Lisburn North independent councillor Gary Hynds has been cleared by the Northern Ireland Local Government Commissioner’s Office of misconduct over his responses to social media posts.

The office investigated Hynds's reply on X to a July 2025 post by Lagan Valley MP Sorcha Eastwood. Eastwood's post 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's reply labelled Alliance as supporters of extremists. The commissioner closed the probe in August 2025 with no further action.

A separate investigation examined Hynds's July 2025 Facebook post backing a campaign against BBC funding and TV licence payments. He urged people to ignore related letters and avoid BBC content. The office also dismissed this complaint, confirming no misconduct.

Hynds received private letters from the commissioner clearing him in both cases. He stated two recent complaints against him were fully dismissed after scrutiny.

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.

The commissioner’s office confirmed receiving an allegation that a Lisburn and Castlereagh City Council councillor breached the Local Government Code of Conduct. The investigation found no breach.