The switch comes despite Danny Keeling still remaining as a member of the Green Party, reports Nick Clark, Local Democracy Reporter

A Green councillor is now sitting as an independent on Newham Council despite remaining within the party.

Stratford councillor Danny Keeling has been part of the Green group on the council since being elected first in 2022. However, the council now lists Cllr Keeling as an “independent councillor (Green Party)”.

Cllr Keeling told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) they had “resigned from the Green group on Newham Council, not from the Green Party of England and Wales”.

Membership of a political group on a council is different to being a member of a political party. However, it is unusual for a member of a political party not to be part of the same group as their other party members.

The distinction allows for independent councillors to form a group on a council, for example, or for members of different parties to form a coalition.

The size of a group determines who has a majority on the council, and how many members they are allowed to have on various committees.

Cllr Keeling told the LDRS they had decided to “take some time off from the group to focus on residents and some personal matters”.

They added: “I remain a Green Party member and a Green councillor.

“I will continue to stand up for Green values, putting environmental justice, social justice, and the needs of people who are struggling at the forefront of my decisions.”

The Green Party does not ‘whip’ its councillors – meaning it does not order them how to vote.

However, Green group leader Arshan Baskaran said Cllr Keeling’s decision to leave the group meant they had chosen not to take part in group discussions, such as on motions submitted to council meetings.

It also means Cllr Keeling will not take any committee seats allocated to the Green group, but will be allocated positions as an independent.

Cllr Keeling is currently a member of the housing and regeneration scrutiny committee.

Cllr Baskaran said: “They’re not a part of the group in terms of how the council allocations work, but in terms of their values and what they believe, they’re still very much aligned with the Greens.”

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