Second Lewisham Labour councillor defects to the Green Party
A Labour party councillor in Lewisham has defected to the Green party with Cllr Liam Shrivastava (New Cross Gate) stating “the party I joined is unrecognisable from what it has become.”
It’s the second Labour Lewisham councillor to switch to the Greens following Councillor Hau-Yu Tam in March 2025.
A resignation letter highlights issues such as benefit cuts and action in Gaza alongside controversial links to the Universal Church of the Kingdom of God.
Action within the local party are also mentioned with dissent or constructive criticism “ignored, punished or kept on file”.
Neighbouring Greenwich
Two Labour councillors have also resigned from Labour in neighbouring Greenwich borough in recent months.
A by-election is being held tomorrow for a seat in Shooters Hill after former Labour councillor Ivis Williams resigned and is now backing the Greens, though not standing for the party.
Williams was facing a disciplinary action for defending residents against planned property sales. Upon resigning she then discovered the party were planning a six-week suspension with a fellow Labour cllrs set to give evidence against her.
The Labour candidate has boycotted election hustings.
In March Greenwich Creekside Cllr Majella Anning also quit Labour and stands as an independent.
Internal relations are currently said to be extremely fractious within the party locally.
Over in Haringey Labour Cllr Mark Blake has also switched today to the Greens.
At a national level a rebellion against welfare cuts is growing among MPs with the Mayor of London also opposing.
Fraught relations include also policy with transport, with central government last week writing a letter demanding above inflation fare increases for TfL of RPI+1 per cent for the next four years.
That followed no support for capital projects such as the Bakerloo line extension in the Spending Review to facilitate new house building.
Does it even matter what party you are in at council level? They shouldn’t be getting involved in national level stuff just care about and do your best for the local area. Take themselves far too seriously. Mind when we see them getting involved in stuff like fussing about the benches at the Trafalgar im not surprised
The issue is when some speak up for residents on local issues they get suspended, disciplined or treated poorly. That should never be the case raising reasonable requests and asking simple questions.
I am proud of the two councillors who have defected to the Green Party for having the guts to stand up for what they believe in and doing what they feel is right for them and their constituents. Labour is totally unrecognisable and not the party it used to be. Labour lost their d
irection years ago and are not the party for working people and the average man and women on the street anymore. I left the Labour Party a few years ago and will not vote for them.again
John is absolutely right in what he said.if you speak up fot residents and what you believe in and thev party do not like it you get suspended. disciplined or treated differently. Just as MP”s have the are suspended from the party and have the whip removed and then have to sit as iindependent MP’s or defect to another political party. The only reason the PM has not done this yet to the 100 odd MP”s who are opposing changes to the cuts to welfare reform and disability benefit cuts is because he would loose a large part of his majority and have a weaker position in Parliament. It will be interesting to see how many of these MP’s have the guts to stand up for what they believe in and stand up for their constituents and either sit as independent MP’s or defect to other political parties
I guess it is a case of wait and see.
I thought you wanted labour to be the party of the working person ? Or do you want them to be the party for people on benefits ?
I agree Graham. Well done to these two Councillors who had the courage to stand up for what they believe in and for standing up for their constituents.. Labour has definitely lost their way and are completely out of touch with the public now days and not the Labour Party we used to know years ago.
The Labour Party are also ageist picking on pensioners in the fiirst week of Government by cutting the winter fuel allowance to those pensioners who got up each morning and went to work to pay national insurance and income tax contributions to pay for their state pensions over 40 to 50 yesrs.
Thus has upset a lot of Labour voters who voted Labour in July 2024 who have now said they will not vote Labour again.
To answer Vern_a yes the Government does want people to work who are fit and able to do so. My understanding is people claiming benefits who work part time are to be supported to increase their hours to full time so they return to full time work.
It is true when people say Labour did not have a plan when they come to Government hence the mess their ate in now with 3 u turns in a month.
I think these u turns are too late for the Labour Party and a lot of the damage has already been done.
I wish the two councillors who switched from Labour to the Greens good luck for the future. I admire them for having the courage to do so.
I believe the damage has already been done to the Labour Party. With voters now saying they will be voting for the other political parties. Cutting the winter fuel allowance for pensioners on the state pension. Cutting benefits for the most vulnerable in our society. People are still waiting way beyond 18 weeks for their initial NHS appointments. There is no real proof NHS waiting list are falling in Lindon and across the country.
Now some economist are saying the 60 plus oyster card for people aged 60 plus should be scrapped by TFL n London has mentioned online and in some papers today has pensioners are wealthiest grouo in the country proves economist activist and some politicians are completely out of touch of reality.
@G: pensioners ARE comparatively wealthy. Many of us are mortgage free and were of the generation that still had ‘final salary’ pensions that are now topped up by the state pension.
While I am dead against Labour’s broadside attempt to cut benefits, I believe that rich pensioners should not be getting the winter fuel allowance. I would go even further and say they should also surrender the state pension because they don’t need it. The strawman argument is that they “worked hard” and paid in to the system, but there is a bigger picture.