Islington Council leader reshuffles cabinet following election losses

Islington Council’s leader has named her new deputy and appointed several other councillors to new jobs in her post-election reshuffle.

By Josef Steen, Local Democracy Reporter

Woman with curly blonde hair wearing a black blazer and patterned scarf standing outdoors near steps and greenery. — Councillor Una O’Halloran, Leader Of Islington Council. Copyright: Islington Council

Islington Council’s leader has named her new deputy and appointed several other councillors to new jobs in her post-election reshuffle.

For the fifth time in a row Labour hung onto its majority on Islington Council, winning 32 out of 51 seats at May’s elections. But the party lost several top figures in the process amid a surge in support for the Greens.

Una O’Halloran was re-selected as leader of the local Labour group shortly after the election results on May 8, meaning she is set to continue as Leader of the Council. On Friday (May 15) she announced her “new-look executive” who will help run the borough.

Islington’s new Deputy Leader will be Cllr Ruth Hayes, who will also take the health and social care brief. Meanwhile, long-time councillor Paul Convery has been promoted as Executive Member for Finance after serving as Pensions Committee Chair.

Cllr O’Halloran said: “I am delighted to welcome my new team to help run Islington Council, I know they are all fantastic councillors and community champions and that they will put Islington residents first in all that they do.”

She paid tribute to former cabinet members and councillors who were defeated, such as housing lead John Woolf, finance chief Flora Williamson, and Deputy Leader Santiago Bell-Bradford.

“I am so sorry to have seen such fantastic colleagues lose their seats or go elsewhere, I am so grateful for all their hard work and support. I wish them the best of luck and hope that they will stay close,” Cllr O’Halloran said.

Cllr Heather Staff has been handed the Community Safety portfolio after her predecessor, Angelo Weekes, lost his seat in Mildmay. She previously chaired Islington’s Licensing Committee.

The borough’s former equalities chief, Cllr Sheila Chapman, is taking over the Children, Young People and Families brief from Cllr Michelline Safi-Ngongo, who is out of the cabinet. Cllr Jason Jackson has been promoted to lead on Homes and Neighbourhoods, having previously chaired the council’s Housing Scrutiny Committee. He is also about to finish his term as the borough’s civic mayor.

The council’s various committees will also undergo a shakeup following the elections, where the Green Party gained 16 new councillors and brought their total members to 19. The Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) understands the opposition party expects to have up to four councillors on every committee.

The Greens’ Benali Hamdache, who served as Leader of the Opposition during the last council term, has now stepped into additional role as Londonwide Assembly Member following Zoë Garbett’s election as Mayor of Hackney. He told the LDRS he would continue as Islington’s opposition leader for another year to allow for a “transition period” during which the Green group will pick his successor.

The new appointments are expected to be confirmed at the council’s annual general meeting on Wednesday, May 27.