Hackney Labour Mayoral Candidate Selection

Last month, Jules Pipe, Hackney mayor of 14 years announced his resignation to take on a bigger role at City Hall as deputy mayor of London for Planning, Regeneration and Skills.

On Thursday, members of the Hackney Labour party will vote for one of the four candidates who are vying to  become the Labour candidate for the next mayor. Whoever wins this week will then enter the contest for the directly elected mayor which will be held in September.

Only Labour members who joined before January this year are eligible to vote between 7am-10pm this Thursday July 28.

The polling station will be located at Pembury Community Hall, 1 Atkins Square, Dalston Lane, London E8 1FA.

Meet the candidates and find out what their policies are.

1- Jon Burke: A “fresh perspective” for Hackney

Jon Burke

Credit: Jon Burke

Jon Burke was elected as a councillor for Woodberry Down ward in 2014. Since his election, he helped with investigations to secure more affordable housing in Hackney as a member of the Living in Hackney Scrutiny Commission (LiH), as well as identifying new sources of renewable energy.

He also fought against the government’s cuts to protect the NHS.

His role as an advisor for London Assembly Labour Group at City Hall provides him with experience in offering solutions to challenges the capital faces such as housing, childcare, transport and pollution.

One of the reasons why Burke is running for Hackney is because of personal experiences. His wife had to quit her job due to the high costs of childcare, and Burke’s family, like many in Hackney, live in a cramped flat.

As mayor, Burke will address main issues such as childcare, housing, transport and the environment.

Here are some of his plans on:

  • Childcare

Delivering a new Hackney Childminder Bursary to create 400 new flexible childcare places to tackle the childcare time-bomb that parents are facing in 2017;

Creating an interactive childcare providers map with vital information about Hackney’s registered childcare providers at the touch of a button;

Providing training and business support for community groups that wish to form childcare cooperatives;

Working with local businesses to explore workplace childcare options.

  • Housing

Delivering the maximum amount of social and affordable housing that the borough’s finances and capacity allow;

Fixing Hackney’s flawed housing repairs service and improve services offered by contractors;

Pursuing radical ways of delivering affordable rented housing, such as working with pension funds, housing co-operatives, and by the borough exploring the prospect of becoming an affordable private landlord.

  •  Environment

Forming a not-for-profit energy company to reduce local residents’ energy costs and finance a community-scale renewable energy revolution in Hackney

Expanding Hackney’s street tree and greening programme to improve air quality and cooling, particularly around schools;

Boosting Hackney’s stagnant recycling rate by working directly with the borough’s in-house waste team.

  • Transport

Working with the Mayor of London to ensure all buses on Hackney’s TfL-operated roads are low emission or emission-free;

Expanding electric vehicle car clubs and electric charging points across the borough;

Improving cycling infrastructure, scaling-up the borough’s hugely-successful on-street cycle storage programme.

More details about Burke’s policies can be found on www.jonburke4mayor.com

2- Jonathan McShane: “Stronger, healthier and fairer” Hackney

Jonathan McShane is originally from Glasgow but lived in Hackney for 20 years now. He worked as a councillor for Haggerston for 11 years and has been a member of the labour party since he was 21. He is  the current cabinet member for Health, Social Care and Culture at Hackney Council.

He worked hard to defend the NHS and believes in having a strong health service.

He organised Hackney’s first Half Marathon which had around 15,000 participants.

McShane has ensured that council Care workers are paid the London Living Wage and wants Hackney to become a London Living Wage borough.

Here are some of McShane’s proposals for Hackney:

  • Housing

Build new homes and offer even more support to people in the private rented secton.

  • Older people

Ensuring older people are an active part of our community.

This is to be done through a number of activities such as swimming classes to lunch clubs.

  • Mental Health

He has already appointed a Mental Health Champion to raise the profile of mental health across Hackney. He will  build on this by appointing a Cabinet Member charged with delivering better access to mental health services.

  •  Cycling and walking

Focus investment on making cycling safer on main routes like Green Lanes, Wick Road and the A10.

Introduce safer and cleaner walking routes to our schools and work to make Kingsland Road one of the first Clean Bus Corridors in London

More information about McShane’s policies can be found on his website http://www.jonathanforhackney.com/

 3- Philip Glanville: For a “better, fairer, more sustainable” Hackney 

Philip Glanville  has spent 10 years as a councillor for Hoxton West, another six as cabinet member for Housing and recently was appointed deputy mayor. Since Pipe’s resignation, he has been the acting mayor until the  elections which are planned for September.

Glanville has been tackling the issue of housing as part of his role in the council. Earlier this year, he was fighting against the government’s Housing and Planning Bill

Some of his achievements were building 268 council houses, at an affordable price to rent and buy with 748 more in being built.  He has also started on a new housing programme, building around 500 homes, with 70 per cent of them being affordable.

In 2014, Glanville and his partner were the first gay couple to marry in Hackney, since gay marriage was legalised in England and Wales.

Here are some of his plans for Hackney if he became a mayor:

  • Housing

Deliver the 2014 manifesto commitment of 3,000 new homes and lay the groundwork for doubling the Council’s genuinely affordable council house building programme from 2018

Improve services for existing residents including tenants, leaseholders, freeholders, shared owners and private renters;

More help to prevent homelessness and ensure that those in temporary accommodation have more support.

He pledges to double the number of council homes built from 2018; and to commit Hackney to being the first borough in London to build 500 of Sadiq Khan’s London Living Rent homes – where no one pays more than a third of their income in rent.

  • Regeneration and jobs

Build better links between the growth industries of technology, leisure and construction and our schools and colleagues;

Create affordable workspaces on our estates to support new businesses, deal with ASB and increase income to protect services.

  • Make Hackney more sustainable 

Work to end fuel poverty and cold homes in the public and private sectors

Create more spaces on our estates to grow food

Invest more in green energy in the borough including supporting community energy projects and the Council’s own schemes.

  • Champion young people

Build the new school places we need;

Introduce a Young Mayor elected by local young people;

Fight the Government’s education reforms, forced academisation and cuts to funding

Glanville’s full list of policies can be viewed on his site http://www.philipglanville.london/home

 4- Anntoinette Bramble: “One Hackney, Equality for All” 

Credit: Hackney Council

Credit: Hackney Council

Anntoinette Bramble’s interest in politics started when she was working as a nursery assistant and got direct contact with children and young people who had hopes and aspirations but were facing challenges living in Hackney.

Bramble was elected as a local councillor in 2010 and is now the cabinet member for children’s services leading issues such as education and youth service.

She has also held many responsibilities within the labour party including being a women’s officer, deputy speaker of Hackney and assistant whip.

Bramble also holds the position of member and trainer for the Labour Woman Network (LWN), supporting the the involvement of women and 50/50 membership in the cabinet.

Her vision for Hackney evolves around equality in regards to gender, race or disability.

Here is a list of her priorities:

  • Reacting to the impact of Brexit

Given BREXIT we may well need to re-evaluate our medium to long term approach to financial planning but also how this impacts community cohesion.  We need to incorporate realistic scenario based planning that prepare us for a range of positive and or negative BREXIT consequences.  During this time our most vulnerable residents and there are many of them, need reassurance that the services they rely upon will remain accessible and that they will be managed and maintained as a priority under our administration.

  • Children

She will keep the promise made by the council to continue to deliver Hackney’s  nationally-recognised and innovative model of children’s social care, focusing on early intervention and ensuring that the children in  care receive the best start, and every opportunity Hackney can offer them.

  • Affordable housing

She will work with the Mayor of London, Housing Associations and colleagues to secure more homes for families and single people and make sure the pressure is kept up to secure even more affordable housing for local people.

  • Regeneration

She will ensure that despite challenging budgets cuts and uncertainties, the council will work hard to secure the regeneration of our estates and social housing. 

  • Wellbeing and mental health

She will work very closely with NHS on tackling health inequalities in child obesity, smoking levels, long term conditions and mental health. 

For more details about Bramble’s policies visit http://anntoinetteonehackney.co.uk/ 

 

 

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