Labour hope to retain council and pledge to get youngsters into work
Alisha Rouse
Mayor of Hackney Jules Pipe - Credit: Hackney Council - submitted
Current Mayor Jules Pipe, leader of the Hackney Labour group, has pledged to have all of the borough's 16 and 17 year olds in education, employment or training, as well as championing local business.
Mr Pipe said: "I want all those who live and work in Hackney to know exactly what Labour wants to do for Hackney over the next four years.
"We will continue to defend residents against this Tory Government's cuts – the worst reductions to the public sector in more than 60 years– and support people through the welfare changes. Hackney has taken the brunt of the Government's cuts, and we know there will be yet more to come.
"But to build a great future for our borough, we must do more – Labour's vision is for Hackney's communities to be stronger and more cohesive. Our ambition is that no one is left behind, and that we build capacity in individuals and families to support themselves and take advantage of education, skills training and help to find jobs."
Labour's 13-page manifesto highlights policies, including keeping cyclists and pedestrians safe and investing in young people, as well as their continued commitment to providing affordable homes for residents.
The party, who has 58 candidates standing in the borough, aim for all people working in Hackney to receive a fair wage, and will campaign for all the borough's employees to get the London Living Wage, which is currently paid to all council staff.
Having frozen council tax for nine consecutive years, Labour have pledged to "keep it as low as possible" but have stopped short of promising another freeze.
The borough's vulnerable are also top of the party's agenda, promising to focus on early identification for drug users and deliver an integrated Drug and Alcohol treatment system, while expanding support for family members.
For education, Mr Pipe and his team have set a 70pc target for "five good GCSEs" per student by 2018, and aim to work with secondary schools to achieve this. They also hope to encourage the borough's young to save up, promising to a credit union account to all young people starting secondary school, and to deposit £20 for each of them to encourage saving.