Key Points
- Mark Adderley, husband of Loose Women star Nadia Sawalha, has been elected as a councillor in Crystal Palace & Upper Norwood, Croydon.
- He was suspended by the Green Party before the election over allegations linked to antisemitic tropes and conspiracy theories shared on social media.
- Despite the suspension, he remained on the ballot paper and was still elected under the Green Party label.
- The national party said no formal finding of fault had been made, while Adderley denied the allegations.
- The local Croydon Green Party later said its online support for him came from a misunderstanding about his ballot status.
- The controversy has increased pressure on the Green Party’s vetting and candidate-selection processes.
Croydon (South London News) May 11, 2026 — Mark Adderley, who was standing in Crystal Palace and Upper Norwood, was suspended by the Green Party’s national leadership after allegations emerged over social media posts and shared videos linked to antisemitic tropes and conspiracy theories. Despite that suspension, he still appeared on the ballot paper and was elected as one of the councillors for the ward.
As reported by the South London Press via the Local Democracy Reporting Service, the controversy centred on content allegedly shared from Adderley’s account that compared Israel to Nazi Germany and suggested it was responsible for attacks on Jewish people. The same reporting said one video shared by his account attributed the Golders Green ambulance attack in March to Israel’s Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu.
The Standard reported that the national Green Party confirmed Adderley’s suspension, but said no finding of fault had been made and his membership had not been rescinded. Adderley denied the allegations, and later posted on Instagram criticising the party’s decision to suspend him.
Why did the Green Party suspend him?
The suspension followed complaints about material linked to Adderley’s online activity, including posts said to compare Israel with Nazi Germany and to blame Mossad or Israeli figures for violent incidents. Reporting from the JC said he was suspended after it revealed his social media activity, including references to the “chosen people” and claims that Israel carried out “false flag” attacks against Jews.
In his response, Adderley rejected the accusation that his comments were antisemitic. According to the JC, he told a party meeting that he did not regret the comments and did not believe they were antisemitic or conspiracy theories. The Standard also quoted him saying he believed the Green Party had failed at “the first hurdle” and that he viewed the suspension as part of a wider political dispute.
The party’s decision did not remove him from the ballot because his candidacy had already been confirmed. That meant voters could still choose him in the local election even though he was suspended from the national party.
How did the local party respond?
The JC reported that the Croydon Green Party urged voters to back Adderley and described him as “very much still our candidate”. The local branch also posted on social media that he was still on the ballot and could still be voted for on 7 May.
The Standard said the local party later explained that one of its volunteers had added the comments and that there had been a misunderstanding about the ballot-paper process. Croydon Green mayoral candidate Peter Underwood said the remarks had now been deleted. The same report said Labour councillor Stuart King called for a public statement ending support for Adderley.
The JC added that support also came from Greens for Palestine, which urged followers to vote for Adderley. It also reported that the controversy spilt into internal party discussion, with suspended members and senior figures debating legal advice, party discipline and campaigning rules.
What else was reported?
The JC reported that Adderley attended a Green Party meeting after his suspension and repeated that he did not accept the allegations against him. It also said other suspended or criticised Green candidates took part in the same wider internal discussion, showing the row was not limited to one ward.
The same report said Green Party co-deputy leader Mothin Ali urged members to seek legal advice and consider putting the party “on notice”. It also said the party’s vetting procedures were under scrutiny as the row widened before polling day.
The Standard’s reporting noted that the Croydon case came amid a broader set of Green Party controversies in London, including criticism of other candidates and questions over candidate checks. That wider context has left the party dealing with both external criticism and internal disagreement over how to handle allegations involving social media activity.
What does the election result mean?
Adderley’s election means the controversy did not prevent him from winning a council seat. However, because he was suspended, he will sit as an independent rather than as a Green councillor, according to the reporting.
That distinction matters because the ballot paper and the party membership are not always changed at the same pace. In this case, the candidacy had already been confirmed before the suspension, so the electorate still saw him listed as a Green candidate on polling day.
The result also places the local party in a difficult position, because it had publicly backed a candidate who had already been suspended nationally. The row has now become part of a wider debate about candidate vetting, party discipline and the handling of antisemitism allegations in local politics.
Background of the development
The dispute is part of a broader set of tensions inside the Green Party over antisemitism, social media conduct and candidate selection. The JC reported that more than one candidate had faced scrutiny, while the Standard reported that other London Green councillor races and mayoral contests were being watched closely in the same election cycle.
The immediate background to Adderley’s case is the allegation that he shared material accusing Israel of responsibility for attacks and using language critics described as antisemitic. The party suspended him, but the timing of that move meant he still remained on the ballot for the local election.
Prediction
For Croydon voters, the most immediate effect is likely to be continued scrutiny of how the new councillor behaves in office and whether he works independently or becomes isolated from the Green group. For the Green Party, the case is likely to intensify pressure to tighten vetting and improve the way it handles allegations before candidates are formally confirmed.
For local residents, the development may also shape trust in how parties select candidates and communicate with voters during election campaigns. In practical terms, the controversy is likely to remain relevant well after polling day because it raises questions about party discipline, public accountability and the gap between national suspension and local ballot status.
