Newly elected Green Party councillors have sparked debate after delivering their post-election speech in Bengali.
The party celebrated a major victory in the 2026 local elections, winning 16 council seats and taking 14 from Labour. Videos from celebrations in Newham, east London, show supporters with mayoral candidate Areeq Chowdhury opening with the greeting "As-salamu alaykum" before continuing the speech in Bengali.
Speaking on GB News, Green Party member John Grant admitted he felt uneasy: “I didn't understand a word of what he said. To me, it seems like a poor way of communicating in the UK, where English is our language… It does make me a little uncomfortable. It’s not ideal, that's for sure.”
GB News host Charlie Peters asked: “Is that listening to the people or is that engaging in foreign or sectarian politics, making an announcement in a foreign language?”
Newham is one of the UK’s most ethnically diverse areas, hosting the second-largest British-Bangladeshi population in the country after neighbouring Tower Hamlets.
Supporters said the councillors were naturally addressing the communities that elected them, while critics argued that political speeches delivered in languages other than English can feel exclusionary.
The Green Party highlighted local issues in its 2026 manifesto, including rising homelessness, poor services, and overflowing bins, pledging reforms for housing, cleaner streets, council transparency, and community investment to build “A Newham We Can Be Proud Of.”
The election also saw Labour reduced to 26 seats, Independents holding 24, and the Greens securing 16, with Forhad Hussain elected as Newham’s new mayor.
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