Cllr Una O’Halloran becomes Leader of Islington Council

Cllr Una O'Halloran has formally become Leader of Islington Council following last night's (Tuesday, 19 November) Council meeting.

Born and bred in the borough, Cllr O'Halloran was previously the council's Executive Member for Homes and Neighbourhoods. The appointment comes after the resignation of former Leader Kaya Comer-Schwartz, who announced in October that she would be standing down.

Speaking after becoming Leader, Cllr O'Halloran, a council tenant, said: "It is an honour and a privilege to become Leader of Islington Council, in the borough that I grew up in and where I have served as a councillor for a decade.

"Islington is a special borough - a place where young people can fulfil their potential, where people all ages and backgrounds can enjoy green, welcoming neighbourhoods, and where we fight tirelessly against inequality.

"Like other boroughs up and down the country, we face huge challenges following more than a decade of austerity, and a cost-of-living crisis. As your Leader, I will do everything I can to meet these challenges head-on - by helping to build more safe, secure, genuinely affordable homes, by creating more opportunities for good, well-paid jobs, and by continuing to take strides to tackle the climate emergency.

"The potential of our borough is limitless, and I look forward to working hand-in-hand with local people to create a more equal Islington for all."

Following Cllr O'Halloran's appointment, Cllr Santiago Bell-Bradford has become Deputy Leader of the Council. Cllr Bell-Bradford also retains his existing post as Executive Member for Inclusive Economy, which has been expanded to include planning.

Meanwhile, Cllr John Woolf has taken over Cllr O'Halloran's previous post as Executive Member for Homes and Neighbourhoods. The council will announce Cllr Woolf's successor as Executive Member for Community Safety at a later date.

All other Executive positions remain unchanged.

Cllr O'Halloran has represented Caledonian ward since 2014 and served as the Mayor of Islington in 2017/18. She became Executive Member for Community Development in 2019, before taking on her previous post as housing lead in 2020.

A regular volunteer at a local soup kitchen, Cllr O'Halloran was also a school governor for more than 20 years, and is very active in her local church, St Mary Moorfields.