Green Councillor Resigns Triggering By-Election: Hackney Central 2026

Key Points

• By-Election Triggered: A local by-election has been officially called for the Hackney Central ward on Thursday, 25 June 2026, following the immediate resignation of Green Party candidate James Tilden.
• Legal Disqualification: Mr Tilden won the seat in the May 2026 local elections with 1,681 votes but was legally barred from taking office due to his employment as a primary school teacher within the borough, violating the Local Government Act 1972.
• Vetting Oversight: The Green Party stated that neither they nor the candidate were aware of the strict local authority employment restriction before nomination, after which point withdrawal was legally impossible.
• Wider Political Context: The resignation comes amidst a historic political shift in Hackney, where Green Party candidate Zoë Garbett secured the executive mayoralty, also prompting a parallel by-election in the Dalston ward.
• Five Candidates Announced: Five candidates have been confirmed to contest the Hackney Central vacancy, representing the Green Party, Labour, Liberal Democrats, Conservatives, and Reform UK.
• Key Campaign Issues: Prominent campaign themes heading into the June vote include the local management of Low Traffic Neighbourhoods (LTNs), the regulation of dockless Lime bikes, and social housing provisions.

Hackney (Extra London News) June 3, 2026 – Voters in Hackney Central are set to return to the polling stations on Thursday, 25 June 2026, following the immediate resignation of newly elected Green Party councillor James Tilden, which triggered an unexpected local by-election. Mr Tilden, who won the seat with 1,681 votes during the historic May local elections, was legally barred from taking office because of his ongoing employment as a teacher at a local primary school. Under the Local Government Act 1972, individuals employed by a local authority are disqualified from holding elected office within that same council. The Green Party defended the situation by stating that the legal conflict was discovered after the nomination deadline had passed, leaving no option to withdraw his candidacy before the public vote.

The vacancy arrives at a highly sensitive time for local governance, following a transformative set of election results that saw the Green Party overturn decades of Labour dominance to take control of the executive mayoralty under Zoë Garbett. With the full list of candidates now officially declared, five political parties will contest the open seat in Hackney Central. The upcoming campaign is expected to center heavily around highly debated community issues, including the enforcement of Low Traffic Neighbourhoods (LTNs), municipal housing redevelopments, and stricter regulations on commercial dockless transport across the east London borough.

Why Is a By-Election Happening in Hackney Central?

The upcoming election was necessitated by a strict adherence to local government legislation regarding statutory employee disqualification. As reported by Josef Steen, a Local Democracy Reporter for the Hackney Citizen, James Tilden won his seat in the Hackney Central ward during the local elections held on 7 May 2026, but he resigned almost immediately upon discovering a breach of statutory eligibility rules.

Further details regarding the systemic nature of the oversight were outlined by journalist Adam Carey for Local Government Lawyer, who reported that a Green Party spokesperson acknowledged the structural error, stating: “We are strengthening our vetting processes for future elections as a result of eligibility issues raised over two of our candidates.” The report by Carey noted that a similar legal disqualification occurred simultaneously in the London Borough of Camden, where newly elected Green councillor Muhammed Naser was forced to step down from his Regent’s Park ward seat due to the exact same statutory barrier of being employed as a local authority school teacher.

A Hackney Council spokesperson confirmed the procedural status of the seat to the media, stating: “As a result, a by-election will be called in the Hackney Central ward. The details of the by-election will be announced in due course.” The legislative basis for this action rests on the Local Government Act 1972, which explicitly prevents council-salaried staff from scrutinising their own employers as elected lawmakers. The Green Party asserted that by the time the technical oversight was realized, the legal frameworks governing candidate nominations prohibited any structural alterations to the ballot paper.

Who Are the Confirmed Candidates for Hackney Central?

As published by the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) via the Hackney Citizen, the returning officer for Hackney Council has finalized and published the list of candidates standing for the single vacancy in Hackney Central. The candidates, presented in alphabetical order by surname, reflect a broad ideological spectrum looking to capitalise on the shifting political dynamics of the borough.

Noah Birksted-Breen (Green Party)

Looking to retain the seat for the administration, the Green Party has selected Noah Birksted-Breen. As reported by Josef Steen of the Hackney Citizen, Birksted-Breen is an international relations teacher at Queen Mary, University of London, and serves as an associate governor at Southwold Primary School in Clapton. He is also recognized locally for his work mentoring refugees and directing Sputnik, an independent theatre company.

According to an official statement issued by the Green Party and reported by the LDRS:

“Noah will work exceptionally hard to realise community-led development, targeted support for ethical local businesses and to introduce a new community skip, making our streets cleaner and better as a place for our communities to mix and spend time.”

Sheila Suso-Runge (Labour Party)

The Labour Party has selected Sheila Suso-Runge, a prominent local figure who previously represented the Hackney Central ward from 2022 until she lost her seat to the Greens during the initial May 2026 election. Suso-Runge is a resident of the Wilton Estate, a dedicated tenant activist, and an active trade unionist. She carries significant institutional experience within the local authority, having previously served as the Speaker of Hackney, a ceremonial and public role that involves chairing full council meetings.

Ken Gabbott-Rolph (Liberal Democrats)

The Liberal Democrats have put forward Ken Gabbott-Rolph, a veteran local campaigner who has resided in the borough for 25 years. Gabbott-Rolph also contested the Hackney Central ward in the May local elections. In a direct statement provided to the LDRS, Gabbott-Rolph laid out his core democratic principles:

“Consulting local people and acting upon what they tell us comes first and foremost to Liberal Democrats. [We] believe in people power and letting communities make decisions about their own areas. We will seek to hold the new administration to account, in delivering that aspiration.”

Vahid Almasi (Reform UK)

Reform UK is fielding Vahid Almasi, who recently ran as the party’s candidate in the high-profile May 2026 Hackney Mayoral election, finishing in fourth place with 4,013 votes across the borough. Almasi’s platform focuses on infrastructure, accountability, and reviewing current transport restrictions across the constituency.

Serhan Bay (Conservative Party)

The Conservative Party candidate is Serhan Bay, who previously stood for election as a ward councillor in the neighboring Hackney Downs ward during the May local polls. Media reports indicate that the local Conservative association did not provide additional personal statements or programmatic details prior to the publication of the official candidate statement.

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What Are the Major Campaign Issues Driving the Vote?

With the Green Party establishing its historic first executive mayoral administration under Zoë Garbett, the local opposition parties are framing the by-election as an essential mechanism for legislative accountability. The policy debates have focused closely on localized environmental and infrastructure management.

As reported by Josef Steen of the Hackney Citizen, Reform UK candidate Vahid Almasi stated that his primary objective would be to push for an independent review of Low Traffic Neighbourhoods (LTNs) and relevant traffic restrictions. Highlighting concerns regarding traffic displacement, Almasi told the LDRS:

“Many residents support cleaner air and safer roads, but they also expect policies that are fair, evidence-based and work for the whole community. Hackney Council’s own monitoring showed reductions in traffic on some roads but increases on surrounding boundary roads. Many residents continue to raise concerns that traffic has been moved rather than reduced, and these concerns deserve to be properly addressed.”

The Liberal Democrat platform has similarly targetted the execution of environmental infrastructure under the previous and current leadership. Speaking on urban transport and commercial partnerships, Ken Gabbott-Rolph described the borough’s current approach to traffic interventions as an “unmitigated disaster,” calling upon the Green-led executive to pause any subsequent rollouts of similar infrastructure schemes. Furthermore, Gabbott-Rolph emphasised the need for strict regulations regarding dockless Lime Bikes and power-assisted bicycles, alongside housing infrastructure targets. He informed the LDRS that he intends to lobby heavily for a minimum of 50 per cent social housing allocation within the upcoming Morning Lane Tesco site urban redevelopment project.

How Does This By-Election Impact Hackney’s Balance of Power?

The vote in Hackney Central is running concurrently with another by-election in the Dalston ward, scheduled for the exact same day. As reported in the post-election analysis by the Hackney Citizen, the Dalston vacancy was triggered because the ward’s sitting councillor, Zoë Garbett, won the historic executive mayoral race, forcing her to vacate her conventional council seat.

Consequently, the dual elections on 25 June serve as the first major test of public opinion regarding the newly installed Green leadership. As noted by the LDRS, the Hackney Labour Party, which recently elected Councillor Anntoinette Bramble as its group leader following their local setbacks, is structuring its campaign to regain seats and rebuild its numbers within the council chamber.

What Are the Deadlines and Rules for Voters?

Hackney Council’s electoral services branch has released strict statutory deadlines for residents intending to participate in the upcoming democratic exercise. To participate in person on 25 June, eligible residents who are not yet registered must submit their applications to the electoral registration officer by midnight on Tuesday, 9 June 2026.

According to official guidance published directly on the Hackney Government web portal, voters participating in person at polling stations will be legally required to present an approved form of photographic identification under national voter ID regulations.

Emergency proxy applications are explicitly reserved for voters who suffer sudden medical emergencies or unexpected employment obligations that arise after the standard 17 June deadline has passed. Polling stations across Hackney Central will remain open from 7:00 am until 10:00 pm on Thursday, 25 June 2026.