Manal Massalha has won the Dalston by-election for the Green Party, securing 549 votes (57.7%) in a poll held on Thursday, June 25. The election was triggered by Zoë Garbett's victory as Mayor of Hackney in the May local elections, which left her council seat vacant as she could not hold both offices.
By-election results and turnout
Labour candidate Grace Adebayo came second with 342 votes (36%), followed by Reform's Ivon Fleming with 26 votes (2.7%), Liberal Democrat Peter Munro with 24 votes (2.5%), and Conservative Jerry Sulaiman with 10 votes (1.05%). Turnout was 13.81%, which candidates and officials attributed to the record June heatwave, with temperatures peaking at 35.8°C in London.
Massalha's victory speech
Accepting her win, Cllr Massalha credited Mayor Garbett and fellow Dalston councillor Rachel Nkiessu-Guifo. "I've been elected thanks to the legacy of two amazing women. But those two women are part of a bigger group of volunteers and party members whose commitment has been so inspiring to see," she said. She added: "People are tired. They're tired of the status quo, of politicians not delivering on their promises. They're tired of a global climate of impunity, of unaccountability. What the Green Party is proposing is actually change and a party of the many, not the few."
Green Party strengthens majority
Along with the Hackney Central ward by-election held simultaneously, the result fortifies the Greens' majority on Hackney Council, where they now hold 42 seats, compared to Labour's nine and the Conservatives' six. Labour Group Leader Cllr Anntoinette Bramble said: "Thank you to all those who voted Labour on what was the hottest day of the year. We came close to winning in Hackney Central ward which shows that there is a significant number of people in Hackney Central who would like to see a Labour councillor elected. It was a well fought campaign and the vote in both wards indicates that people are moving back to Labour and its values – as is being seen in other parts of London."
Background on Massalha
Ms Massalha is a Hackney resident, ethnographer, and documentary photographer. She describes herself as an advocate for housing rights, safer and greener streets, local traders, and community spaces.
