We now know that Hackney Mayor Philip Glanville attended a party with Tom Dewey, his (then) housemate and a former Labour councillor, after he was informed by the council that Dewey had been charged with serious crimes. These reports and the photographic evidence directly contradict the Mayor’s previous statements on the matter.

Hackney Green Party is appalled by Mr Glanville’s conduct. It is unfathomable both that he attended the party with Mr Dewey after learning of the charges, and that he then claimed he had no contact with Dewey at this time. These events call both his judgement and his honesty into account, and have resulted in his suspension from the Labour Party. His position as Mayor seems increasingly untenable and we support calls for his resignation.

There is an urgent need to fully understand the order of events following the National Crime Agency’s raid on Mr Dewey’s home. We have been calling for an independent investigation since the very serious charges against Mr Dewey were made public, to clarify who knew what and how they acted on the information they had. The case for an independent investigation is now even stronger. Hackney residents, Mr Dewey’s victims and the wider public deserve to know the full facts.