Lisburn North independent councillor Gary Hynds has been cleared by the Northern Ireland Local Government Commissioner's Office of breaching the code of conduct in two separate social media cases.

In one instance, Hynds responded on X to a July 2025 post by Lagan Valley MP Sorcha Eastwood. Eastwood called for the UK government to recognise the Palestinian state without conditions, halt arms sales to Israel, impose sanctions, ensure aid flow, and demand a ceasefire with hostage release. Hynds described Alliance as supporters of head choppers and rapists. The August 2025 complaint was investigated and closed without action.

In the other case, Hynds posted on Facebook in July 2025 urging people to ignore BBC licence fee letters, avoid watching or listening, and not pay. This followed his support for a campaign to defund the BBC. The commissioner's office also dismissed this complaint with no further action.

Hynds stated that both complaints were dismissed after independent review. He received private letters confirming clearance on the X response and Facebook post.

Hynds said attempts to silence differing political views contradict free speech and democratic accountability. He noted joining the Free Speech Union and plans to attend its Northern Ireland conference.

A spokesperson for the commissioner's office confirmed receipt of an allegation against a Lisburn and Castlereagh City Council member for failing to uphold conduct standards. The probe concluded without further steps.