Hackney mayor takes “leave of absence” after photo emerges of him partying with pedophile councilor
The mayor of Hackney has temporarily resigned following a scandal in which he was photographed with a pedophile former councilor.
Philip Glanville is taking leave and will be replaced by his deputy Anntoinette Bramble, Labor sources confirmed on Monday.
He was suspended from the party last week but remained the borough’s elected mayor under the council’s charter unless he decided to resign.
This is followed by a picture of him celebrating with former city councilman Thomas Dewey, who was arrested two weeks earlier in a child pornography sting.
The picture showed the couple at a Eurovision party on May 14, 2022, when the final was held, which was won by Ukraine.
Mr Glanville told the Standard: “I am taking leave to support the Labor inquiry process and to enable the council to continue to care for Hackney residents during this time.”
Dewey was arrested in a National Crime Agency raid on his home in Hackney on April 29, 2022, a week before he was elected as a Labor councilor for Hackney.
NCA officers seized two laptops, two tablets and a hard drive containing 249 indecent images of children, including five in the most serious category.
The council said it learned of the arrest on May 13, 2022 and that Dewey was suspended from Labor three days later.
After the photo was published, Mr Glanville said it was “clearly a misjudgment” that he attended the Eurovision party and apologized “from the bottom of his heart”.
Dewey, 36, admitted downloading “sadistic” images of children being sexually abused as well as a cache of violent pornographic photos.
He received a suspended sentence last month and will be subject to a sexual harassment prevention order.
https://www.standard.co.uk/news/politics/hackney-mayor-philip-glanville-scandal-thomas-dewey-party-photo-b1104803.html Hackney mayor takes “leave of absence” after photo emerges of him partying with pedophile councilor
