Green councillor Liam Shrivastava launches bid for Lewisham mayor
The current mayor Brenda Dacres has been nominated for a Labour party peerage and announced she will be stepping down in May 2026.
Liam Shrivastava, leader of the Green opposition group on Lewisham council, announced his candidacy on 14 December at an event attended by Green Party deputy leader Mothin Ali, party members and supporters.
Shrivastava said he is aiming to break the "one party state" in Lewisham and put power back into the hands of communities.
He argued that the historic lack of opposition councillors in Lewisham has led to poor scrutiny of decision making and governance, and contributed to serious failings.
Claims of housing failures and stalled development
He pointed to the findings of the recent housing ombudsman report. “The damning ombudsman report is the logical conclusion of an administration that hasn’t been held accountable for over a decade.
"Without proper scrutiny, Lewisham Labour have become dangerously complacent and have completely lost grip of ensuring our residents have safe and secure homes to live.”
The report found a high rate of severe maladministration in cases handled by the council, mainly relating to leaks, damp and mould.
The council has set out the changes it has made since the investigation which was completed in October 2024 and the housing ombudsman said the council "is on a long road towards improvement".
Shrivastava also criticised the council's record on development:
“From Ladywell Playtower being left to rot to Catford Mews cinema being closed for over a year alongside the paucity of genuinely affordable homes offered under the Lewisham Shopping Centre development, this Labour-led Council has run out of ideas and is completely failing Lewisham.”
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Lewisham mayor Brenda Dacres
Brenda Dacres OBE was elected mayor of Lewisham in March 2024, when the previous mayor Damien Egan resigned, to stand as a parliamentary candidate in the by-election for Kingswood (now Bristol North East).
She became the first directly elected Black mayor in London, winning the vote with 51.5% .
The mayoral by-election forced by Damien Egan's move cost the council over £635,000, with a low turnout of 21%.
Mothin Ali said: “Labour promised change in 2024 but all we’ve ended up with is a continuation of Tory austerity.
"For too long, Labour mayors in Lewisham have used this borough as a stepping stone on the way to parliament."
Defection from Labour
Shrivastava is a former Labour councillor, who defected to the Greens in June 25, saying that Labour had abandoned its democratic socialist values and had become "unrecognisable".
Councillor Hau-Yu Tam defected from Labour in July 2024 and then joined the Greens in March 25.
Both councillors had been disciplined by Lewisham Labour Group over their opposition to Israel's genocide of Palestinians in Gaza.
Shrivastava was also threatened for raising concerns over the council's links to the cult-like Brazilian organisation, the Universal Church of the Kingdom of God (UCKG).
"Career politicians"
Shrivastava highlighted the number of councillors that move from Lewisham council into parliament, questioning their commitment to local residents.
"With so many former councillors now sitting in parliament, Lewisham has become a finishing school for careerists.
"Given the crises in housing, children's services and adult social care, we simply cannot afford to be led by yet another career politician."
Many Labour MPs currently serving in parliament started their careers at Lewisham council, including local MPs Vicky Foxcroft and Janet Daby.
Damien Egan is now an MP for Bristol North East. Heidi Alexander was a councillor in Evelyn ward and is now MP for Swindon South and transport secretary.
Juliet Campbell was a councillor for Blackheath until July 2024, when she was elected MP Broxtowe in Nottinghamshire. Kevin Bovania was also a Blackheath councillor who resigned at the last election when he was elected MP for Stevenage.
Lee Green councillor Eva Costner stood at the last general election for the parliamentary seat of Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross, the most northern mainland Scottish constituency.
She is standing for the same constituency in the Scottish Parliament next year.
Being a councillor before becoming an MP is a common career path across all parties, including the four Green MPs, but Lewisham council, with its historically safe Labour seats, seems to experience particularly high rates of this.
"One party state" claim
Lewisham council had councillors from a range of parties (Labour, Liberal Democrat, Green, Conservative and Socialist) from 2006 to 2010, with a Labour mayor.
Labour gradually took over more seats until in 2018 when Damien Egan became mayor, and the council became 100% Labour.
Lewisham is anomalous in having an elected, political mayor, and critics have questioned the role and recurring expense.
Following a referendum in November 2001, the council changed its policy in 2002 and the first elected mayor was Steve Bullock.
The council confirmed in response to a public question in late 2023, that even the most cost-effective election, when combined with parliamentary elections, may cost over £475,000.
There are currently 10,257 residents on the electoral register who need to be reached.
Neighbouring boroughs such as Greenwich and Lambeth have continued with the model of a mayor who is purely ceremonial, and a council leader who is selected by councillors of the majority party.
Green surge
Lewisham Green Party has reported a "significant influx" of new members since Zack Polanski was elected as leader of the Green Party in September 2025, and now has over 2,400 members.
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