As Labour enjoyed successes across the capital, Hackney's directly elected mayor was re-elected.
Philip Glanville returned as directly elected mayor with 59 per cent of the vote on a day when turnout was down – with 34pc of voters completing their ballots.
Mr Glanville said: “This is about change, this isn’t about re-electing me, but is about a new administration.”
He added: “When we say we’ll work together for a better Hackney, we mean it. We mean it on the cost of living, we mean it on anti-racism, we mean it on equality, we mean it on climate action, we mean it on the housing crisis.
“We mean it on running the best services that we can.”
Mr Glanville said the council needs to rebuild trust following the disastrous cyber attack in 2020 which hit services including housing benefit and has frustrated residents.
Mayoral candidates said the cost-of-living crisis was a key issue on the doorstep, more so than "Partygate".
Taking second place, Green candidate Zoe Garbett said she will continue fighting to combat the climate crisis in Hackney.
The Conservative’s Oliver Hall, who is sitting second year law exams soon, said: “Public service is what gets us up in the morning, it is what motivates us to do more for our communities.”
He said he will continue to fight to get rid of controversial low traffic neighbourhoods (LTNs) and on housing issues.
The Liberal Democrat candidate Helen Baxter said voters need their council to listen to them. She said many voters felt they were not listened to over LTNs.
Gwenton Sloley, the Hackney People Before Profit candidate, said: “People do not feel listened to. A lot of people want to abolish the mayoral system.”
He said: “We are zero-tolerance on hate crime, we’re all about love. I spoke to my grandmother Eunice Rochester last night, and she said to me: ‘Son, I came over on the Windrush and for you to be running for mayor of Hackney, you’ve already won.'”
Glanville first became Hackney Mayor in a 2016 by-election with 22,595 votes, and was re-elected to the role in 2018 with 42,645 votes – when 36.9pc of voters cast their ballots. The Greens came second in both elections.
The results in full are :
Helen Baxter, Liberal Democrat, 4,320 votes (7pc)
Zoe Garbett, Green, 10,373 votes (17pc)
Philip Glanville, Labour, 36,049 votes (59pc)
Oliver Hall, Conservative, 8,160 votes (13pc)
Gwenton Sloley, Hackney People Before Profit, 2,105 votes (3pc)
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