Jennette Arnold will continue to represent Hackney on the London Assembly.

Jennette Arnold will continue to represent Hackney on the London Assembly.

She stormed to victory in the race for the North East seat, which also covers Islington and Waltham Forest, with nearly 101,902 votes – nearly triple that of her closest rival and some 28,000 more compared to the 2008 election.

Naomi Abigail Newstead for the Conservatives came in second place with 35,741 votes and the Green Party’s Caroline Allen polled in third place with 29,677 votes.

They were followed by Farooq Qureshi for the Lib Dems with 13,237 votes, Paul Kevin Wifffen of Fresh Choice for London with 6,623 votes and Independent candidate Ijaz Hayat with 4,842.

Ms Arnold was a councillor in Islington for eight years, including a term as deputy mayor, and was elected to the Greater London Authority as an Assembly Member in 2000. Since 2004 she has represented North East London and in she is currently chair of the London Assembly.

The turnout of votes was 191,995 – down nearly 2,000 compared to 2008.