On Tuesday 20^th August, Hackney Green Party led housing activists and community campaigners in protest against a multinational developer and the next stage of redevelopment of Woodberry Down estate. They met on the steps of Hackney Town Hall where a small number of residents are resisting a compulsory purchase order (CPO).

Berkley Homes and Town Hall have had a decade long partnership giving the multinational company reign to replace the existing 1940s heritage apartment tenements with high rise luxury flats.

Concerned for the social, economic and environmental wellbeing of the area, Liat Mordechai, Fabi Ahrain and Ugo Domizioli are resisting the CPO. Their worries stem from research done on the exploitative nature of the first two phases of the development. While 41% of the new homes were to be sold below market rate, Berkeley has delivered only 38% and 36%.

Mordechai explains that, “80% of the private homes [in the development] were sold to overseas investors. All of these land registries show a Chinese, Malaysian or Hong Kong owner. One investment company bought 147 flats and one entire building is owned by a Chinese national. All the advertisements in China show how much rental income they’ll receive from their investment”

The lawyer acting for the group, Christopher Jacobs, has remarked that, “The objectors are able to demonstrate that a significant purpose of the regeneration is to attract foreign investment.”

In addition, further concerns have been voiced by Dr Alex Armitage, a Green Party activist, that, “levels of carbon emissions that will be produced from this scheme are staggering. Continuation of the Woodberry Down redevelopment is not consistent with the climate emergency that was declared this year. Hackney Council is pumping tonnes of CO₂ into the atmosphere to kick council tenants out of their homes, break up communities and create investment opportunities for wealthy businesspeople. Meanwhile, the objective of affordable homes for Londoners remains as far off as ever. Instead we should be investing in our existing council housing stock and renovating buildings that have gone into disrepair.”

The downgraded tenancy that the council tenants face in the new development will make them liable for increased service charges and rental payments. “The investors are just exploiting the land and the lack of housing to charge more rent from low income people that can’t afford to buy a home,” says Morechai.

The Green Party has demonstrated its support to halting the further reduction in council homes through the actions taken. 

Hackney Green party have selected their candidates for a potential General Election.

Seven Green Party Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) have been elected in the as results from across the continent were announced today. Across Europe, Greens gained in a number of countries including Germany, France, the Netherlands and Portugal. As a result, the Green Party group in the parliament has grown to the biggest it has ever been. 

Green Party launch in Hackney – Rachel Collinson, prospective Green MEP candidate in the centre of the picture in grey jacket; Hackney Green Party member, Alex Armitage, in red top

Hackney Greens have launched their European election campaign in Dalston - where Greens were just 21 votes away from winning a councillor seat at the last local elections.

The party is determined to put green issues on the agenda and win votes to get a Green MEP, as Hackney prepares to go to the polls on Thursday 23 rd May. The Greens already have one Green MEP, making them London’s leading pro-Remain party.

Alex Armitage, who stood for the Greens in Hackney at the last local election in 2018, said “The Greens are the second party in Hackney – and these coming European elections are a chance for voters here to be heard, in a place that delivered the second biggest ‘remain’ vote in London”.

Rachel Collinson, who is standing as a Green MEP candidate, says “By voting Green, you have a realistic chance of getting a Green MEP get elected. It is an opportunity for Londoners to argue for a final say on Theresa May’s Brexit deal – as well as giving a voice to a party that understands the need to tackle the ongoing climate crisis”.

The Green Party is already a powerful voice for Londoners in the European Parliament. Greens are committed to taking action on climate breakdown, defending people's rights and calling for a People's Vote.

This is a proportional election so every vote matters, and you can have a real impact by helping out with our campaign by coming to an action day.

See the events page or visit our facebook page to RSVP to our next action day.

Two Hoxton schoolchildren were recently presented with awards after winning their school elections for the Green Party.

The results are in for the Victoria ward by-election and our candidate, Wendy Robinson, got 13% of the vote share.

We are disappointed that our vote dropped this time but it held up well in a tough four way battle and we remain the second biggest party in Hackney. We will continue to fight by-elections and hold Labour to account.

Thank you to everyone who voted for Wendy and the Green Party in this by-election and to everyone we spoke to on the doorstep - we heard about some important issues facing our residents and will continue to campaign on the issues that matter to you.

You can find out the full results on Hackney Council's website.

Hackney Greens have selected Wendy Robinson as our candidate in the upcoming by-election.

Find out more about Wendy and why she is standing here.

If you want to get involved in our campaign please let us know via [email protected]

Hackney Green Party are highly concerned about local democracy in Hackney after Labour and the Tories seized yet more seats on the council.

Sign our petition against Hackney Council's proposed increases to Council Tax for Hackney's poorest residents.

Click here to view and sign.

Hackney Green Party calls on the council and the borough’s two Labour MPs to investigate the reported rise in moped crime in Hackney following the horrendous acid attacks in the borough last week.