Mayor of Hackney

Caroline Woodley was elected Mayor of Hackney in November 2023, becoming the borough’s third directly elected Mayor and first woman Mayor.

The directly elected Mayor provides leadership and direction to the borough and the council and has overall responsibility for council policy and the delivery of services.

About the Mayor

A portrait of Mayor Caroline Woodley. — Mayor Caroline Woodley

Caroline Woodley was elected Mayor in November 2023, becoming the first woman directly elected as Mayor of Hackney.

The directly elected Mayor provides leadership and direction to the borough. They have overall responsibility for council policy and delivery of services.

Formerly a councillor in Cazenove ward, Caroline took on further responsibilities as a cabinet member from March 2020, leading on families, parks, and leisure. Within the families portfolio, Caroline’s focus has been on support for early years and for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). She continues to champion Hackney Council’s ambitions to make education, the public realm, and community amenities more accessible and inclusive.

As Mayor, Caroline has taken on overall budget responsibility and oversight of the private rented sector and housing affordability. Caroline is determined to work in partnership with local people to tackle the impact of more than a decade of austerity, the housing crisis, poverty divide and threat of climate change.

As the leader of an anti-racist borough, Caroline is determined to work closely with Hackney communities, her cabinet, and with the Chief Executive to address racism and to extend best anti-racist practice to partner organisations across Hackney and beyond.

Caroline is deeply committed to ensuring all Hackney residents get a fair chance. She wants to ensure they have access to benefits advice, good jobs, and apprenticeships across the borough. These will provide routes into social enterprise, cooperative working, community wealth building, supported internships, and supported employment.

Green space and the environment are a priority for the Mayor. The Mayor has been actively working towards Hackney’s climate goal. The goal is to increase tree cover to 30% by 2030, expand sites of importance for nature conservation and improve biodiversity. Through investment in green infrastructure, green skills and community energy, Caroline is committed to creating a fairer, greener Hackney.

Caroline has lived in Hackney for more than twenty years, raising her son here in that time.