Labour accuses Hackney Greens of hypocrisy over party whip

Hackney Greens are facing accusations of hypocrisy after being accused by a Labour councillor of appointing a whip – despite previous campaign promises not to do so.

The debate occurred during a council meeting on Wednesday evening (23 September 2026), after Labour Cllr Ben Lucas had taken to social media to raise the issue of Green councillor George Sheldon Grün being appointed to the role of convener.

Lucas addressed Mayor Zoë Garbett on X on Monday (21 September): “As Mayor, you have hailed savings from a smaller Cabinet, while the Green Party has explicitly campaigned on having no ‘whip’ system to organise councillors. Given this, can you explain why you have appointed a majority group whip, including outlining their responsibilities and whether they receive an additional publicly funded allowance?”

Lucas then argued during the meeting that convener was essentially the same role as a whip, a system which the Greens had pledged not to use during their election campaign. Lucas added that Grün’s appointment could therefore be perceived as “confusing” and “hypocritical” to Hackney residents.

Grün’s job title is currently listed on the council’s website as “majority group whip”. According to the council members’ allowance sheet for the 26/27 financial year, the majority group whip receives an extra publicly funded allowance of £6,724.20.

Closest role

During the meeting, Green councillor Ülgen Semerci, majority group secretary and chair of the corporate committee, responded to Lucas’ allegations, saying: “In terms of whether we do in fact have a whip, the role of convener held by Cllr Sheldon Grün is the one that is closest to the role of whip.

“That is why he undertakes the various council functions that rely on groups having a whip, such as cross-party discussions before full council sessions, and it is the term used in documents such as the council special responsibility allowance.”

She continued: “In terms of cost, currently neither leader nor deputy leader of the group receive their allowances for our leadership roles, as we receive allowances from our roles as committee chairs.

“Our group convener is the only figure in leadership to receive an allowance for being in leadership. So, despite having a £12,000 budget for group leadership, our current leadership saves Hackney residents a further £6,000.”

In fact, the saving is £5,275.80 – the difference between the £12,000 budget and the convener’s £6,724.20 allowance.

Consensus

Semerci also said that if the use of the term “whip” in various council documents was an issue for Labour councillors, then they would “happily work with opposition colleagues to change that term within the council’s internal usage to ‘convener’”.

Semerci added that the Greens believe that the typical whip system “relies on coercion and discipline”. She claimed that the system they are currently operating instead intends “to build consensus where possible” as well as emphasising “pastoral care for our members as people serving their communities in high-stress jobs”.

‘Insulting’

Cllr Ben Lucas said: “Whatever the Hackney Greens claim, the fact is that taxpayers are funding a political role they explicitly campaigned on not wanting or needing. To say there is no contradiction because they call the post a ‘convener’ is insulting.

“Of course a large political group needs someone to coordinate and support its councillors — these are the fundamental functions of a ‘whip’. They should just be honest about that, but it isn’t what the Greens told voters during the campaign.

“At best, this is confusing, at worst, it’s contradictory. If the Greens can’t see the hypocrisy in making the public fund a role they campaigned against, many Hackney residents will.”