A London Green councillor who branded Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy a “coconut” has apologised for her comments, after Lammy called on her party to stop using “such racist language”.
Councillor’s social media post sparks controversy
Hau-Yu Tam, who was made cabinet member for “sanctuary and healing” on Lewisham Council after the Greens seized control from Labour in the local elections, posted on X: “It’s reminiscent of Priti Patel admitting her family wouldn’t get in under her own immigration rules, but somehow even more callous. These coconuts.” The post was about Lammy and former Home Secretary Priti Patel, and has since been deleted.
Ahead of the local polls on May 7, Green Party leader Zack Polanski faced pressure to sack Tam when her social media posts about non-white ministers came to light.
David Lammy responds in Parliament
Addressing a Green MP in the Commons on Wednesday, Lammy said: “I've got to say this to the Greens: during the local elections, a Green councilor in Lewisham described me and the shadow foreign secretary as ‘coconuts’. Her party looked the other way, kept her candidate in post and have rewarded that candidate with a council job, I'm not making this up, the cabinet member for healing. The Greens could start a healing process by stopping such racist language.”
Tam’s apology and explanation
In a statement on Instagram, the former Labour member said: “I genuinely apologise for using the term and to anyone I offended, it was not appropriate. My intent was to criticise Lammy and Patel’s assimilation into white supremacy and upholding of colonial systems. I was not going after the colour of their skin but rather their mentality.”
Tam accused her former party of using “coordinated smears” to target political rivals. She added: “Labour’s treatment of me has been nothing short of coordinated on the local, regional and national level. When Labour wants someone gone they recycle the same pattern. When I was in Labour, I knew other Global Majority Councillors and members who voiced concerns about fellow Councillors being racist to them – as well as to residents. Lewisham Labour did not follow through on tackling this...but they’ll use it as a line now to attempt to bring down the Greens. While they continue their dangerous game dividing our communities, I will keep fighting for and with our communities - against immigration raids, against austerity, against division - just as I’ve always tried to do.”
Tam’s role and council context
Tam, who is also the Deputy Leader of the Lewisham Green Group, won the Deptford seat on Lewisham council at the local elections. She receives £41,603 per year in her new cabinet role, which consists of a basic councillor allowance of £13,201 and a special responsibility allowance of £28,811.
Lewisham was one of three London councils the Greens seized control of from Labour on May 7. In a day of Labour election disasters, Sir Keir Starmer’s party lost Lewisham, Hackney and Waltham Forest to the Greens as Polanski’s party won almost 300 seats in the capital.
