Glanville won convincingly securing a landslide election victory. Credit: Eastlondonlines

Hackney Labour councillor Jon Burke gloated that Theresa May’s call for “an element of selection” in the state education system boosted Philip Glanville’s campaign to become Hackney’s mayor.

Hackney’s Cabinet Member for Energy, Sustainability, & Community Services tweeted:

Triumphalist perhaps, but delighted to see the Tories beaten in to third place in #Hackney. That's what we think of your #GrammarSchools…

— Cllr Jon Burke (@jonburkeUK) September 16, 2016

Philip Glanville was elected as Mayor with 69% of the votes with the Conservatives coming third with only 10.8% of the votes.

In Hackney over 80% of students attend “good” or “outstanding” local secondary schools. The local council, schools and parents have embraced the academy model.

Research by the online market research firm YouGov found that Hackney was the fifth most “anti grammar school area” in England.

Lily Eastwood, Director of Learning at the educational charity Hackney Pirates, said, “In areas with selective education children from lower income families do less well and it has little effect on mid-high income families. Let’s not further segregate a segregated system.”

Glanville has pledged during his time as mayor to continue campaigning to keep Conservative “hands off local schools”.