Let’s fix the apathy first, then…

Ben

no one’s glossing over the problems but the direction of travel for Hackney, unlike for many years, is a positive one - local economy growing, crime falling, public services (esp. the council) vastly improved. We started in a very bad place and of course Hackney still has some of the most extreme social problems in the UK, but the place is getting better rather than being viewed as it was as a unhelpable basket case.

Thanks Luke. Though, to get back to my question: if you were running the show, what would you put right first?

Assuming I had unlimited resources and powers over everything in the borough, not just council functions, I’d want:

a) a proper tube line connecting central and eastern Hackney with the city and west end so people can access jobs

b) rebuild the worst of the borough’s housing stock but include subsidised housing for key workers and other middle income workers so we don’t end up in a borough with only the very rich and very poor

c) even more police on foot patrol

d) new headteachers in the half dozen worst performing primary schools to get them up to the standard of the best ones

e) free full-time nursery provision for all 3 and 4 year olds so their parents can work if they want to

f) minimum wage increased to the level of the London Living Wage, which would affected thousands of Hackney residents

Interesting point about the Borough heading towards being just very rich/very poor. Agree.
I wonder how bigger barrier the lack of public transport is though? probably as I am a cyclist though so don’t have to rely on it
I can’t offer my own opinion of how to right things, but what I see as wrong is the small % of residents here who are so agro, beat up a taxi driver instead of paying the fare, punching a waitress instead of paying the bill for lunch etc. Don’t know how you tackle that problem (without engaging the services of a firing squad).
Bron.

What would I put right first? Get rid of Hackney Labour and ban the Akehursts from Town Hall.