Hackney Mayor faces public grilling in Question Time event at Town Hall

Philip Glanville was elected Hackney Mayor in 2016

Mayor Philip Glanville will take questions from the public at Hackney’s first ever Mayor’s Question Time at the Town Hall on 2 October.

The event will be chaired by Dave Hill, a former Guardian columnist and friend of the council.

In June, Hill was invited to the council’s secret party to celebrate a Town Hall makeover and honour the previous Hackney mayor, Jules Pipe. Hill did not attend the £6,000 event.

The council has said questions to the Mayor will be vetted to avoid multiple questions on the same subject, and that the Citizen will be able to submit one question.

There are plans for the event to be broadcast live over the internet, with Mayor Glanville saying on Twitter this will probably be via Facebook live.

Probably Facebook live

— Mayor of Hackney (@mayorofhackney) September 14, 2017

A council statement said “the event is free and open to all residents, although numbers are limited”, and said people should reserve their places using the link hackneymayorqt.eventbrite.co.uk.

The event will be held from 7pm to 9pm, with doors opening at 6pm. The council said there will be refreshments provided for the public and “opportunities for a tour of the newly refurbished Town Hall”.

The council statement adds: “The following morning, [3 October] the mayor will host a Twitter Question Time where people can ask further questions and explore different areas not covered on the night.”

Residents are being offered a tour of the Town Hall’s refurbishment

Mayor Glanville said: “I want to hear from people from across Hackney’s diverse communities about the issues which matter most to them, whether it be housing, crime, schools and transport; jobs, redevelopment and the environment; or health, social care and community cohesion.

“There’s been a lot of change in Hackney and we face many challenges as a borough and a council, but I know there’s a huge amount of passion and creativity in our borough about how we can keep it a great place to live for everyone.”

He added: “It’s so important that as a mayor, a council, as residents and businesses, we have open and honest discussions; that the council can explain its vision and work, and people can share their thoughts and ideas, so we can work together on solutions.

“Hopefully this new annual event will be a great forum for that, alongside our other engagement events and consultations.”