Martin Abrams confirmed as new leader of Lambeth Green group after overwhelming member vote

Lambeth Green Party members have formally ratified Martin Abrams as the new leader of the Green Group of councillors, following a decisive vote on the party’s Helios platform that closed at 6pm today.

The referendum, required under Green Party rules to confirm the leadership chosen by the newly elected councillor group, returned a clear result: 360 members voted to approve the leadership team, with just 23 opting to re‑open nominations.

The ratified leadership team is:

Martin Abrams – Leader (Streatham Hill East)

Ciara Alleyne – Deputy Leader (Herne Hill & Loughborough Junction)

Natalie Kane – Deputy Leader (Brixton Acre Lane)

Serafina Spicer – Co‑chair (Brixton Windrush)

Matt Wilcock – Co‑chair (Knights Hill)

The vote confirms the leadership selected earlier this week by the 29‑strong Green Group of councillors, who became the largest party in Lambeth for the first time after last week’s local elections.

Under the party’s constitution, the councillor group elects its own leadership, but the wider local membership must ratify the result. If turnout fails to reach a 10% quorum, the slate is automatically approved – but today’s vote comfortably exceeded that threshold.

A new political landscape in Lambeth

The ratification comes at a pivotal moment for the borough. The Greens won 29 of Lambeth’s 63 seats, ending Labour’s 20‑year control.

However, with Saiqa Ali (Streatham St Leonard’s) currently suspended over controversial social media posts and expected to sit as an independent, the Green total stands at 28.

The new balance of the council is:

Greens – 28

Labour – 26

Liberal Democrats – 8

This produces a hung council, meaning the Greens, as the largest party, will need either a formal coalition or a confidence‑and‑supply arrangement to form an administration.

What happens next

With the leadership now ratified, Abrams and his team are expected to begin negotiations with other parties in the coming days.

Any formal talks are unlikely to begin until after the Liberal Democrats announce their new group leader, following Donna Harris’ announcement ahead of last week’s elections, that she was stepping down.

Join the local discussion

Lambeth Borough Council Elections – Thursday 7 May 2026