Green Party’s Zoë Garbett elected as new Hackney Mayor

Bangla Mirror Desk : The Green Party’s Zoë Garbett has vowed she will “change the system”, after being elected mayor of Hackney.

The win ousted Labour, which has held the mayoralty since the directly-elected position was created in 2002.

Speaking after the results, Ms Garbett said: “Today we start a fightback.

“In this election, over and over, people kept telling me that they felt let down. People kept saying, ‘it’s hard for me and it’s hard for us’. Council services are failing those who need them most and people are struggling to make ends meet.

“To everyone who voted for me, I truly thank you for putting your trust in me today.”

The Greens took a decisive victory with 35,720 votes, beating Labour by nearly 10,000.

Ms Garbett added: “I’m going to change the system. That’s why you’ve elected me, to lead the fightback here in Hackney, this campaign has never just been about the Green Party.

“Countless people, movements, organisations, parties and communities have come together to make this change possible.”

Defeated former Labour mayor of Hackney Caroline Woodley – who received 26,685 votes, said the Labour government “has got a lot of work to do. She also congratulated Ms Garbett.

“To Zoe, you’ve shown great determination and resilience, and I know you have the support of the council to continue the good work we have done as a liberal administration.”

Ms Woodley added: “To my Labour government, you’ve got a lot of work to do, but thank you for the investment in housing.”

Leader of the Green Party Zack Polanski said “the country has clearly rejected you” when asked for his message to Sir Keir Starmer.

Mr Polanski was speaking to reporters in Hackney, where the Greens won a decisive victory in the contest for the directly-elected mayor of the borough.

“My message to Keir Starmer is it’s time to go,” the Green leader said.

“The country has clearly rejected you. I think he’d been rejected before these elections even started.

“We had 14 years of Conservative austerity.

“Keir Starmer was voted in on a promise of change and, actually, what we’ve seen is very little change, and in many ways things have got worse.”