For the first time in decades, the person behind the desk in the wood-panelled office of Hackney's art deco town hall is not a Labour politician. Zoë Garbett, the Green party mayor of Hackney, was elected in this month's local elections, riding a wave of support that saw the party win over 500 seats, control of five councils, and two mayoralties.
Even amid a celebratory national picture, the results in Hackney—a longtime Labour stronghold—stood out. Garbett secured the mayoralty, and the Greens jumped from four councillors to 40, while Labour's block slid from 50 seats in 2022 to nine. 'Before the election, I was saying it's going to be really different this time, there is going to be a different landscape in London,' says Garbett, known for her pink fringe and ready smile. 'But I genuinely did not think it would be to this scale.'
Challenges Ahead
Now, the hard work of local government looms. Hackney is one of the most diverse areas in the country, with around half its residents from black and global majority groups. Life expectancy is below the national average, and despite pockets of wealth due to gentrification, the English indices of deprivation report found it was the second-worst area for child deprivation. The council has an annual budget of about £2bn, responsible for services from housing to adult social care.
'It is all sinking in still,' says Garbett, 39. 'But we are now getting to the real practical stuff of how we are 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, has worked in London government and healthcare for over a decade, including for the NHS and local councils, and served as a London Assembly member and Hackney councillor.
Green Party Growth
Since Zack Polanski became leader last year, the party's membership has tripled to over 200,000. Along with local election success, it gained a fifth MP in February. But questions remain about the party's direction: can it hold its coalition of voters together—longstanding members and newer, younger, urban supporters? Should it consolidate success or push more radical policies? Garbett believes the key is focusing on policies that appeal across the coalition, from rent controls to nationalising water, protecting the NHS to climate justice.
'These policies can and do appeal to all ages and people in all different circumstances, we just have to go out and clearly and boldly make the case for them,' she says. Garbett notes lessons from Hackney, where Green activists have backed local campaigns and worked in the community for years. 'People have seen us showing that solidarity; we have been on picket lines and we have called out injustice.'
Scrutiny and Priorities
As his profile rose, Polanski faced criticism over council tax and voter registration issues, and the party over antisemitism handling. Garbett welcomes scrutiny but calls for proportionality, contrasting with Reform UK leader Nigel Farage. She works closely with Hackney's large Jewish community and says antisemitism is 'abhorrent.'
Garbett's top priority is housing, where three-quarters of residents rent. She pledges more genuinely affordable homes and council housing, and a 'Who Owns Hackney' scheme to repurpose empty properties. 'There is no extra money from government but we've got all these assets in empty properties and we could be doing much more.' She also aims to address gentrification's impacts on black communities, using council assets to open up spaces.
Despite concerns the Greens are losing focus on climate, Garbett insists climate justice remains central. 'Everything I do has got climate and climate justice at its centre, it's one of our core principles that runs through our manifesto, from trying to buy back council homes and make housing safer and more resilient, to rewilding in parks, from public health to transport.' She is aware of the responsibility to deliver amid political shifts. 'We've got a responsibility to deliver and to make sure that people are looking to the Green party as an alternative [to Labour] rather than to Reform or further rightwing parties.'
