Heroine of Hackney riots fails to win council seat

Liberal Democrat candidate Pauline Pearce admitted she wasn’t surprised about the results of Hackney Council’s Hackney Central by-election in which she came third.

Despite Liberal Democrat hopes that she would prove a challenge for Labour, Ms Pearce received 394 votes, just 11 per cent of the total vote, beating only the Local Conservatives candidate Andrew Boff who gained 5.5 per cent.

The so-called “Heroine of Hackney” after she berated rioters in August, left the room before the results were announced at the Alexandra Palace count earlier today.

“I was pretty much expecting it,” Ms Pearce said. “It really was no surprise. I’m a bit disappointed that people voted the way they have done but so much has gone on with the national politics so the locals have been affected by it.

“I’m not here because of the national politics, I’m here to defend Hackney which is what I know about and what I understand but everyone said you have chosen the wrong party.”

But she added: “I am optimistic that things can turn around and we can still make a change.”

Meanwhile Ben Hayhurst tripled the Labour Party’s majority since 2010, gaining a majority of 1893 votes today compared with 624 in Hackney Central in 2010.