Hounslow Green Party has suspended its Group Leader, Councillor Guy Lambert, citing a conduct issue, but Lambert disputes the reason, linking it to a national party motion. At a special council meeting on Wednesday, October 21, Lambert announced he was sitting as an Independent again, roughly a year after joining the Greens.
Suspension and conflicting explanations
Speaking to the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS), Cllr Lambert, who previously represented Labour before quitting, said: “I haven’t resigned and am still a Green Party member. I have been (apparently and according to Rick Rowe) removed from my role as leader and suspended from the Green group on the party.” He added that he has “no idea what authority” Rowe has for removing an elected leader, though Rowe was elected as local party coordinator, proposed by Lambert himself.
Lambert claims Rowe cited conversations with the Association of Green Councillors and central party administration, but that official did not take his call or respond to his text message. “I have therefore heard nothing from any Green Party officials except Rick but I assume he actually has received endorsement from them,” he said.
Zionism motion and party response
Lambert believes the suspension relates to the recent controversial 'Zionism is racism' motion agreed at Green Party Conference, which is not binding on local parties. The motion declared the party anti-Zionist, meaning it does not support a Jewish state in Palestine, while stating anti-Zionism should not be equated with anti-Semitism. Lambert claims that because he “revealed the process” followed in the local party regarding the motion, it's being treated as a breach of party rules.
However, a Hounslow Green Party spokesperson said: “Councillor Guy Lambert has been suspended from the Green Group on Hounslow Council and no longer serves as Group Leader. He remains a member of the Green Party of England and Wales. His suspension has nothing to do with the ‘Zionism is Racism’ motion or his views on it.” The spokesperson added that Lambert did not attend conference or vote on the motion, and the decision was taken in accordance with Green Party policy, following appropriate consultation.
Lambert's next steps
Cllr Lambert, who has been a Green councillor since 2025 after previously sitting as a Labour and Independent councillor, says he will continue to serve as a councillor as best he can. He told the LDRS he will seek to have his position restored immediately, though he admits he does not know if that is possible. The party says any complaints relating to conduct will be considered through internal disciplinary procedures, and they will not discuss individual complaints publicly to protect confidentiality and fairness.
