Everything I do has climate at its centre': Hackney's first Green mayor gets to work

Zoe Garbett was elected mayor of Hackney, the first Green party mayor in the borough, ending decades of Labour leadership. Green support translated into more than 500 seats nationally, control of five councils, and two mayoralties. In Hackney specifically, Garbett won the mayoralty while the Green party increased councillors from four to 40. Labour fell from 50 seats in 2022 to nine. Hackney has high diversity, lower life expectancy than the national average, and severe child deprivation, with the council reporting it as the second-worst area for child deprivation. The council operates on an annual budget of about £2bn, with responsibilities spanning housing, inequality, adult social care, and transport. Garbett emphasized the shift from campaigning to delivering practical services.

"Zoe Garbett was elected as the east London borough's first Green party mayor in this month's local elections, surfing a wave of support which resulted in the party winning more than 500 seats, taking control of five councils and winning two mayoralties. But even amid a celebratory national picture, the results in Hackney, one of the Labour party's longtime strongholds in the capital, stood out. Not only did Garbett secure the mayoralty, the party jumped from four councillors to 40. At the same time, the Labour block slid from 50 seats in 2022 to nine."

"Hackney is one of the most diverse areas in the country, with around half its residents from black and global majority groups, according to the council. Life expectancy is below the national average and although there are pockets of wealth as some neighbourhoods gentrify, the English indices of deprivation report found it was the second-worst area in the country for child deprivation. The council has an annual budget of about 2bn and Garbett's team is responsible for services from housing to inequality, adult social care and transport."

"It is all sinking in still, says Garbett, 39. But we are now getting to the real practical stuff of how are we going to deliver these things, and to be honest, I think I've been itching to do that for a long time. A self-described local government obsessive, Garbett, originally from Somerset,"

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