Fresh faces at Islington’s top table after Labour leader’s post-election reshuffle
New faces will be taking responsibility for key decisions affecting Islington residents.
Council leader Kaya Comer-Schwartz has unveiled her new executive of councillors.
It sees John Woolf (Canonbury) take on community safety after Sue Lukes was unseated by the Greens in the recent council elections.
The Labour party controls all but three seats on the council and there is an opposition of three Green councillors – an increase of two after this month’s polls.
Santiago Bell-Bradford (Mildmay) has succeeded Finsbury Park councillor Asima Shaikh as executive member for inclusive economy and jobs. He worked as head of operations at Momentum, formed after Jeremy Corbyn became Labour leader.
Roulin Khondoker (Arsenal) takes over the equalities, culture and inclusion brief.
Satnam Gill (Tufnell Park) stepped down from the finance brief, which will be taken up by Holloway’s Diarmaid Ward. Una O’Halloran (Caledonian) moves into Ward’s previous role in charge of homes and communities.
The council has pledged to build 750 new homes over the next four years and O’Halloran will oversee this, along with tackling repairs in existing stock.
At March’s budget-setting meeting, Cllr Gill warned that with extra expenditure and the loss of income from a range of services including rates, events and parking, “the pandemic is expected to have a significant lasting impact”.
Councillors receive an allowance of £31,762 for their roles on the executive, with £40,679 for the council leader.
The full list of executive members is :
Diarmaid Ward – finance, planning and performance
Una O’Halloran – homes and communities
Rowena Champion – environment, air quality and transport
John Woolf – community safety
Santiago Bell-Bradford – inclusive economy and jobs
Nurullah Turan – health and social care
Michelline Safi Ngongo – children, young people and families
Roulin Khondoker – equalities, culture and inclusion