Hackney has always elected a Labour mayor - but could that change?

Local elections will take place on Thursday 7 May, and in the north-east borough of Hackney, in addition to the councillors, there is also an election for the mayor who will lead the council.

The mayor chairs the council cabinet, directs the council's strategy and sets the council budget.

All areas in Hackney vote for the mayor.

The borough has only ever had a Labour directly-elected mayor, but could the borough be about to change colour?

There are five candidates standing in the mayoral election in Hackney:

• Vahid Almasi for Reform UK
• Zoë Garbett for the Greens
• Tareke Gregg for the Conservatives
• Eva Steinhardt for the Liberal Democrats
• Caroline Woodley for Labour

The mayor has significant powers over local services such as housing - including local regeneration schemes and affordable housing targets - planning and waste collection.

The mayor appoints a cabinet made up of elected councillors who are given specific portfolios such as finance, community safety and children's services.

Woodley has been serving as Hackney's mayor since a by-election in November 2023.

However, it is high on list of targets for the Greens, with election expert Prof Tony Travers, of the London School of Economics, calling it the party's "number one hope".

Like most London boroughs, Hackney has its wealthy parts and those that need more help.

Both Woodley and Garbett agree the cost of living has been the main talking point for potential voters.

Garbett says she finds housing is one of the major concerns when she chats to people.

"Mainly it comes up on the doorstep in terms of housing, whether that's people who live in a housing association block," she says.

"I've heard people say that their service charge has increased to a level where it makes it unaffordable for them - and they're saying 'well if I can't afford to live here, where can I live?'"

Woodley says the "number one thing" she hears is "just the cost of everything".

"So seeing the national minimum wage go up, living wage go up, seeing more employment rights brought in, seeing energy bills being supported, the lifting of the two child benefit cap - this is the moment when people start to feel the difference that Labour made."

Locals told BBC London their main issues were about community facilities, provision for youngsters and road closures.

Garbett says she thinks "where people have got Greens elected, they want to see more Greens elected".

"They see how hard we work and see our values. But of course that comes within a context of people looking for an alternative and feeling like the Labour Party has left them."

Woodley is combative in her response.

"Bring it on, bring it on," she says.

"I think, why would Zack Polanski choose Hackney - a progressive council, one of the most progressive councils in the country, rather than go after Reform?

"There's an opportunity here, I think it's quite a cynical one."

Correction: This story has been updated because it previously incorrectly stated only two candidates were standing in the mayoral election.

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