Hackney Green Party is celebrating by-election success today as candidate Liam Davis is elected to Hackney Council, winning the Stoke Newington seat from Labour in convincing victory. The last time Greens won a by-election from the opposition in London was in 2008.

The Green Party secured a decisive win with 1253 votes, against Labour's 945.

Newly elected Councillor Liam Davis speaking after the declaration of results, Thursday 12th September

Hackney Greens Statement about dogs in Abney Park and animal welfare position.

Hackney’s green spaces are precious and we recognise how important our parks, marshes and rivers are for our wellbeing and recreation. The Green Party is passionate about protecting the animals we share this planet with - in the recent General Election we proposed the creation a new Commission on Animal Protection.

In Hackney, when the council wanted residents views on dogs off leads in Abney Park, Hackney Greens promoted the council's consultation. . Green councillors acknowledged concerns about the lack of space for dogs to express their natural behaviours off-lead and space for dogs to play and be trained in Hackney. We did not come out in favour of banning dogs off-lead in Abney Park.

Our two Green councillors are in Dalston and Hackney Downs but often get contacted by residents across the borough on important issues - they were contacted about this issue but only by a few residents so waited to see the results from the consultation and committed to making sure the council listened to residents.

We’re not aware of any councillors of any party speaking out publicly on this issue before the end of the consultation.

Green Group co-leader Cllr Alastair Binnie-Lubbock said: "Greens listen to residents and push the council to listen. Greens did not endorse the Trust's position. We are an evidence-led Party so we asked for specific evidence that dogs were harming the environment and did not see any.”

“We listened to dog walkers and we promoted engagement with the consultation. We recognised that there's a real lack of space for dogs to be off lead in Hackney and that this is one of the things that makes Abney Park so special and unique.”

“We have also listened to residents in Stoke Newington and engaged with the Trust around other issues that the park faces and we advocated on behalf of residents against the Labour administration's events licence application which included very late hours and didn't have a proper event management plan in place."

• Greens strike by-election cooperation agreement with Independent Socialists Group

Hackney Green Party is going to cooperate with the Hackney Independent Socialists in the upcoming council by-elections in London Fields and Stoke Newington. The purpose of this agreement is to give both the best chance of winning strengthening the ability for both to challenge the Labour administration where there are shared values, policies and concerns. If successful, the collaboration will become the largest opposition on the council, surpassing the Conservatives. 

Local activist Liam Davis has been selected to run in the Stoke Newington by-election. He said: “Hackney residents deserve better than what the Labour administration is offering. As your councillor, I'll push for affordable and high-quality new social housing, support our independent businesses, and ensure better waste collection and accessibility in Stoke Newington. I'll be a strong voice pushing for the ethical divestment of pension schemes from arms companies and for our youth, advocating for better services and opportunities to combat local youth violence. It’s time for an opposition that holds Labour accountable and fights for the needs of our community. Voters in Stoke Newington understand the value in voices who can speak freely for their needs.”

Hackney Green Group co-leader Cllr Zoë Garbett commented:
“Liam is a dedicated and hard working local champion who is passionate about improving the lives of everyone in Stoke Newington. Liam will be joining an effective Green team who are working with Hackney's Independent Socialist councillors to replace the Hackney Conservative Group as the majority opposition group in our borough.”

“A vote for Liam is first and foremost a vote for a councillor who will bring Stoke Newington's voice to the council and will advocate for people suffering the impact of continued austerity and cuts. Labour councillors have to vote the way they are told to, but Green councillors are not told how to vote, so Liam can be a really strong independent voice for Stoke Newington. We’re really proud about how we’ve worked cross-party for the benefit of residents and this collaboration with Independent Socialists who are unhappy with the direction of Labour locally and nationally is the continuation of that work.”

A Hackney Independent Socialist Councillor Claudia Turbet-Delof said: “I am so happy to see Liam standing as the Green Party candidate for Stoke Newington. I have seen how passionate and committed Liam is to climate justice and as a former Mental Health Champion for Hackney I also saw how well Liam understands the impact social injustice has on our wellbeing and mental health. Voting for Liam helps us secure our growing number of Green and Independent voices fighting for residents  and scrutinising a safe Labour administration.”

The Hackney Greens and Hackney Independent Socialists Groups share common concerns and are already working together on pushing the council to divest its pension funds from arms companies, on action to address poverty and on prioritising the climate crisis.

The London Fields by-election was triggered by the arrest and resignation of the council’s deputy speaker Lee Laudat-Scott who has been charged with “intentionally touching” a child under 13.

The Stoke Newington by-election was triggered by the resignation of the council’s Cabinet member for climate change, environment and transport Mete Coban, who leaves for a job working as the Mayor of London’s Deputy Mayor for the Environment and Energy.

The by-elections are the 8th and 9th in Hackney since the last full council elections in May 2022. All by-elections to date have been caused by Labour resignations.

Find out more about Liam Davis on Our Candidates page: https://www.hackneygreens.org.uk/our_candidates

Whose side is Hackney Council on?

Zoë Garbett (Councillor & Assembly Member) and Antoinette Fernandez (Hackney Green Party member) are both private renters in Hackney and have reviewed the council’s private sector housing strategy. 

Hackney Green Party is celebrating its best ever result in a general election in both Hackney constituencies.

In Hackney, we now have our sixth councillor by-election in two years and the fifth in 2024!

We love the chance to increase our effective opposition in Hackney Council and we have two talented, dedicated and hard working candidates ready to represent the residents of Hoxton West (27th June) and Cazenove (4th July).

Dear Resident,

Have your say on the changes to Amhurst Road – which will have an impact on Graham Road. 

I am writing about a leaflet you should have received from Hackney Council about changes on Amhurst Road.

On 24 January 2024, the Green Group’s motion on Responsible Tax Conduct was passed at a Full Council meeting. Polling from the Institute for Business Ethics finds that “corporate tax avoidance” has, since 2013, been the number one concern of the British public when it comes to business conduct. Around 17.5% of public contracts in the UK have been won by companies with links to tax havens. It has been conservatively estimated that losses from multinational profit-shifting (just one form of tax avoidance) could be costing the UK some £17bn per annum in lost corporation tax revenues.

It has been publicly reported that the Labour Party has suspended Laura Pascal, its candidate for the Cazenove by-election, and ceased all campaigning for her. We call on the Labour Party to confirm whether this is the case, and if so the reasons for it.

We and others in the community had previously raised serious concerns about grossly offensive and prejudiced comments shared and ‘liked’ by Laura Pascal on Twitter/X. Calls for Hackney Labour to address these concerns, and to explain why Pascal was selected as a candidate in the first place, have been and continue to be met with silence.

Tamara Micner, Green Party candidate for Cazenove, said: “I stand wholeheartedly with all communities in Hackney, whose diversity is our borough’s great strength. My aim in this by-election campaign has always been to bring the people of Cazenove together and help heal divisions.

“If elected as your Green councillor on Thursday 18th, I will stand up for all Cazenove residents and add to the fantastic work that Hackney Green councillors are already doing to hold the Labour administration to account and make Hackney a safe community for everyone”.

Scroll down to read in Yiddish / יידיש אונטן

Hackney Green Party has selected Tamara Micner for the by-election taking place in Cazenove ward on 18 January 2024.