.

I hadn’t heard that 2 Green Mayors have resigned too including Zoe Garbutt in Hackney that there was a lot of fuss around!

OP posts:
Gasp0deTheW0nderD0g · 20/05/2026 17:48

Hopefulsalmon · 20/05/2026 17:24

Also - where this happens (so soon after an election)the party should be fined to mitigate the costs of the re-run.

Couldn't agree more. What a farce. I would say this no matter what party was involved. I don't care if you think you're a paper candidate only with no chance of winning. You shouldn't agree to be a candidate unless you would be willing and able to take up the role if elected.

Original poster
Twiglets1 · 20/05/2026 17:47

Hopefulsalmon · 20/05/2026 17:24

Also - where this happens (so soon after an election)the party should be fined to mitigate the costs of the re-run.

Maybe they should be fined the cost of the by election?

OP posts:
AndInThe · 20/05/2026 17:44

Hopefulsalmon · 20/05/2026 17:17

How come the Green party doesn't have processes in place to ensure LA employees are not selected? Hardly shouts basic competence.
Reform are just as bad. Neither are fit to govern.

Reform as well.

https://www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk/governance/396-governance-news/60880-reform-councillor-resigns-after-failing-to-declare-council-employment

Durham have four councillors no longer in post. Suspended, resigned, not eligible or changed allegiance.

So much for the Durham Council leader (Reform) claiming he was going to save ‘billions’ 😂

Reform councillor resigns after failing to declare council employment

https://www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk/governance/396-governance-news/60880-reform-councillor-resigns-after-failing-to-declare-council-employment

Dollymylove · 20/05/2026 17:41

What happened, did someone tell them there is more to the job than shouting abuse at anyone who doesnt agree with them?

PerkingFaintly · 20/05/2026 17:38

OFFS.

I mean there's always going to be health stuff, etc. But this level of attrition is nonsense. Very expensive nonsense. That councils could well do without.

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