Green Party councillors are calling on the Labour administration to take immediate action on what they are calling “shambolic” failures in the council’s implementation of their glyphosate opt-out scheme. Multiple groups of residents, who went through the process of opting out their roads and were prepared to manually de-weed paths themselves, have seen the council go back on its promises and had glyphosate sprayed outside their houses against their wishes.

Glyphosate is a herbicide, which was previously banned in Brighton & Hove under the 2019 Labour administration, following a public campaign. It has been identified as being ‘probably carcinogenic’¹ and has known impacts on the environment and biodiversity, with some campaigners linking its use to falling numbers of starlings in the city². 

Labour re-introduced the use of glyphosate in Brighton & Hove last year, going against a promise in their own manifesto, which described the chemical as ‘harmful’. Calls at the time from Greens and other campaigners, to allow concerned residents to opt their streets out of being sprayed, were ignored. Earlier this year, the Labour administration finally relented and announced a limited opt-out scheme, which many streets signed up to.

Greens Councillors are demanding that the council urgently stop their contractors from spraying glyphosate on opted-out streets and publish a full list of roads that are in the opt-out scheme, so residents can see what parts of the city shouldn’t be sprayed. They are also calling for an investigation into how these streets were erroneously sprayed in the first place and for Labour to publicly apologise to residents whose wishes have been ignored.

Kerry Pickett, Green Shadow Member for Environment said:

“People have been severely let down by Labour’s failures in implementing this much-requested opt-out scheme, which already came a year too late. Residents have gone through the effort of collecting signatures and organising volunteers, in return for a promise that their streets won’t be sprayed with toxic chemicals.To then break this promise is a huge betrayal of trust.

“Labour need to take urgent action to stop their contractors from spraying on streets that were supposed to be protected, and publish a full list of opted-out streets. Residents deserve answers as to how this was allowed to happen and need a full apology for being so badly let down by the council.”

NOTES

1. Glyphosate – Pesticide Action Network: https://www.pan-uk.org/glyphosate/ ↩︎
2. Brighton: Starling numbers have ‘halved’ since weedkiller used again – The Argus https://www.theargus.co.uk/news/25005140.brighton-starling-numbers-halved-since-weedkiller-used/ ↩︎

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After fifteen years of austerity under Conservative and now Labour rule, it is clear that people in Brighton & Hove are being pushed to the brink. In choosing to make further attacks on disabled people and the welfare system, Labour are making a political choice that will have brutal, potentially fatal consequences. Across the country, Labour councillors in Wakefield, Dudley and beyond are resigning in protest, and more than 42 Labour MPs^[1] have now said they will rebel against the governments plans, following a letter by Sian Berry, Green MP for Brighton Pavilion to all Labour MPs calling on them to do so.^[2]

Brighton & Hove Greens today bring this demand directly to Brighton & Hove Labour MPs Chris Ward (Brighton Kemptown & Peacehaven) and Peter Kyle (Hove & Portslade). We ask whether they, as senior members of the Labour government, will show that they are willing to stand up for Brighton & Hove residents and vote against the cuts, or whether they are prepared to condemn the more than 150,000 residents that they represent to the consequences of these plans.

Greens also call on the Labour-run Brighton & Hove City Council to recognise the urgency of the situation, and agree to an emergency meeting to address concerns. Currently, no standard Full Council meetings are scheduled until July. We call for an immediate Special Meeting to ensure opposition councillors and residents have the opportunity to speak, and hear from the Labour administration on the impact that the Government’s plans are expected to have in Brighton & Hove.

Brighton & Hove Green Party
Councillor Steve Davis (Green, Preston Park)
Councillor Chloe Goldsmith (Green, Regency)
Councillor Raphael Hill (Green, Round Hill)
Councillor Ellen McLeay (Green, West Hill & North Laine)
Councillor Kerry Pickett (Green, Preston Park)
Councillor Ollie Sykes (Green, Brunswick & Adelaide)
Councillor Pete West (Green, Round Hill)
Councillor Sue Shanks (Green, West Hill & North Laine)

[1] theguardian.com/politics/2025/may/08/disability-benefit-cuts-impossible-to-support-labour-mps-tell-starmer
[2]sianberry.org.uk/2025/03/14/letter-to-labour-mps-on-proposed-cuts-to-welfare-benefits/

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The pilot, which would have been the first of its type in Brighton and Hove, had previously received widespread support from Labour councillors – making the decision to u-turn on the trial all the more disappointing.

The pilot also included plans to stop dangerous rat runs up the narrow streets around Carlton Hill School. Staff and parents at the school were keen to make the area safer for children walking to school and had been in talks with previous Green councillors about how this might be facilitated.

Residents attending the council’s Transport and Sustainability Committee also raised concerns that abandoning the liveable neighbourhood plan will stifle plans to provide safe cycling routes on Elm Grove. Chair of the committee, Cllr Trevor Muten, could not commit to future safe cycling on Elm Grove being introduced soon.

Initial plans for liveable neighbourhoods were originally proposed by Labour following a request from concerned residents in the area. At the time, prominent Labour councillors spoke of expanding the concept to other areas of the city. Revised plans were due to be shared with the local community when Labour pulled funding for the project at Budget Council.

Greens have condemned the decision to u-turn on the pilot, arguing the Labour council’s stance now aligns closely with Rishi Sunak’s approach after the PM recently announced plans to review Low Traffic Neighbourhoods. This puts Labour locally way out of step with more progressive Labour authorities elsewhere in the UK, where such schemes have been introduced successfully.

Councillor Steve Davis, who represents the Greens on the council’s transport committee, said:

“Labour’s decision to abandon the low-traffic neighbourhood pilot they previous supported is another u-turn and a missed opportunity for our city. Introducing the first pilot scheme of this type in the city was always going to be difficult – but dropping it like a stone achieves nothing more than putting us right back at square one.

“Labour could be working more collaboratively with residents to address concerns and advance forward-thinking projects like these. Rather than hastily scrapping the trial, the council should have considered the consultation results, addressed valid concerns, and adapted the initiative accordingly.”

He added:

“The Hanover and Tarner Liveable Neighbourhood initiative was planned as a trial — a controlled experiment aimed at evaluating its impact and potential benefits. It was being designed iteratively by listening to residents and local businesses, with adjustments being made to consider community feedback, before funding was pulled.

“These schemes offer residents a glimpse of life without the constant noise and pollution of heavy traffic. If Labour are serious that they have a vision for lowering emissions, they need to be far more bold and champion schemes that make a proven difference.

“Labour councils elsewhere have managed to create a path to a better future for their residents. I don’t believe it is too much to expect the same for the people of Brighton and Hove.”

Schemes aimed at cutting traffic in residential areas have been repeatedly found to reduce a range of road harms in academic studies. The potential advantages are substantial: safer streets for children, cleaner air for residents, a reduction in carbon emissions, and a move toward addressing social inequalities in our community.

The Greens are relieved work to improve crossings and junctions on Elm Grove and Queen’s Park Road will go ahead. However, further improvements which were requested by residents during community engagement meetings organised by the then Green administration, including planting and greening, now appear to be off the table. 

Earlier this year the Greens introduced a traffic regulation order, banning parking on Elm Grove’s verges – following a request from residents – which has improved safety.

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The Green candidate for Brighton Pavilion MP promises to stand up for new laws to put limits on the spiralling rent costs faced by thousands in the city.

Comparing rent rises with wages over the past 12 years since 2011, Sian’s analysis shows renters in Brighton and Hove have paid £530 million more to landlords than if their housing costs had matched wages in that time.

The difference has increased by more than £56 million in just the past year. Wages are up 7.4 per cent  in the latest estimates for the city, while rents jumped by a staggering 13.6 per cent in the past year.

• Since 2011 rents have gone up by 47 per cent, but wages have only risen 35 per cent, leaving a huge gap.       
• The total ‘overcharged’ to residents in the city due to rents outstripping wages since 2011 is £530 million.
• There are now around 44,000 privately rented homes in the city
• In Brighton and Hove, private renters currently pay an average of £1,250 a month

Sian Berry rents a home in Brighton and has been a private renter for 25 years. She said:

“The renting market is a rigged game – as a private renter for more than 25 years I have felt the squeeze of expensive, insecure, substandard housing when your wages can’t keep up. I won’t let any Government off the hook for abandoning renters.

“Even in the last year an extra £56 million was added to the unfair, overcharged rent bill for renters in Brighton and Hove. These unfair living costs have been racking up in the city ever since the Coalition and Conservative governments came to power.

“Renters face a threefold problem – they can’t challenge unfair rent rises, they have no real power to challenge bad landlords and they can’t force landlords to improve dangerous, leaky or expensive to run homes. 

“As a Green, and a candidate for MP, I know where my priorities are – they’re controls on rent rises, strengthening renters rights and bringing in legislation to improve our damp and mouldy homes.

“Ministers are even now still delaying the Renters Reform Bill which would finally ban unfair, no-fault and ‘revenge’ evictions. I won’t let this Government or the next Government off the hook if they abandon renters when there is so much that can be done.”

Last year Green MP Caroline Lucas tabled an Early Day Motion calling for urgent action to fix cold, damp and leaky homes, a freeze on rents and evictions and for rent controls.

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Over 400 objections were sent to the local council by traders and others raising concerns over the impact Labour’s proposals to re-open the street to traffic could have on the area.   

Many traders are convinced their concerns have not been given significant attention after council documents released ahead of the meeting suggested over 400 objections opposing the plans had been discounted from the decision-making process. 
 
The council report notes 549 responses were received relating to the proposals, including hundreds sent via an online petition launched by traders in the North Laine. The petition raised a host of objections, including requests to work more closely with all residents and traders in the area, that re-opening the road to traffic would make the area less safe for pedestrians, increase air and noise pollution, reduce accessibility for wheelchair users and parents with pushchairs, and make it a far less attractive destination for shoppers. 

However, the council report has advised the committee that, while the objections were noted, because leaflets containing a QR code helping people provide the feedback didn’t also include a link to the council’s consultation page “those responding to the comments were therefore not given all the information required to make an informed decision.” 

Councillors will vote on the proposals at the next Transport & Sustainability Committee, due to take place next Tuesday, with Labour councillors almost certain to approve them. 

Councillor Ellen McLeay, who represents West Hill and North Laine for the Green Party, said all comments have a right to be heard. She said:  

“From speaking to residents and traders in the North Laine it’s clear people want to see a solution that both supports independent businesses, the safety of pedestrians and that puts accessibility at its heart.  
 
“It’s clear that finding a solution that meets everyone’s needs is by no means straightforward. But dismissing more than 400 objections on the grounds of a vague technicality is not the way to do it. Labour were elected on a promise to listen but instead huge numbers of people are now saying they feel locked out of the democratic decision-making process. 
 
“We recognise this is a complex local issue so it is important that everyone is given the chance to express their opinions and feel they have been taken on board before any decision is made. For more than 400 comments to be discounted on what is a questionable technicality and with no flexibility gives the impression Labour does not want to hear alternative views.  

“I fully support everyone’s right to be involved in the council’s democratic process. We hope the committee will not only revisit the objections in more detail, but also allow traders the opportunity to feel heard by the council on Tuesday.” 

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The position is being advertised for £180k – £190k, which Greens argue is far too high. They criticise the Labour leadership for prioritising senior officer pay over the pay of other council staff and the services that desperately need financial support. Greens point out that in the context of tough economic decisions, roles like the CEO should be considered for savings rather than injected with more funding. This also presents a chance to explore different models of management that could be both cheaper and more efficient. 

Whilst they are sceptical about the need for a CEO at all, Greens also point out that Brighton & Hove is a city that will pull in applicants on its own accord, and the council doesn’t need to be offering this kind of money to get an excellent candidate. 

Greens have consistently advocated for greater pay equity on the council. An example from the previous Green minority administration was abolishing the previous lowest pay band and elevating the incomes of thousands of council employees, to properly support them in the cost-of-living crisis and make clear the value their work to the city. 

Cllr Chloë Goldsmith [she/her], Green Spokesperson for Equalities and Workers’ Rights, said: 

“The CEO salary being offered is far too high. In a cost-of-living crisis, when the council is strapped for cash, it is obscene to be seeking to recruit on a salary that is so much more than what most people in this city earn. 

“Greens have always fought for greater pay equity between council employees; this decision from Labour is a step in the wrong direction. 

“Greens don’t think the council needs a CEO. Disappointingly, the Labour leadership have missed an opportunity to explore different models, and instead opted for unnecessary expense and a corporate management model.” 

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Local trans groups and residents have spoken out after it was revealed that Cllr Alison Thomson, Labour member for Regency ward, shared a number of transphobic tweets online. 

Greens stand in solidarity with local LGBTQIA groups, calling on Labour to take stronger action against hate and calling on Alison Thompson to stand down.  

Cllr Chloë Goldsmith, Green Councillor for Regency Ward, said: 

“I’m incredibly disappointed to see these awful tweets from my Labour counterpart in Regency. They show an utter lack of respect for – and even disgust towards – trans people, many of whom will be residents in her ward.

“Brighton & Hove has one of the largest proportions of trans people in the country, with census data showing that Regency has an even higher number. Every single person in this city deserves to feel able to contact their councillor for help and have their identity respected.

“The fact that someone who publicly holds these views continues to represent Brighton & Hove Labour, completely throws into question the views of all their councillors. Labour’s presence at Pride was met with protests, and this shows it was for good reason. Despite local residents and LGBTIQA+ groups speaking out in shock and disgust, all Labour have seen fit to do in response to these hateful messages is remove Councillor Thomson from an entirely unrelated role. If this is what ‘not tolerating anti-trans sentiment in any form’ looks like from the Labour group, we are deeply concerned.

“Trans people in this city deserve the certainty that their council will respect them and stand up for them. At the moment, this Labour administration have provided zero reasons to believe that will be the case. I hope Brighton & Hove Labour will do the right thing. This lacklustre action on hate falls far short of the promises made to respect and defend marginalised communities in our city and we will not fail to challenge Labour to do better.”

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Today Green Councillors made a proposal to Full Council that would have committed the council to redouble efforts seeking compensation for the city from Southern Water. The Green motion also demanded public ownership of water companies, calling on national parties to support this in the next General Election. Labour refused to do so.

This follows growing outrage across the city at the fact that raw sewage continues being dumped into our seas by water companies such as Southern Water. Residents are rightly concerned that the city’s sea, waterways and water supplies are unsafe to use and damaging to natural habitats and the environment. This also has a significant impact on public health, both due to risk from infection and limiting access to exercise. In their amendment Labour backed Southern Water and claimed that resident concerns are understandable, but not correct.

Southern Water was privatised in 1989, which subjects vital supplies of water to market pressures in order to generate profit for shareholders. It is a private monopoly, meaning that there is simply no other choice for consumers than one water supplier than one unaccountable profiteering company. Greens argue that the combination of defunding, deregulation and privatisation is obliterating services across the country and allowing water companies to dump sewage with relative impunity. 

Labour pushed through an amendment to the motion that removed reference to public ownership, which Greens have criticised and highlight as an example of how Labour continue to pivot to the right under Starmer.

Cllr Pete West [he/him], who is proposing the motion, said: 

“Private monopolies, that no one can escape, are ripping us all off. Our water resources are being stretched by climate change, waste and lack of resilience. In Brighton & Hove there is particular concern about the impact of uncontrolled sewage outflows by Southern Water into the sea.  

“After 34 failed years of privatisation introduced by Thatcher, 69% of the public want our water back in public hands. Going by recent remarks from Keir Starmer and Labour’s amendment today, they bottled it and have kicked that question down the road.  

“Labour is committing to years more of failed service by private monopolies, pollution, divestment and damage to nature. Shame on them for prioritising private profits over public health.” 

Cllr Kerry Pickett [she/her], Green Environment Spokesperson, said: 

“The previous Green administration made great efforts to secure and implement a commitment for Southern Water to pay for compensation to the city through funding public toilets. It is important that this happens as soon as possible, so that the city gets some short-term relief. 

“But this is a continual problem that can’t go on. The city needs accountability and compensation; the only way we do that is to bring water under public ownership and remove the profit-making element from our water full stop. Any party that doesn’t accept that is not prepared to fix the problem.” 

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Tonight, Greens made a proposal supporting rent controls to a full council session. Despite supposedly supporting the idea of rent controls, Labour watered down the motion, bailing on previous commitments and avoiding calling on national parties to support rent controls at the next election. 

On average, tenants who rent alone in Brighton and Hove paying over a third of their wages on housing costs, compared to a UK average of 11.4% of the household incomes. Rent is continuing to spiral upwards, with landlords raising prices on both current and prospective renters. A recent report from the Institute for Fiscal Studies shows that private renters have poverty rates of 34%, compared with 12% for owner-occupiers.  

Rent controls are powers granted to councils to be able to freeze rent prices at a cap, stopping them getting higher, and allowing councils to take action when they get too high. The Green motion to full council would have committed the council to using rent controls as soon as they have the powers to use them. In order to get those powers, the motion instructed the council will write to Westminster Leaders to compel them to support introducing rent controls and encourage all political parties to support rent controls in the next election.  

Labour amended the motion to support landlord licensing, despite Greens having initiated a landlord licensing scheme earlier in the year before the May local elections. Greens criticised Labour for saying they support renters, but falling short of demanding the powers to meaningfully deliver for renters. 

Housing Spokesperson and proposer of the motion Cllr Ellen Mcleay [she/her] said: 

“We have all heard on the doorstep that Brighton is getting increasingly more difficult to afford, and rent is a big factor in that. Lots of residents already paying absurdly high rents are worried about landlords potentially raising rents again in the coming months. The situation is getting worse and the need for rent controls is more urgent than ever – that is why we put this notice of motion to the council today. Labour’s amendment simply doesn’t go far enough to address the crisis at hand. 

“Rent controls are an essential tool that we need in our arsenal. Landlord licences are of course very necessary as well, which is why Greens initiated a landlord licensing scheme in this city. Labour says they’ll support renters but today they have dodged calls for the powers to freeze rents.   

 “By refusing to commit to calling on the national Labour Party to support rent controls, this Labour council demonstrates that they are backing Keir over renters. Labour said they would “demand devolved powers from government to introduce rent caps” in the May election manifesto – another broken promise.” 

Seconder of the proposal Cllr Raphael Hill [she/her or they/them] said:  

“The Labour Party has spent a lot of time talking about how mortgage price rises due to high interest rates are hitting homeowners. What is not being spoken about is that this will lead to even higher rents.  

“There is a real concern of a housing crash happening very soon, and we need powers to be able to protect renters. Those powers must come from national government, and quickly. 

“Unlike Labour, Greens are unequivocal; we need rent controls to bring down the price of rent, and we need them now.” 

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Green MP for Brighton Pavilion Caroline Lucas will be speaking at the start of the march and Green Councillor Raphael Hill, Brighton & Hove’s first openly trans councillor, will be addressing the celebration in Brunswick Square following the march. This year’s march marks the 10th Anniversary of Trans Pride Brighton.

Councillor Raphael Hill said:

“We live in a climate of growing hostility towards trans people, especially towards those who also face racism too. Celebrities, media figures and politicians from both Labour and Conservatives compete to attack our communities.

“Trans Pride is an essential opportunity for a coalition of dehumanised voices to come together from across the city to demonstrate that we are not a quiet, marginal group to be cast aside, but a powerful community that defends itself.”

Caroline Lucas MP added:

“I’m so proud that Brighton & Hove is home to the first ever Trans Pride in the UK, and it’s inspiring to see how much it’s grown over the past 10 years. This event is about celebrating diversity, but it’s also about demanding equality. Transphobic hate crime is on the rise, and the Government is stoking a fabricated culture war putting trans people at even further risk. 

So much amazing work is already being done by organisations here in Brighton to stand shoulder to shoulder with the trans community. I’ll continue doing all I can in Parliament to challenge the Government’s pernicious rhetoric, and push for love and acceptance over hatred and fear.”

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