Hackney mayor resigns after photo with disgraced councillor

Hackney mayor Philip Glanville (right) attended a party with Tom Dewey (left) despite knowing he had been arrested

The mayor of Hackney has resigned following his association with a disgraced former councillor.

Mayor Philip Glanville was suspended when he was pictured with councillor Tom Dewey at a Eurovision party in May.

The photograph was taken hours after news broke fellow Labour councillor Dewey was arrested on suspicion of possessing indecent images of children.

The mayor had previously said he did not see Dewey after learning of the arrest.

In August, Dewey was given a one-year suspended sentence after admitting possessing 1,850 indecent images of children.

Five of the images were in the most serious category A, 41 in category B and 203 in category C.

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About 50 local residents staged a protest last week calling on Mr Glanville to quit.

The Hackney Green Party also tabled a motion of no confidence in him.

In his resignation letter, Mr Glanville wrote: "I had my trust betrayed, but in turn I made an error of judgement and was not as transparent as I should have been.

"For that I accept full responsibility."

"Politics is never easy, but it has been a privilege to work with, and for, some of the very best of local government for the best part of 17 years," he added.

Mr Glanville's last day as mayor will be 22 September

He continued: "My final message as mayor is to the amazing people of Hackney - you and the organisations and businesses here are at the heart of why I chose to make Hackney my home and why this role meant so much to me.

"Keep standing up for your open, diverse values, keep challenging those who put themselves forward to lead and keep making this the very best borough in London."

The resignation will trigger a mayoral election.

Hackney's acting chief executive Dawn Carter-McDonald said the mayor's last day of office would be on Friday.

She added: "I want to take this opportunity to thank the outgoing mayor for his seven years of service as mayor and the 17 years he has given to the borough and its residents as an elected politician.

"In line with the council's constitution, the statutory deputy mayor, councillor Anntoinette Bramble, will continue to act in the mayor's place for as long as necessary.

"A mayoral election is likely to take place in the coming weeks."

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