Mayor temporarily steps down after image showed him socialising with councillor who had been arrested

The elected Mayor of Hackney Council has temporarily stepped down from his position after an image surfaced of him at a social event with a former councillor who had been arrested for possessing indecent images of children.

Philip Glanville, who was elected mayor in 2016, has been replaced by Statutory Deputy Mayor, Cllr Anntoinette Bramble.

The decision follows the Labour Party's decision last week (30 August) to suspend Glanville after the image came to light.

Commenting on the suspension, a Labour party source said this was a "clear contradiction" of information that was previously given by Glanville to the party.

The picture showed Glanville and former Labour councillor Tom Dewey together at a Eurovision party on 14 May 2022.

According to a BBC report, Dewey had been arrested on 29 April. A raid on his house, which he shared with Glanville, was then carried out by the NCA on 13 May, a day before the social event.

Glanville had said in a council meeting that he "was not made aware of the police investigation until after the May 2022 elections, when I was told by the council".

He later told the Local Democracy Reporting Service that he was also not aware that the NCA had visited the house.

The council says it was informed of the raid on 13 May, a day before the picture was taken.

Hackney notified the Labour Party of Dewey's arrest on 16 May 2022, resulting in the party immediately suspending him. He resigned as a councillor on the same day. Dewey received a suspended sentence last month.

The London borough’s chief executive, Dawn Carter-McDonald, said she wished to reassure residents that “business continues at the council, and we remain resolute in providing the highest standard of services for the borough”.

Commenting on her appointment, Cllr Anntoinette Bramble, said she will make sure the council “maintains its focus on continuing to serve the people of Hackney”.

She added: “My work as Deputy Mayor, Cabinet Member for Education and Children’s Services and as a councillor have given me more than a decade of experience serving the residents of Hackney. And I’m proud to have the support of a strong and dedicated Cabinet, and corporate leadership team at the Council.”

In a short statement on his decision, Glanville said he is taking a leave of absence to support the Labour investigation process “and to allow the Council to continue to serve the residents of Hackney during this period”.

In a statement given before stepping down and quoted by the BBC, Glanville said: "Being with Tom Dewey at all on 14 May was clearly an error of judgement for which I wholeheartedly apologise.

"I was told of his arrest, but not the full extent of the charges, in a brief discussion with the council chief executive the same day."

He added: "I shouldn't have been at the event in which we were photographed but I did so as I feared to cancel the event, or not attend myself, may alert Tom to what I knew, during what I understood to be a live criminal case.

"This does not alter the fact I had no involvement in the case, and shouldn't deter from the actions, including moving out of the house the following day, as well as others I have taken since his resignation and conviction, which I have made clear in previous statements."

Adam Carey