Hackney elects Zoë Garbett as new mayor as Greens take seven wards

Hackney has a new mayor after the 2026 local elections, with Green party figure Zoë Garbett winning the mayoral contest and being re-elected as a Dalston ward councillor with 1,862 votes.

Garbett’s double victory is expected to trigger a council ward by-election in Dalston, creating a fresh round of local campaigning in one of the borough’s most contested areas.

Her election marks a notable change in Hackney’s leadership at the same moment the Greens swept seven wards across the borough, including Dalston, De Beauvoir, Shacklewell, Brownswood, Hackney Central, Hackney Downs and Hackney Wick.

Campaigners say the new mayor should use her mandate to push for genuinely affordable housing, stronger protections for grassroots music venues and greater investment in youth services.

The Greens’ gains at the council level follow Labour losses in central seats and underline a wider shift in the borough’s political landscape ahead of the next council term.

Conservative councillors retained Springfield and Stamford Hill West, but the arrival of a Green mayor signals a new tone for Hackney’s civic leadership.

Local residents will now be watching closely to see whether the new mayor can deliver on promises of cleaner air, more community-led planning and a council that better reflects Hackney’s diverse neighbourhoods.

Reported by Hackney Citizen.