Hackney Mayor makes ‘tweaks and changes’ in cabinet reshuffle

Hackney Mayor Philip Glanville (Lab & Co-op) has set in train “tweaks and changes” to his cabinet, including shifting responsibility for transport from Cllr Feryal Demirci (Lab, Hoxton East & Shoreditch) to Cllr Jon Burke (Lab, Woodberry Down).

Cllr Demirci, who will remain Deputy Mayor, recently announced that the council would reconsult on a contentious road closure scheme which has provoked bitter debate in the borough.

At last night’s AGM, Mayor Glanville praised the work that Cllr Demirci, who unveiled a blueprint for other councils to better roll out school streets schemes last week, has done around public transport and cycling.

Mayor Glanville said: “These are tweaks and changes, just to make sure we continue to deliver amazing results for the people of Hackney.

“Cllr Demirci’s work around transport in this borough has utterly transformed Hackney, making it a better place for public transport, walking, cycling, livability and sustainability, all opposed by [Hackney’s Conservative councillors].

“Cllr Burke has big, if very different, shoes to fill on bringing together all of the tools at our disposal to deliver the sustainability and environmental objectives that I know he shares, none more important than air pollution, whatever [Conservative councillors] have to say.”

Mayor Glanville was referring to Cllr Harvey Odze’s (Con, Springfield) past denials of man-made climate change.

The borough leader also announced a “finessing” of the council’s approach to deprivation by making Cllr Chris Kennedy (Lab, Hackney Wick) responsible for work on tackling food poverty.

Mayor Glanville added: “We recognise that while we have a real plan in place to create a more inclusive economy in Hackney, there are people suffering out in our community right now that we need to respond to.”

Deputy Mayor Demirci will now have responsibility for parks and leisure, in a move which Mayor Glanville said was aiming to ensure that “the public health agenda is super-charged”.

Cllr Guy Nicholson (Lab, Homerton) will have culture, libraries, museums, archive services, and the inclusive economy in his expanded portfolio of responsibility.