Mayor Garbett unveils full cabinet team as Greens take the reins at Town Hall

Mayor Zoë Garbett’s new cabinet – L-R Cllr Abi Kingston, Cllr Soraya Adejare, Cllr Sam Mathys, Cllr Alastair Binnie-Lubbock, Cllr Florence Schechter, Cllr Jacob Cable, Mayor Zoe Garbett, Cllr Rachel Nkiessu-Guifo, Deputy Mayor Dylan Law, Cllr Sally Zlotowitz, Cllr Laura-Louise Fairley. Photograph: Hackney Council

Zoë Garbett has named the team that will govern Hackney for the next four years, following the Green party’s historic seizure of political control of the council earlier this month.

Hackney’s new mayor, the Green party’s Zoë Garbett. Photograph: LDRS

The new mayor, who beat the then incumbent mayor Caroline Woodley and ended more than two decades of Labour dominance at Hackney Town Hall, will personally take charge of community safety and policing, as well as tackling domestic violence, hate crime and poverty. She also retains overall responsibility for the council’s budget and political direction.

Cllr Dylan Law has been appointed statutory deputy mayor and will hold the housing brief — covering council housing management and repairs, the private rented sector, and affordability. It is a portfolio likely to dominate the new administration’s in-tray, given the borough’s long-running housing pressures.

The number of cabinet positions has been trimmed compared with that of the outgoing Labour administration, a move the new mayor says will save more than £250,000 over the four-year term.

Joining Law around the cabinet table are Cllr Florence Schechter (finance, resident services and digital), Cllr Alastair Binnie-Lubbock (regeneration, planning and inclusive neighbourhoods), Cllr Soraya Adejare (children, young people and early intervention), Cllr Jacob Cable (climate, clean air, energy and transport), Cllr Sally Zlotowitz (healthy communities and adult social care), Cllr Rachel Nkiessu-Guifo (inclusive economy, skills, high streets and markets) and Cllr Sam Mathys (culture, nightlife, resilience and business standards).

Cllr Laura-Louise Fairley takes a deputy role focused on SEND support, while Cllr Abi Kingston will deputise on homelessness prevention and temporary accommodation.

Mayor of Hackney, Zoë Garbett. Photograph: Hackney Council

Speaking after the appointments were confirmed, Garbett said she was “so proud that Hackney has put its faith not just in me as the new Mayor of Hackney, but an incredible group of new councillors who believe that Hackney can change for the better.”

She added that the cabinet had “deep roots across Hackney, reflecting the borough’s diversity, its solidarity, and its communities,” and said the team had “the passion, talent, and experience” to deliver on the message of hope that carried the Greens to victory.

The new cabinet is expected to hold its first formal meeting in the coming weeks.