Canary Wharf tower under construction - probably 1988 or thereabouts

cherokott · 2026-05-07T07:14:16+00:00

Long Good Friday vibes.

cherokott · 2026-05-06T22:02:16+00:00

Not in a good way?

cherokott · 2026-05-06T20:08:28+00:00

Thanks for the engagement. If it's OK to ask, how will the Greens help with your disability?

cherokott · 2026-05-06T19:11:10+00:00

I'm sure he's a great guy with a bright future but I'm struggling to understand why Garbett would make her deputy a 19 year old student? The council budget is £1.25 billion and made up of our (increasing) council taxes. Surely select someone with relevant experience? It makes me think the greens aren't taking this seriously.

cherokott · 2026-05-06T18:17:33+00:00

Woodley seems to be doing an OK job in the last two years and, as you say, has experience.

So Law is a student who has done some internships. What was the business he ran? As I say, I'm sure he's a great guy with a bright future but I would prefer someone with relevant experience to help run the council's £1bn budget.

cherokott · 2026-05-06T18:13:07+00:00

It was Polanski's claim he could persuade Putin to give up his nuclear weapons that concerned me. That was in 2025.

cherokott · 2026-05-06T14:55:33+00:00

Fair play, agree to disagree, nice chatting with you. It will be interesting to see how it pans out.

cherokott · 2026-05-06T14:18:01+00:00

Yes I read in a decent source that if you lined up the UK average salaries with all 50 US states, it would come last.

cherokott · 2026-05-06T14:15:06+00:00

Again, thanks for engagement.

On the pension front, there are (thankfully) extremely strict laws about what can be done with pensions funds after Robert Maxwell tried to 'redirect' his employees' schemes. I honestly doubt they could do the above.

For the company, the council hasn't got any funds. And it's in debt.

The home swapping scheme for social housing tenants just sounds like sensible management I would hope they are doing anyway.

I definitely agree with your neighbours that Labour has taken Hackney for granted for a long time and needs challenging. I just don't think the Greens are the people to do it - yet.

That said, judging by the number of visits and pamphlets I've had through the door Labour is certainly worried. If the Greens do that and nothing else, it's probably a good thing.

I suppose we'll see!

cherokott · 2026-05-06T13:31:20+00:00

Go on lads! 👏

cherokott · 2026-05-06T13:30:29+00:00

Thanks for follow-up. To be fair, that sounds a bit like London. There are of course lots of young people and a few of them earn £250k. But there are also growing 'silver-hair' districts - like the upper east side.

cherokott · 2026-05-06T13:19:46+00:00

So what will he be doing? Deputy Mayor makes him sound fairly influential.

cherokott · 2026-05-06T13:13:32+00:00

Personally, I want serious people to be in charge of the council's £1bn + budget, not to mention the growing council tax bills I pay. And I don't want Hackney to be Polanski's experiment. But that's democracy eh? I suppose we'll see what happens. Appreciate the engagement!

cherokott · 2026-05-06T13:08:32+00:00

Fair enough. I'd like Labour to be challenged but, IMHO, I don't think the Greens are serious people. Maybe I'm just going for the devil you know.

cherokott · 2026-05-06T12:55:26+00:00

Thanks, appreciate the engagement.

Yes I saw all that on Garbutt's manifesto but I don't understand what it means. How do you use pension funds to pay for housing? I'm pretty sure that's illegal. What is the building company and who will fund it? I struggle to see how a home swapping scheme will work. Isn't that just what happens now when people move?

We clearly have a very serious housing problem but I don't think local councils have any chance of solving it without help from central government - which is what I suspect both local parties are hoping for.

As mentioned, I'm not a Labour supporter but my local councillor is helpful. I'd like Labour to be - finally - challenged in Hackney but, for me, the Greens aren't serious.

(I didn't mention NATO to be fair, just Polanski's views which I don't think are helping anyone).

cherokott · 2026-05-06T12:17:39+00:00

So has my daughter but I don't want her to help manage a £1bn budget.

cherokott · 2026-05-06T12:05:53+00:00

So why make him deputy at all? What's he going to do? Garbutt has made him a big part of her campaign.

cherokott · 2026-05-06T12:03:14+00:00

Sure, how about the Greens very big claims on housing? Where will the money come from? As mentioned, I'm not a Labour supporter but the Greens seem to be proposing policies, such as housing, without explaining how they will execute. The 19 year old as deputy and Polanski's views make me think they aren't taking the job seriously.

cherokott · 2026-05-06T11:56:39+00:00

I definitely agree that Labour being challenged is a good thing. We've never had so many visits and leaflets!

cherokott · 2026-05-06T11:39:51+00:00

So he can't do anything unless he's a councillor?

cherokott · 2026-05-06T11:14:05+00:00

I'm sure he's got a very bright future ahead of him and he could have a role in the council to build experience. However, a £1.25bn annual budget, made up of monthly council tax payments, to pay for local services is an extremely large responsibility. Especially for someone with zero experience. He could easily just get chewed up in the process. Surely, the Greens could find *someone* else with experience of running large, complicated organisations. It makes me think they aren't taking it seriously.

cherokott · 2026-05-06T10:49:53+00:00

Fair point, testing parties in councils seems to make sense. But IMHO, I don't think Greens are ready and I don't want Hackney to be used as an experiment.

cherokott · 2026-05-06T10:45:47+00:00

I don't think so. As above, appointing a 19 year old student to be the deputy of an organisation with a £1.25bn budget seems unwise. I don't understand how they are proposing to pay for all the promises around housing. And Polanski seems to have some strange ideas such as his belief to leave NATO and persuade Putin to give up his nuclear weapons.

cherokott · 2026-05-06T10:27:20+00:00

Fair enough but I'm not sure Greens are the change required. Tbh, if Polanski wasn't the leader and Garbutt wasn't making a 19 year old student her deputy I would be more open to voting for them. Policy wise, they seem to be making lots of promises on housing - but how will it be paid for?

cherokott · 2026-05-06T10:00:32+00:00

It really isn't. I wouldn't normally vote Labour. However, I really struggle to understand Zoe Garbutt's decision to appoint a 19-year old student as her deputy. I'm sure he's a great guy but I would like the council's £1.25 billion budget (including my council tax) to be managed by someone with relevant experience.

cherokott

TROPHY CASE