Agenda item
Elected Mayor's Statement
Minutes:
8.1 Mayor Woodley expressed gratitude to be elected as Mayor of Hackney
and acknowledged the other candidates. Mayor Woodley thanked
Deputy Mayor Bramble, the Interim Chief Executive, Cabinet colleagues
and Councillors for their dedicated work. The Chamber showed their
appreciation to all Hackney officers, staff, partners and communities who
support and challenge the Council.
8.2 The Mayor noted that many residents had connections to the Middle
East and sent her condolences to residents who lost loved ones in the
conflict. The rise in antisemitism, Islamophobia and hate crimes were
acknowledged. The Council had committed to keeping people safe and
Hackney was a borough where people of all faiths and none lived side
by side. November was Islamophobia Awareness month and the Council
had offered staff training and reached out to residents to become Hate
Crime Prevention Champions or to join the Hate Crime Prevention
Forum. The adoption of the renewed Hate Crime Strategy at Cabinet this
week was welcomed and the Mayor thanked Cllr Fajana-Thomas and
officers for the work they had done in Community Safety.
8.3 The Mayor highlighted the work that had been ongoing in the borough
and thanked young people with special educational needs and
disabilities (SEND) for the We See You event she attended which
provided an opportunity to celebrate their achievements. The Mayor
indicated that she had written to the Secretary of State for Education
about concerns for SEND funding provision in Hackney. The Mayor had
also sent a letter to the government, through the Cabinet Member for
Health, Adult Social Care with Cllr Turbet-Delof about the need for
further support to vulnerable residents.
8.4 The Mayor outlined various Council and community partner events
attended. These included: black history season, Diwali, Transgender
Day of Remembrance, Mental Health Week, various interfaith events
and Clapton Common vigil. The Mayor remained conscious of the
challenges communities faced and had, as part of the Mayoral
campaign, pledged to drive forward better renting, housing, and
economic justice to support a more inclusive and anti-racist borough.
The Mayor had joined the rough-sleeping count alongside officers and
outreach workers and acknowledged the fantastic work that supported
vulnerable rough sleepers. The Mayor attended the Council’s Anti-Racist
Partnerships Day and reaffirmed the Council’s commitment to being
inclusive, welcoming and kind. She thanked Cllr Williams for sharing the
Equalities Plan with community partners. This plan reflected the lived
experience of many who had experienced racism and recognised anti-
Black racism and maintained a focus on all forms of racism,
antisemitism, Islamophobia, or bias against Gypsy, Roma and Traveller
people and communities.
8.5 The Mayor spoke about housing developments over the next 12 month
with 585 new homes anticipated. This included completion of Buckland
and Wimbourne schemes where over 50% of the 113 new homes were
for social rent. Residents were encouraged to attend the Winter Warmer
Event on 7 December and the Poverty Reduction Team and Money Hub
continued to help residents to get community and financial support. The
housing repairs service had a 24 hour turnaround time for broken heating
in council homes. It was noted that fairness and justice had to be
prioritised as the Climate Action Plan was implemented. The
government had not responded to the call for sustainable funding for
local authorities; Hackney faced a £57m budget shortfall by 2027 which
meant the Council had to make difficult choices. The Mayor noted the
Council had brought together campaigners at an event to raise
awareness of violence against women and girls (VAWG) where the
Council had taken action which included lighting, CCTV and the
pioneering in-house domestic abuse service which had helped over
1300 people. Members of the Youth Parliament attended Cabinet and
had set out their requests; the Mayor looked forward to participating in
their events. The Mayor highlighted the seasonal celebrations ahead
and noted the Menorah candles reminded us of the values of solidarity
and hope. The Mayor hoped people found fun and joy through the
seasonal celebrations.
Conservative Group Response
8.6 Cllr Levy congratulated Mayor Woodley on her election to office and
congratulated Cllr Steinberger on what had been a credible campaign
reflected in the 42% increase in the Conservative vote compared to the
last Mayoral by-election in 2016. Cllr Levy indicated that the
Conservative Group continued to challenge schemes that they
considered were not in the interests of residents such as School Streets
and Low Traffic Neighbourhoods (LTNs).
8.7 Gratitude and thanks were expressed to the former Mayor Glanville for
the leadership he had shown regarding anti-semitism; he had
campaigned to drive out all forms of racism from the borough. It was
noted that Mayor Woodley continued to fight to keep Hackney a safe
place.
Green Group Response
8.8 Cllr Garbett acknowledged the violence in the Middle East that
represented the failure of politics in the region and internationally to find
lasting peace that enabled people to live in safety and dignity. Hackney
had seen some of the largest protests in solidarity with Palestinians and
Cllr Garbett had joined young people at the school strike for Palestine
protest last week. Last night, Cllr Garbett and Cllr Binnie-Lubbock joined
Hackney Palestine Solidarity campaigners who had a deputation to the
Pensions Committee that asked the Council to divest investments in
occupied Palestinian territory. The Pensions Committee meeting had
moved venue after residents in the gallery had sought to have their
voices heard. Spaces were needed that allowed these voices to be
heard. Cllr Garbett had prepared a motion later on the agenda to call for
a ceasefire.
8.9 Cllr Garbett noted the Green Party had increased their vote in the
Mayoral election by 7.5% totalling 24.5% of the vote and thanked
residents who had voted for the party and the vision of the Green Party
which they had encouraged the Mayor to deliver. Having the Green
Group in the Chamber demonstrated what had been achieved which
included progress on net zero 2030, advertising policy, transgender
rights, and support for workers rights.
8.10 Cllr Garbett congratulated Mayor Woodley and supported her ambitions
to make Hackney fairer and greener. The Green Group ran a hopeful
campaign rooted in social justice and considered consultation had to go
beyond traditional methods and included initiatives that recognised
residents as experts in their own lives. Cllr Garbett wanted to
understand how the Mayor intended to develop resident question and
answer formats, such as transparent social media forums. Areas the
Green Group wanted the Mayor to prioritise, in her first 100 days, were
exploring housing buy-back opportunities and building council homes,
rent controls and end to right to buy (RtB), the road strategy, and work
with young people that reduced youth violence.
8.12 Cllr Garbett noted that the 28th Meeting of the Conference of the Parties
(COP 28) started tomorrow. The Council had to call for the total phasing
out of fossil fuels and had to do that both locally and on the international
stage. This included divesting fossil fuels from the pension fund, phased
withdrawal from burning waste at the Edmonton Incinerator and
commitment to withdrawal from fossil-based fertilisers from estates,
parks and roads. The main road strategy Cllr Garbett was sad to hear
was not explicit about the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) air quality
guidance. Cllr Garbett welcomed earlier mentions of the Climate Action
Plan and acknowledged that we were deep into a critical decade in
determining our future on this planet.
8.13 In conclusion, Cllr Garbett acknowledged Young Hackney who, with
Deputy Mayor Bramble and herself, had marched from Forest Road Hub
to Hackney Town Hall and added their voices to end violence against
women and girls. World Aids Day was noted for Friday 1 December.
The Mayor’s Reply
8.14 Exercising the right of reply, Mayor Woodley stated the following:
· The Mayor thanked Cllr Levy for his kind words and noted that everyone across the chamber wanted the best for residents.
· The Mayor, together with the interim Chief Executive, had committed to do walkabouts in every ward and to meet local organisations that made a difference and to see the challenges they faced.
· The Council had a variety of ways of interacting with the community including Ward Forums, Scrutiny Commissions, community meetings, parents and young peoples voices, and the work supported by councillors through surgeries and casework.
· The importance of standing together against antisemitism and driving out racism was noted.
· The Mayor was open to ideas that improved cohesion across the borough and brought people together to protect one another.
· The Mayor wanted to meet with people, not necessarily on social media, in ways that responded to and connected people.
· Young people's voices were valued as they provided insight into what they considered important.