Stoke Newington Ward

Stoke Newington By-Election - 12th September 2024

My name is Liam Davis, and I am standing for Stoke Newington ward as your councillor in the upcoming by-election. I feel really honoured to be chosen to do this, and I will work really hard to show what sort of councillor I will be. I have lived here in Hackney for many years and Stoke Newington is my chosen home. This is where I shop, go to my gym, have my friendship group, and have worked and volunteered.

I currently work for an NGO advocating for greater transparency and standards in the fashion supply chain. Before this, I spent many years in tech startups, aiming to transform the polluting fashion industry and support independent small businesses.

My career has seen its share of challenges—awful bosses, low wages, redundancy. Working in hospitality in Hackney during these tough times has not only kept me afloat but also deeply rooted me in this community, where I’ve met so many amazing people.

Sadly, it’s no secret that Labour in Hackney has repeatedly let down local people. Despite claiming to care for the vulnerable, they propose cuts to services like libraries and Sure Start centres, disproportionately affecting minority ethnic communities. They’ve wasted millions on failed vanity projects like the Morning Lane Fashion Hub and prioritised unaffordable housing over social housing. They refuse to listen to the people of Hackney, or even their own council workers with regards to pension fund investments in arms companies and companies linked to human rights abuses in Gaza and elsewhere. They have also proven completely incapable of due diligence with regards to selecting their own councillors. 

As a former Labour member, I’ve seen firsthand a party more focused on internal politics than meaningful change. I am not one to shy away from discussion or debate; I am a dedicated campaigner passionate about real progress. That is why I am now proudly a Green member.

If selected, I will work tirelessly to raise the Greens’ profile in Stoke Newington, fight hard to win this seat for the first time, and show Labour that their complacency will no longer be ignored. It’s often challenging for younger people to stand for local elections, but I aim to be a vocal advocate, not just for representation, but to bring new ideas and perspectives to a council that in many ways fails to serve Hackney’s most vulnerable.

There are many causes and issues I am deeply passionate about, though if elected, I will be particularly focused on:

• Pushing for more sustainable housing by demanding action in inadequate conditions, promoting retrofitting and demanding more social housing delivery
• Collaborate with local businesses and communities to ensure fair licensing, support independent businesses over chains, ensure road safety, enhance disability accessibility, and stand firmly against the over-policing of Black people, children, and delivery riders.
• Empowering youth by advocating for opportunities that reduce youth violence we continue to see in Hackney and by fighting cuts to Sure Start centres, like Fernbank 
• Safeguard and expand community spaces like Abney Park and Stoke Newington Common, improve accessibility, address dangerous potholes, holistically enhance the local LTN, and demand clarity on plans for the one-way gyratory, stalled for so long
  
• Pushing for ethical divestment of all council pension funds from companies linked to or complicit in human rights abuses in Palestine or anywhere else globally

The Greens can be a driving force of progressive change in Hackney and it would be the greatest honour to be elected and to represent the local community at Town Hall.