The borough’s first-ever Green Mayor Zoë Garbett confirms the cabinet members who will take the lead on several policy areas
The newly-elected Mayor of Hackney Zoë Garbett has made her first cabinet appointments following the Greens’ election victory at the local elections.
On Monday (May 11) Mayor Garbett unveiled her choice of the eight senior councillors who will lead on policy in the borough, including on finance, housing and education. The majority of the cabinet were first elected to the council for the first time on Friday, May 8.
Mayor Garbett has confirmed 20-year-old Dylan Law will be her deputy, while also taking the reins on housing management and repairs, private rented sector and affordable housing.
In a statement, Mayor Garbett said: “I’m so proud that Hackney has put its faith not just in me [but] an incredible group of new councillors who believe that Hackney can change for the better. My new cabinet has deep roots across Hackney, reflecting the borough’s diversity, its solidarity, and its communities.”
Along with her duties as Mayor, which include budget, strategy and political leadership, Mayor Garbett is taking responsibility for the council’s approach to community safety and policing and tackling domestic violence, hate crime and poverty.
At 20 years old, Mr Law becomes Hackney Council’s youngest ever cabinet appointee, as well as its youngest ever councillor. This record was previously held by Labour’s Mete Coban, who first won his Stoke Newington seat in 2014, aged 21. Mr Coban later joined the cabinet aged 29, but in 2024 stepped down as a Hackney councillor after being appointed Deputy Mayor of London for Environment and Energy on the London Assembly.
The only new policy lead who has previously served as a councillor is Alastair Binnie-Lubbock, who was co-leader of the Greens’ opposition group during the last council term. Mayor Garbett has made him her Cabinet Member for Regeneration, Planning and Inclusive Neighbourhoods.
Cllr Florence Schechter will be the borough’s new Cabinet Member for Finance, Resident Services and Digital. Prior to her entering politics, Ms Schechter was the founder of the Vagina Museum in Bethnal Green and was a director of the Museum of the Home.
Mayor Garbett has also adjusted some portfolios, including by changing the Homelessness Prevention and Temporary Accommodation brief to a Deputy Cabinet Member position.
Further appointments will be announced in the coming days, the council said. The Greens’ victory also means the Town Hall’s various committees must be reorganised to account for the chamber’s new political makeup.
The full list of cabinet members announced so far:
- Cllr Alastair Binnie-Lubbock, Cabinet Member for Regeneration, Planning and Inclusive Neighbourhoods
- Cllr Florence Schechter, Cabinet Member for Finance, Resident Services and Digital
- Cllr Soraya Adejare, Cabinet Member for Children, Young People and Early Intervention
- Cllr Sam Mathys, Cabinet Member for Culture, Leisure, Nightlife and Licensing
- Cllr Rachel Nkiessu-Guifo, Cabinet Member for Inclusive Economy, Skills, High Streets and Markets
- Cllr Laura-Louise Fairley, Deputy Cabinet Member for SEND Support
- Cllr Abi Kingston, Deputy Cabinet Member for Homelessness Prevention and Temporary Accommodation
The Greens stormed to victory at the 2026 local elections last week, taking 42 out of 57 seats in the council chamber and demolishing Labour’s huge majority, leaving them with just nine councillors.
Ms Garbett won the separate mayoral race with 47.2% of the vote, beating Labour’s incumbent Caroline Woodley by 8,855 votes.
After winning every mayoral race since the office was created – and controlling the council for all but seven years since Hackney Council was first formed in 1965 – Labour is now the second-largest group on the council and will be the official opposition.
Winning six seats, the Conservative Party will be the third-largest group on the council.
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