Key Points
- Zoë Garbett, Green Party candidate for Hackney mayor, is mounting her third challenge against Labour’s Caroline Woodley in the May 7, 2026, local elections.
- Hackney, a longstanding Labour stronghold and home to Green leader Zack Polanski, is the Greens’ top target amid polls showing Labour facing its worst London results in over 40 years.
- Recent JLPartners MRP poll indicates Greens leading local vote intention 40% to Labour’s 33%, a 17-point Green gain since 2022.
- Garbett, Dalston councillor and London Assembly Member, reports canvassers finding “an open door” with former Labour voters switching due to issues like housing, Gaza, immigration, and cost of living.
- Green membership in Hackney surged over 300% from January 2025 to 2026 following Polanski’s leadership win.
- Pollster Chris Annous of More in Common predicts “a very bad night” for Labour in inner London boroughs including Hackney.
- Garbett pledges climate action, housing transparency, LTN improvements, divestment from Israel-linked firms, and scrapping one deputy mayor role for 19-year-old Dylan Law.
- Labour faces backlash over social housing failures, as per Ombudsman Richard Blakeway’s report criticising “positivity prism”.
- Polymarket traders give Garbett 70% implied probability to win mayoralty.
- National context: Greens overtook Labour in polls after Gorton and Denton by-election win; party now has five MPs.
Hackney (Extra London News) April 29, 2026 – Zoë Garbett, the Green Party’s mayoral candidate, is campaigning vigorously to unseat Labour’s Caroline Woodley in Hackney, a borough long dominated by Labour but now showing signs of a Green surge ahead of the May 7 elections, as polls and canvassing feedback indicate shifting voter loyalties on key local and national issues.
- Key Points
- Who is Zoë Garbett and Why is She Running Again?
- Can the Greens Topple Labour’s Longstanding Control in Hackney?
- What Do Recent Polls Say About the Election?
- Why Are Voters Switching to the Greens?
- What Are Garbett’s Key Campaign Promises?
- Who is Dylan Law and What Role Would He Play?
- How Has Labour Responded to the Green Challenge?
- What Criticisms Does Garbett Level at Labour?
- What is the National Context for This Local Battle?
- Will Immigration and Gaza Sway Hackney Voters?
- What Do Experts Predict for May 7?
Who is Zoë Garbett and Why is She Running Again?
Zoë Garbett, a former NHS worker and current Dalston ward councillor, is contesting the Hackney mayoralty for the third time after finishing second in 2022 and 2023.
As reported by the Hackney Citizen, Cllr Garbett stated she is
“terrified of the climate emergency”
and wants Hackney transformed like Paris with consistent climate action embedded at the council’s core.
Garbett also serves as a London-wide Assembly Member at City Hall, where she placed fourth behind Sadiq Khan in last year’s mayoral race.
Can the Greens Topple Labour’s Longstanding Control in Hackney?
Hackney’s directly elected mayor allows a win independent of council control, where Labour holds 45 of 57 seats alongside six Conservatives, three Greens, and three Hackney Independent Socialists.
Athena Stavrou of The Independent reported Garbett saying during canvassing in Dalston:
“There are definitely individuals who we previously identified as Labour supporters or undecided voters who are now expressing strong support for us. It feels like we are truly pushing at an open door.”
Local organisers view Hackney, home to Green leader Zack Polanski, as their top London target, with a national Green wave potentially snatching the historically Labour council.
What Do Recent Polls Say About the Election?
A mid-April JLPartners MRP poll shows Greens at 40% and Labour at 33% in local vote intention—a 17-point Green gain and 21-point Labour drop since 2022.
Polymarket traders favour Garbett with 70% implied probability for the mayoral win, per consensus of credible reporting and Hackney Council data.
Chris Annous, pollster from More in Common, told The Independent:
“I can’t emphasise enough disappointed and fed-up people with the government… This creates a significant opportunity for notable voter volatility,”
predicting Labour losses in Hackney, Islington, Lambeth, and others.
Why Are Voters Switching to the Greens?
Garbett informed The Independent that voters now see Greens as viable on Gaza, housing, disability support, and immigration—not just bins and buses:
“Now, it feels like people are more aware of who we are and what we stand for.”
She added:
“There’s also a broader global and national context regarding the Labour government, with individuals feeling that it isn’t delivering the changes it promised or that it has strayed from its core values.”
Green membership rose over 300% locally from January 2025 to 2026 post-Polanski’s September leadership victory, amid cost-of-living strains and inequality.
What Are Garbett’s Key Campaign Promises?
On housing, Garbett criticised Labour’s response to Ombudsman Richard Blakeway’s report deeming Hackney an “outlier” in repairs, calling for honesty over “positivity prism” narratives.
As reported by the Hackney Citizen via Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS), she said:
“Hackney needs a mayor who is more consistent around the climate… There are some areas where the council has made progress, but we want to see it embedded as the core of what we do.”
Garbett plans to scrap one deputy mayor role, appointing 19-year-old Dylan Law as deputy if he wins in Hackney Downs, prioritising resident engagement on LTNs and divestment.
Who is Dylan Law and What Role Would He Play?
Dylan Law, an education worker, would serve as deputy mayor under Garbett, addressing
Law told LDRS:
“I represent my people accurately, transparently and adaptably… I’ve lived here my entire life. I have used every single one of the borough’s services.”
He acknowledged age scepticism but argued his youth ensures competence: “Don’t get me wrong: if I was running in Bournemouth or Exeter, I’d understand [the doubts]. But… test it.”
How Has Labour Responded to the Green Challenge?
Incumbent Mayor Caroline Woodley, elected in 2023, assured action on housing after Blakeway’s critique but faced accusations of complacency over restructures.
Labour’s national woes, including Reform on the right and Greens on the left, compound local pressures; Sadiq Khan warned of challenges.
Internal Labour polling flags Hackney as vulnerable, per The Times as cited by Rivkah Brown of Novara Media.
What Criticisms Does Garbett Level at Labour?
Garbett highlighted Labour’s “light touch” on LTN resident engagement and “erasure” of voices on Ridley Road gentrification and Gaza divestment.
She criticised “double-speak” after Woodley’s letter to David Lammy: “I really struggle to understand why we’re unable to make that political statement, especially since our neighbouring boroughs have.”
On housing:
“There’s a disconnect between the narratives and the reality… Residents are still being ignored, and putting staff straight into restructure is incredibly stressful.”
What is the National Context for This Local Battle?
Greens launched their campaign focusing on housing, with Zack Polanski accusing Labour of failing on social homes; party now holds five MPs after Gorton and Denton win.
Polanski claimed Greens “could win anywhere”; they lead Labour nationally post-by-election.
Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood’s migration curbs, extending indefinite leave to 10 years, drew left backlash, including from Angela Rayner as “un-British”.
Will Immigration and Gaza Sway Hackney Voters?
Garbett recounted a resident’s “disgust” at Labour’s “island of strangers” speech and asylum rules: “That topic comes up frequently—concerns over their indefinite leave to remain policy have generated significant anxiety.”
On Gaza, councils like Islington divested while Hackney cited legal barriers; Garbett seeks ethical commitment.
A PoliticsJOE interview saw Garbett outline housing revolution plans.
What Do Experts Predict for May 7?
Annous foresees Labour losing majorities or control in several councils: “We’re talking about a situation where Labour has enjoyed complete dominance… which I anticipate will undergo significant unraveling.”
Novara Media’s Rivkah Brown noted Greens blindsided by fortunes, with Garbett chipping at Labour’s base.
ITV’s Simon Harris reported Greens eyeing full control of Labour-run Hackney.
