Reform UK candidate for Hackney Mayor, Vahid Almasi, has labelled the Green Party an "existential threat" to the borough, while accusing the Labour-run council of driving it to the "brink of financial ruin." Speaking to the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS), Almasi outlined his plans to tackle the council's £300 million debt, reduce crime, and make housing more affordable if elected on May 7.
Almasi, a first-time candidate who has lived in Hackney for three years, praised the "super trendy" East London borough but warned that the "rent monster" is pricing out residents. He proposed fast-tracking modular 'flat pack' homes on top of council-owned buildings and garages, cutting council tax, and pushing for a police crackdown on crime hotspots. He also pledged to turn mothballed public spaces into "innovation hubs" with 3D printing kiosks and free AI lessons, funded by cutting "wasteful" spending on debt repayments, consultancy fees, and "vanity projects" like supporting migrants and asylum seekers.
Almasi singled out the Green Party's proposal to legalise all drugs, claiming it would increase drink-spiking incidents and undermine public safety. "I am campaigning for safer streets, to have police on the street and bring the number of rape cases down in my borough. They are campaigning to legalise crime," he said. Hackney Greens' mayoral candidate, Zoë Garbett, has called for a "public health approach" to substance use, including deprioritising cannabis possession and reviewing stop and search.
Almasi, who works in financial crime and compliance at Barclays bank, rejected political labels and attacked both Labour and the Greens for pursuing "ideological" policies. He criticised Labour's Low Traffic Neighbourhoods (LTNs) and road closures, which he said penalise car users, particularly families and disabled people. Under a Reform-led council, he would "immediately" review all such measures, though critical controls near schools and hospitals could remain if 70% of residents support them.
On housing, Almasi proposed a "very transparent" dashboard to assign social housing priority to disabled people, veterans, and British citizens. He also vowed to stop housing illegal immigrants in temporary accommodation and end Hackney's status as a Borough of Sanctuary, which he called a "political statement for open-border policies." A Green Party spokesperson defended their drug policy, citing support from health professionals and arguing that legal regulation would save lives and reduce organised crime.
The local elections on May 7 will see Hackney residents vote for their Mayor and local ward councillors. Almasi acknowledged he is a dark horse in a race widely seen as a contest between Labour and the Greens, but he remains confident in his pragmatic approach.
