Labour’s Sem Moema re-elected as Assembly Member for north-east London

Newly re-elected Sem Moema (centre), flanked by Hackney Mayor Caroline Woodley (right) and Waltham Forest Council leader Grace Williams. Photograph: Faruk Tinaz / Twitter

Labour’s Sem Moema retained her seat as north-east London’s Assembly Member last week with a resounding election win.

The Hackney councillor will continue to represent the borough, alongside Islington and Waltham Forest, after totting up more than half of all ballots.

Moema collected 104,088 votes – more than double the 44,342 that went to the runner-up, Antoinette Fernandez of the Greens.

Conservative Pearce Branigan finished in third with 27,769 votes, and Liberal Democrat Rebecca Jones came fourth on 12,920.

The bottom three were Tony Glover of ReformUK, TUSC’s Nancy Taaffe, and independent candidate Tan Bui.

A total of 207,495 votes were cast, making the turnout 39.5 per cent.

Mayor of Hackney Caroline Woodley reacted on X, formerly Twitter, saying: “Still reeling from the election results for north-east London! Such a resounding result for Assembly Member Sem Moema – we can never take it for granted.”

Waltham Forest Council leader Grace Williams also paid tribute: “Such a strong result for Sem Moema – so well deserved and testament to her talent and a brilliant Labour campaign in the north-east constituency across the three boroughs.

“I am very lucky to work alongside her and two amazing women leaders in Caroline Woodley and [Islington Council leader] Kaya Comer-Schwartz.”

Moema responded: “The leadership that Grace, Kaya and Caroline have brought respectively to Waltham Forest, Islington and Hackney is a lesson on motivation and sisterhood in the Labour party.

“Couldn’t have done this without them.”