“I was not going after the colour of their skin but rather their mentality”, she explained.
The Green councillor, who defected from Labour, also claimed she was the victim of a “coordinated smear” and pointed an accusing finger at her former party.
“Since I stood up for Palestine from October 2023 by joining protests, proposing a ceasefire motion and campaigning with local residents, Labour have filed two complaints against me. These complaints did not emerge from genuine concern about racism – but from a party machine that has serious form going after Global Majority people and anti-imperialists”, she added.
Green Party Lewisham Deputy Leader Hau-Yu Tam (Photo by Kymberley Apiro/Getty Images)Getty Images
The JC has previously reported that Tam has shared a social media post that said, “Zionism is pure evil and must be abolished” and another that called it “undoubtedly, unquestionably the Nazism of our time”.
She had also expressed support for one of the barristers leading the legal campaign to end Hamas’ designation as a terrorist organisation.
Speaking to the JC, Dame Priti Patel was scathing of Tam’s remarks about her and attacked Zack Polanski’s party for normalising her language.
“This disgusting bile has become ubiquitous in the Green Party”, Patel said, adding: “Zack Polanski has dismally failed to tackle the vile hatred running rife among his colleagues. While the Greens indulge in racist identity politics, the Conservatives are focused on building a better future for everyone in our country.”
Tam was also attacked by the Labour Party for her comments about David Lammy and urged the Green Party leadership to intervene.
Chair of the Labour Party Anna Turley arrives for a Cabinet meeting in Downing Street, London. Picture date: Tuesday March 3, 2026. (Image: Aaron Chown/PA Wire).Aaron Chown/PA Wire
The party’s chair, Anna Turley, told the JC: “Cllr Hau-Yu Tam’s use of the term ‘coconut’ is completely unacceptable. Her subsequent non-apology, in which she doubled down rather than taking responsibility, only makes matters worse.”
She went on: "‘Coconut’ is a racist slur that has no place in our politics. It beggars belief that someone who has used such language, and then tried to make excuses for it, remains the Green Party’s so called 'Cabinet Member for Communities, Sanctuary and Healing'. Zack Polanski should do what he should have done a long time ago and sack her.”
Councillor Hau-Yu Tam and the Green Party have been contacted for comment.
