Their victory ends decades of Labour control as green party seeks broader gains across England.

On Thursday, the Green Party of England and Wales, led by left-wing politician Zack Polanski, won its first mayoral post in London in the borough of Hackney, where its candidate Zoë Garbett defeated her Labour rival in the partial municipal elections.

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Pending confirmation of the full composition of the council, Garbett celebrated her historic victory, which ends decades of Labour dominance in this district in northeast London.

“I am going to change the system. That is what I was elected for, to lead the fight here in Hackney. This campaign has never been only about the Green Party. Countless people, movements, organizations, parties and communities have come together to make this change possible,” the new mayor said.

Polanski’s party also hopes to win a majority of councilors. If the forecast is confirmed, it would mark the first council governed by the Greens in London, where the party already holds council seats in some districts, beyond the citywide mayor.

Hackney, along with Lambeth, was one of the Green Party’s main targets in these elections, in which the Labour Party, governing nationally, is expected to lose control of key districts in the city for the first time.

Across England, where 136 out of 317 councils and about 5,000 council seats are being contested, the Greens have so far gained 28 new councilors, bringing their total to 53.

The main winner at this stage of the count is the right-wing populist party Reform UK, which has gained 414 seats, adding to its previous two seats. Labour has so far lost 263 councilors and now stands at 254, while the Conservatives are down 182, to 265.

teleSUR/ JF

Source: EFE

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