About Vahid Almasi

I'm Vahid Almasi, the Reform UK candidate for Mayor of Hackney in the local election on Thursday 7 May 2026. I've lived in London for 17 years, the last three of them in Hackney, and I'm standing because the borough I live in and love deserves better than the slow decline that career politicians have allowed.

My background is in financial crime, risk and compliance. I've held senior roles at Barclays and IBM, and I founded FinCrimeFusion, a pilot financial crime advisory consultancy that helps banks and large institutions detect fraud, money laundering and waste. That is the exact skill set Hackney Council needs at the top: someone who can read a balance sheet, follow the money, and stop the bleeding.

I come from a family of teachers. Public service is in my DNA — but so is accountability. I do not believe in hand-outs to consultants, vanity projects, or borrowing against our children's futures. Hackney Council is currently sitting on roughly £300 million of debt. The interest alone costs residents around £200,000 every week. That's money that should be cleaning streets, supporting youth services, building homes, and putting more police on our high streets.

I'm not a career councillor. I'm not a lobbyist. I'm a Hackney resident who has spent his whole career bringing order to chaotic, leaky organisations — and I want to do the same for our town hall.

What I'll do as Mayor

• Safer Streets — stronger police support and a greater visible presence across our neighbourhoods.
• Fight the Rent Monster — stop residents being priced out of their own borough.
• More Homes — end wasteful, corrupt spending and bureaucracy. Redirect funds to build real homes.
• Fix LTN — challenge poorly planned decisions that increase traffic and pollution.
• Stronger Communities — a borough where families proudly thrive and stay long-term. I will listen.
• Future-Ready Youth — repurpose unused public spaces into innovation hubs with 3D printing and free AI learning.

If you want a Mayor who will treat every pound of council money as if it were your own — because it is — I'd be honoured to have your vote on 7 May.