Jermain Jackman from The Voice turns out to support Hackney’s youngest new councillor Mete Coban
The Voice winner Jermain Jackman and his friend Mete Coban, 21, who was elected as councillor for Stoke Newington ward. Photo Emma Bartholomew. - Credit: Archant
A 21-year old politics student hopes to inspire young people to engage with politics, after becoming one of the new faces voted in to Hackney Council.
Mete Coban has joined Susan Fajana-Thomas and Louisa Thompson in Stoke Newington ward’s Labour ranks, after Rita Krishna stood down this term.
Jermain Jackman, who shot to fame after winning the BBC talent show The Voice last month - where he was dubbed a “singing politician” by legendary crooner Tom Jones - turned up to lend his mate Mete and Labour his support on Friday night as the results were announced at Britannia Leisure centre.
Jermain, 19, had completed the training necessary to become a councillor and would have stood in the election himself, had stardom not beckoned.
Cllr Coban said: “Politics is seen as a separate entity, but it affects everything from housing to healthcare, anything you need to do in day to day life, so to be involved in politics is a must.”
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Cllr Coban, who lives in Amhurst Road, plans to visit colleges around the borough to encourage young people to join in with the political process.
“Young people are disinterested in politics, so when young people are elected it breaks the barrier between politics and young people, it shows young people can get involved if they really want to,” he said.
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“There’s a conception of young people in Hackney, but people like Jermain or a young councillor like me will show young people there are opportunities available to them.”
Cllr Coban, who has been canvassing his electorate for the past year in preparation for voting day, hopes to represent the people in the best way he can.
In the final year of studying politics at Greenwich University, he will put a lot of the things he has learned about on his course into practice in his role as a councillor.
“I’ll be involved in that process at a local level, my tutors are very proud and pleased about it,” he said.
