Housing chief Una O’Halloran named leader of Islington Labour
New leader Cllr Una O’Halloran (front and centre) with party colleagues. Photograph: Islington Labour
Cllr Una O’Halloran has been elected as the leader of Islington Labour following the resignation of Kaya Comer-Schwartz.
Last night, members of the local party met privately to vote on their new chief, announcing the winner on social media just before 10pm.
Cllr O’Halloran told the Citizen: “I am delighted to have been elected as leader of Islington Labour group.
“It is a huge privilege to be able to take on this role in the borough that I have called home and [served] as a councillor since 2014.
“I look forward to using my experience to deliver a fairer, safer, greener borough.”
Former leader Comer-Schwartz took to X (formerly Twitter) to congratulate her long-time colleague: “An amazing Islingtonian with values and determination for days! You’re going to be brilliant @UnaOHalloran[.]”
Cllr O’Halloran has represented Caledonian ward in the borough since 2014.
She served as the borough’s ceremonial mayor in 2017/18, before joining the executive in 2019 as the chief of community development.
She has held the homes and communities brief since 2020, and in that time has confronted a range of challenges.
In 2023, the council announced the purchase of ex-Right-to-Buy properties to give shelter to rough sleepers and other unhoused residents in the borough.
In September 2023, the Housing Ombudsman also found that the council was guilty of “severe maladministration” in its treatment of residents’ complaints.
Last month, O’Halloran acknowledged that overcrowding remained the most serious issue for social housing residents.
Demand for homelessness support has spiked by 35 per cent in the first half of this year, while the borough’s housing revenue account is facing an excess of £1.8bn over the next 30 years.
Though elected as local party chief, it is not until next month that O’Halloran will formally become the new council leader.
Similar to how MPs and party members choose the Prime Minister under the UK’s constitution, leaders of local governments are often chosen by the ruling party on the council and local party members.
With 43 councillors in the chamber out of 51 seats, Labour is the ruling party in Islington.
Other councils, like Islington’s neighbouring borough of Hackney, are led by directly-elected mayors who, while often tied to a political party, are chosen by voters in separate mayoral elections.
Islington has a ceremonial mayor—currently Cllr Anjna Khurana—but political leadership is provided by the leader and cabinet, made up of councillors with specific briefs like housing, transport or finance, among others.
In Islington, the ‘cabinet’ is called the ‘executive’, but the difference is nominal.
O’Halloran’s appointment must still be confirmed by the full council at its meeting next month, scheduled for 12 December.
Until then, Cllr Diarmaid Ward will remain the local authority’s acting leader, having taken on the role following Comer-Schwartz’s departure for City Hall.