Greens swipe Stoke Newington seat from Labour in shock by-election victory

Liam Davis addresses supporters following his victory. Photograph: Hackney Council / X

The Greens are celebrating a surprise victory over the ruling Labour party after Liam Davis won the Stoke Newington ward by-election with 53 per cent of the vote.

Davis gained the seat with a 19-point swing from Labour, whose candidate Zak Davies-Khan finished second on 40 per cent.

The Lib Dems came third with 3.3 per cent, with the Conservatives close behind on 3.1 per cent.

Independent candidate Tan Bui took a 0.5 per cent share. 

Turnout for the by-election was 20.35 per cent, with 2,362 votes cast in total.

Davis told supporters he “couldn’t be more grateful to every resident who’s given me their vote, and I will stay and work hard to prove to them that no vote has been taken for granted”.

He added: “It’s not easy to win by-elections, especially in London. The Greens have not won a by-election for 16 years, but today we did that.”

Davis used his victory speech to revisit key campaign issues, including housing conditions, cuts, and the ethical divestment of council pension funds.

“I also want to thank the local independent councillors who have given us their support in the campaign,” he said.

In August, the Greens joined forces with the Independent Socialists, who threw their backing behind Davis as part of an electoral pact.

The coalition is aiming to dethrone the Conservatives as the largest opposition group on the council.

On X, formerly Twitter, the Independent Socialist Group congratulated Davis, who they said “rode the crest of the discontent wave to take Stoke Newington for the Greens”.

Davis’s fellow Green councillor Zoë Garbett posted: “And just like that there were three! Thank you everyone in Stoke Newington who voted for Liam Davis. I know how hard he will work.”

The full results are as follows:

Liam Davis, Green, 1,253 votes;
Zak Davies-Khan, Labour, 945 votes;
Thrusie Maurseth-Cahill, Liberal Democrat, 78 votes;
Tareke Jay Antonio Gregg, Conservative, 74 votes;
Tan Bui, Independent, 12 votes.