Local elections 2026: Candidates to be quizzed at hustings across the borough

Photograph: Martin Deutsch

Political rivals will this month vie for votes at a number of local election hustings that are taking place in the run-up to polling on 7 May.

The events are an opportunity to quiz and hear from candidates for the Hackney mayoralty along with those standing for councillor seats.

Hackney has a directly-elected executive mayor. Councillors are also elected by residents and serve for 4 years. The borough has 57 councillor seats representing areas called wards.

Hustings across the borough

Campaign group Morning Lane People’s Space is hosting a hustings tomorrow, Saturday 11 April. The event will start with a community lunch at noon at Dan West Community Hall, 9 Belsham Street, E9 6NG. This is to be followed by the hustings itself at 1pm.

The discussion will focus on housing and shopping, as the organisation was created to represent local residents’ interests in the redevelopment of the Morning Lane Tesco site.

Hackney mayoral hopeful Zoë Garbett (Green party), Ken Abbott-Rolph (Liberal Democrats), Alana Heany and Heather Mendick (HISC), Brian Debus (Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition) as and Clair Battaglino (Independent) have confirmed their attendance.

A second hustings is to be hosted jointly by Hackney Cycling Campaign, Living Streets and Traffic Hackney on Thursday 16 April at 7:30pm at Pembury Community Centre, 1 Dalston Lane E8 1FA.

Hackney Cycling Campaign is calling on the council to “roll out low-traffic neighbourhoods (LTNs) and connect gateways between them to maximise their potential for safe cycling”.

Two candidates who have so far formally thrown their hats into the ring for the mayoralty – incumbent Caroline Woodley (Labour party) and Zoë Garbett (Green party) – have confirmed their attendance.

The LTN debate will also be at the centre of another hustings organised on Wednesday 22 April by campaign group Social & Environmental Justice (SEJ) at Pembury Community Hall from 7:30pm on “transport & the public realm”.

SEJ is a non-profit created in 2023 and focuses on “the unequal impact of policies” particularly what it describes as the rollout of “so-called LTNs”.

All candidates standing for the three Hackney Central ward seats have been invited to take part.

Finally, a hustings set up by the independent charity Age UK, is to be held on 30 April from 2-4pm at Marie Lloyd Centre, 329 Queensbridge Road, E8 3LA.