Green-led Lambeth Council Threatens to Withdraw Cooperation with Immigration Enforcement
Lambeth Council, now under Green Party minority control following May’s local elections, has announced a formal review of its intelligence-sharing arrangements with Home Office immigration enforcement — raising the prospect of withdrawing cooperation with national authorities entirely.
A Review Timed for Political Effect
The review was announced by Jonathan Bartley, former co-leader of the Green Party of England and Wales and now Lambeth’s cabinet member for safer, thriving neighbourhoods. It was timed to coincide with Refugee Week, which began on June 15.
In a video published on the council’s website, Bartley claimed residents “fear the knock on the door from immigration enforcement” and suggested that council cooperation with the Home Office may deter vulnerable people from seeking help.
He said: “We need a clear picture of what is happening now, under what circumstances information is being shared, and whether current arrangements reflect the kind of borough we aspire to be.”
Political Context
The Greens won 27 seats in May’s local elections — more than any other party — ending Labour’s control of the borough for the first time in two decades. Bartley himself was elected in Clapham Town.
The minority administration now governs one of London’s most ethnically diverse boroughs, and has wasted little time signalling a departure from national government policy on immigration enforcement.
Enforcement at Record Levels
The announcement comes as Home Office immigration enforcement activity has reached historic highs. In January, the department confirmed that raids had increased by 77 per cent since Labour took office, with 17,400 operations targeting businesses such as nail bars, car washes, barbers and takeaway shops.
Many of these establishments are suspected of employing illegal migrants and have been linked by authorities to human trafficking networks.
Institutional and Legal Concerns
Critics have described the council’s posture as dangerous, warning that a local authority refusing to share intelligence with national enforcement agencies could obstruct legitimate law enforcement operations and undermine the rule of law.
The review will examine current policies, practices, and partnerships across the council and its commissioned services, with Bartley pledging a “clear and transparent picture” of existing arrangements. No timeline for conclusions has been announced.
The tension between locally elected Green administrations and central government immigration policy is likely to intensify if the review results in a formal decision to restrict information-sharing — a move that would set Lambeth on a collision course with the Home Office.