Greens shut in on Labour’s Hackney bastion and make large features in Andy Burnham’s Manchester patch
The Green Party has seen its first ever mayor elected in Hackney as Zack Polanski’s party continues to eat into dwindling Labour support across the country.
Showing the depth of anger for Labour under Keir Starmer, Zoë Garbett was able to take the Hackney mayoralty for the Greens with 35,720 votes, leaving Labour incumbent Caroline Woodley with just 26,865.
Ms Garbett’s victory comes as yet another historic blow to Labour on a punishing local elections results day – with Sir Keir’s party holding the East-end mayoralty since the role was created in 2002.
In her speech, Ms Garbett said that the people of Hackney had ‘made it clear that they are desperate for an alternative to this failing Labour government’.
She added that Hackney voters ‘own Hackney’ and that ‘it’s time to take it back’.
‘People kept saying, “it’s hard for me and it’s hard for us”. Council services are failing those who need them most and people are struggling to make ends meet.
‘To everyone who voted for me, I truly thank you for putting your trust in me today.’
She added: ‘I’m going to change the system. That’s why you’ve elected me, to lead the fightback here in Hackney, this campaign has never just been about the Green Party.’
Zoe Garbett was able to take the Hackney mayoralty for the Greens with 35,720 votes, leaving Labour incumbent Caroline Woodley with just 26,865
Ms Garbett’s victory comes as yet another historic blow to Labour on a punishing local elections results day – with Sir Keir’s party holding the East-end mayoralty since the role was created in 2002
Bev Craig, Labour leader of Manchester City Council, on Friday refused to back Sir Keir’s position in No 10
But Ms Garbett, a London Assembly member alongside Green leader Zack Polanski, also used her speech to batter Labour over its stance on Gaza.
Among the litany of Sir Keir’s failures in Government, she suggested Labour had lost because it was ‘supporting genocide’ in Gaza.
Despite winning the Hackney mayoralty, the Greens’ antisemitism crisis, exposed by the Daily Mail, seemed to have affected their success at the ballot box.
The Mail revealed last week the party was investigating more than 30 candidates for hateful comments ahead of the locals.
Shadow home secretary Chris Philp said on Friday that ‘one look beneath the surface of Zack Polanski’s Green Party shows a party toxic to its core’ and that ‘the Green Party has created the conditions that welcome all of these candidates’.
And early analysis on Friday morning showed the Greens underperforming from their local elections results in 2022, according to research firm More in Common.
But the Greens continued to hit Labour in its heartlands by dominating in Greater Manchester – taking the electoral fight directly to the door of Andy Burnham, currently waiting for his chance to return to Parliament to oust Sir Keir as PM.
The Greens subjected Labour to a harrowing day, taking 18 of the 32 seats up for grabs in Greater Manchester – including in Levenshulme, Moss Side and Woodhouse Park.
But Labour was squeezed by both the Green Party and Reform in a political pincer movement that has been replicated across the country.
A major shock was delivered in Tameside, where Labour lost control after 47 years. It was also a humiliating night for Labour in Salford and Bolton, with Salford’s deputy leader and Bolton’s council leader both losing their seats to Reform.
Bev Craig, Labour leader of Manchester City Council, on Friday refused to back Sir Keir’s position in No 10.
When asked whether the PM should remain in situ, Ms Craig said it is ‘for national parliamentarians to be deciding’.
She said: ‘The Labour Party needs to hear some really stark lessons for what’s happening across the country.’
