Hackney Council has elected a new mayor after the previous mayor resigned in scandal over a photo of him partying with a paedophile ex-councillor.
Labour’s Caroline Woodley was elected as the new Mayor of the east London borough after a by-election triggered by the resignation of her predecessor, Philip Glanville.
In a statement after her victory with nearly 18,500 votes, Ms Woodley said: “I entered politics five years ago.
“Back then, I could never have imagined I would go on to become the first woman to serve as the directly elected Mayor of Hackney.
“I will lead our borough in that spirit of progress: proudly anti-racist, inclusive, welcoming, kind and open.”
Ms Woodley had previously served in the council’s cabinet under the Families, Parks and Leisure brief.
Zoe Garbett for the Green Party placed second in the ballot, with 9,075 votes while the Conservatives came third with 5,039 votes.
Mr Glanville had stood down after a picture emerged of him partying with former councillor Thomas Dewey, who had been arrested in a child pornography sting two weeks previously.
He said he made an “error of judgement” in attending a Eurovision party where Dewey was present on May 13 last year and admitted that he had not been as “transparent” about his attendance at the party with Dewey as he should have been.
Dewey, 36, admitted downloading “sadistic” images of children being sexually abused as well as a cache of violent pornographic photos, and received a suspended sentence in August.
Hackney is one of four councils which have directly elected Mayors in London, alongside Lewisham, Newham and Tower Hamlets.
These council leader positions have much more power than traditional, largely ceremonial, mayors elected in other areas.
