Nonetheless, he won his election in Crystal Palace and Upper Norwood after the local party branch continued to encourage voters to support him.
Despite Adderley sitting as an independent, the Green Party’s political grouping – the “Green and Independent” group – includes him, according to the council’s own website.
The group was created after the local elections and sees Adderley join his former Green colleagues in a formal grouping - an arrangement that didn't exist prior to the elections.
Screenshot from Croydon Council's website[Missing Credit]
This arrangement was condemned by Communities Secretary Steve Reed, who told the JC: “Clearly the Green Party is not serious about standing up to the vile racism within its own ranks.
“The suspension of Mark Adderley means nothing if Green councillors are now formally working with him.
“Zack Polanski should show leadership, call this out and ban his councillors from working with anyone who has been suspended for antisemitism."
Likewise, Shadow Home Secretary and Croydon South MP Chris Philp told the JC: “The Greens in Croydon should not be allying with a notorious antisemite. They are associating with him in order to qualify for enhanced committee places and recognition on the Council. The Green Party think that positions on the council are more important than fighting antisemitism.
“The fact is today’s Green Party tolerate and even encourage antisemitism. Greens are not fit for office in any council or Parliament.”
And the Jewish Labour Movement’s chair, Ella-Rose Jacobs, was also critical, saying: “The Greens suspended Mark Adderley for his antisemitic comments. Now they're officially teaming up in Croydon Town Hall. Which one is it? Do they condemn his comments or not? Tackling racism requires consistency and morality. We are yet to see that.”
During the election campaign, the JC revealed that despite Adderley’s suspension from the party nationally, the Green Party in Croydon continued to campaign for him.
Prior to polling day, Croydon Green Party’s Instagram account responded to a post which said he had been suspended “on fake antisemitism charges” by saying that “Mark is very much still our candidate from Crystal Palace and you can still vote for him on May the 7th” and added a green-coloured heart emoji.
The news comes as Jewish figures in the entertainment industry have urged ITV not to allow Adderley’s wife to return as a panellist to Loose Women. The JC previously revealed that Sawalha has platformed conspiracy theories about the media’s “Zionist” agenda and claims that terrorists are “freedom fighters”.
According to the Daily Mail, in a 15-page letter to ITV’s executives, figures including former ITV executive Claudia Rosencrantz, former Director of BBC Television Danny Cohen and Fulwell Entertainment co-CEO Leo Pearlman expressed concern over “repeated examples of conspiratorial rhetoric, inflammatory commentary, disinformation, and antisemitic discourse”.
Adderley and Sawalha host a YouTube series, Coffee Moaning, featuring wide-ranging discussions that frequently include conspiracy theories about Israel.
In one video, Adderley described Israel as “the biggest threat to the planet, because they are the chosen people”.
He also drew comparisons between Israel and Nazi Germany: “When you look at how Hitler expanded Germany, or sought to expand Germany, it is almost a complete identikit to what Netanyahu is doing in the Middle East.
“Israel is the biggest threat to the sovereignty of every nation on this planet because they are the chosen people, deluded cult. It is just a cult,” he went on.
A Green Party spokesperson told the JC: "Mark Adderley has been suspended from the Green Party and so is not a Green Party councillor."
Mark Adderley has been contacted for comment.
