Zoë Garbett selected as Green candidate for Mayor of Hackney

Hackney Green Party members have voted to select Dalston councillor Zoë Garbett as their candidate for the upcoming by-election for Mayor of Hackney. This follows the resignation of Labour Mayor Philip Glanville, over his conduct in relation to the arrest of former Labour councillor Tom Dewey.

Zoë stood as the Greens’ candidate for Mayor of Hackney in the May 2022 election and achieved 17% of the vote, coming second ahead of the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats. The Greens also came second in borough-wide vote share for councillors, with 23%.

Zoë said: “I’m thrilled to have been selected by Hackney Green Party members to be the candidate for this important by-election. I love Hackney, but too many people feel unheard and there are multiple challenges faced by far too many.”

“I want to see a fairer borough so I am committing to doing everything I can to tackle the housing crisis, support community groups to grow and thrive and deliver non-policing, community-led solutions to serious youth violence. I have a track record of championing small business and market traders and standing up to developers so that the needs of residents are prioritised. As a Green, I recognise the urgency required to address the climate and ecological emergency – which will run through all of my campaign.”

As leader of the Green Group on the council, Zoë led calls for the resignation of the former Labour Mayor, and continues to call for an independent investigation to ascertain what the council and Labour Party knew about former Labour councillor Tom Dewey’s arrest and police investigation.

Zoë added: “In this by-election, I will continue to challenge the Labour administration in areas where it has let residents down, and offer voters a real alternative to the status quo. This includes calling to abolish the directly elected Mayor position in favour of a more representative, democratic system and sharing power with residents so they can have more control over their lives. I’m looking forward to speaking with more residents during this election about the changes they want to see in the borough.”

Further information

1. Hackney Green Party members elected their candidate through an open nominations process and democratic vote, with no shortlisting or filtering of nominees by the party administration.
2. The Green Group on Hackney Council had tabled a motion of no confidence in Mayor Glanville prior to him tendering his resignation on 15 September. His last day in office was 22 September. The Motion has been amended to call for an independent investigation.
3. A date for the by-election has not yet been announced, but Hackney Council has previously stated that it is likely to be in the coming weeks.
4. The winner of the by-election will serve the remainder of the previous Mayor’s term, to May 2026.
5. Hackney Council is currently composed of 50 Labour councillors, 5 Conservatives and 2 Greens.
6. Zoë has worked in senior roles in the public sector for over 10 years and currently works in the NHS addressing health inequalities.
7. Zoë is also the Green Party candidate for Mayor of London, and a candidate on the party’s London-wide Assembly list, for the London Mayor and Assembly elections in May 2024.

For any enquiries about Zoë’s campaign or Hackney Green Party, email contactus@hackneygreens.org.uk