Find out more about Alex from his bio here, and his announcement post on Twitter.

The post Hillrise by-election update appeared first on Islington.

Looking back, I’ve found that the first fifty homes I surveyed, in 2008, averaged an energy rating of 57, which was a low D on the A-G, green-to-orange graph readers may be familiar with (similar to the labels you get when you buy an electrical appliance). The last fifty before I retired, on the other hand, averaged 67, which, while an improvement, is still only a D. Just a higher one. We’ve still got a lot to do if we want to achieve net zero carbon targets and make people’s homes affordable to heat!

As it happens, the last survey I carried out was a flat on one of Islington council’s own estates. The flat was on the top floor, so it makes a big difference to the energy performance if the roof above it is insulated or not, and, running the survey through the computer, I could see that if the roof is insulated the flat rates as a C but if not, it’s only a D. Unsurprisingly the leaseholder, who is selling the flat, was keen to know, one way or the other, but, unfortunately, Islington wasn’t able to tell her. The likelihood is it is, because Islington has been pretty good at insulating its estates, over the years. The trouble is it’s been a lot less good at recording what it’s done and where.

The council’s own housing stock is one of the few areas where it has direct control over buildings’ energy performances. If Islington is to achieve its net zero carbon target by 2030, it needs to know urgently what the current energy ratings are for these and what can be done to improve them. Over the years, though, I’ve met dozens of cases where council leaseholders have been unable to get information from their freeholder, undermining the accuracy of their EPCs and so the council’s own route towards Net Zero.

To have any hope of achieving its Net Zero targets, Islington needs accurate data on the energy performance of its existing housing stock. And to get a much better grip on its own information.

Andrew Myer

Islington Green Party

The post Letters to the Papers: Achieving net-zero depends on Islington Council understanding its own housing stock appeared first on Islington.

Hundreds of thousands of UK households are affected unfairly by the ‘Two Child’ benefits cap, which restricts universal credit and child tax credit to a family’s first two children and provides less or nothing for any others. It is one of our country’s biggest causes of child poverty, which has increased significantly among families with three children, for example, since the cap was introduced in 2017, and bigger families considerably more likely to be using food banks. 

More than half of those affected are in work and nearly half are single parent households, often for reasons beyond their control, such as death of a partner or a job loss. The poverty faced by many families doing everything right that they can, with parents working as much as they can, is shocking. 

Whatever the intention of the policy, it is creating deep divisions in young people’s development, which will affect lifelong outcomes in their health, education and employment. Many of the current generation are missing out on educational and recreational activities to develop their bodies and minds, which are simply out of reach.

Closer to home, though, Islington Council applies the same Two Child Cap on its council tax support for lower income households as the government does nationally, even though Labour, who currently have the majority on the Council, have expressed opposition to the policy at both national and local levels.

The Two Child Cap should be scrapped, nationally. But, while it’s only part of the wider picture, Islington should play their part to support struggling families, by scrapping it here too.

Cllr Ernestas Jegorovas-Armstrong, Islington Green Party

The post Letters to the Papers: Islington and the National Government must end two-child caps on support appeared first on Islington.

Admittedly the government’s decision to make Poole Park an academy was wrong-headed and ideological, as Cllr Ngongo suggests, and it’s to be hoped that the council’s appeal against this succeeds. But the council’s process for managing around declining numbers of school-age children in the borough has gone poorly. Another primary school is already at risk of academisation, in the south of the borough, and ramifications of the council’s choices have not been considered for other schools. Drayton Park, for example, has been federated with Montem for several years, following the council’s encouragement and considerable commitment by staff, parents and governors, and its financial stability is threatened by the changes too.

In particular, parents and unions feel unlistened to on this and we are unapologetic about wanting to give them time in council for the changes to be debated properly. It’s time to pause Stage 2 of the council’s school reorganisation plan and fold this into Stage 3, ensuring that the student places crisis is considered in the round and as constructively as possible.

Your article mentions that this is the first time in ten years that a council decision has been called in. That’s because Islington’s constitution requires a call-in to be submitted by at least five councillors and until recently Islington has been effectively a ‘one-party state’, with an all-powerful Labour super-majority. It is only after two councillors resigned from the Labour party, on matters of principle, that they and the three elected Green Party councillors now have the power to work together, as an opposition, to call in poor decisions.

Super-majorities are bad for democracy, bad for financial management and notoriously reluctant to listen to other views than their own. The aggrieved tone of Cllr Ngongo’s letter is recognition, perhaps, that Islington Labour’s super-majority is no longer quite as invulnerable to challenge as it was. Perhaps, instead, they should now just start listening to people a bit more.

Cllr Benali Hamdache

Leader of the Opposition (Green Party)

The post Letters to the Papers: Labour’s weakened super-majority means more accountability appeared first on Islington.

The great majority of scientists now recognise that Climate Change is real, is already happening, and is largely caused by human activity, but ‘climate sceptics’ still exist, some in positions of considerable influence. I recently met two, myself, and would encourage any among your readers to present their viewpoints within your pages, to allow the community to engage in full debate and discussion.

For any readers who wish to find out more, locally based environmental charity, Greenpeace, has a wealth of data on its website. People who want to be actively involved in the climate struggle locally could visit the Islington Climate Centre pop-up space at Angel Central. Or any wishing to help stand more widely for environmental and social justice are, of course, welcome to join Islington’s second biggest party, the Green Party!

Robert Tollemache, Islington Green Party

The post Letters to the Papers: Tackling the Climate Emergency appeared first on Islington.

The signatories admitted that taxing them would not affect their standard of living, deprive their children or harm their nations’ economies. It would, however, “turn extreme and unproductive private wealth into an investment for our common democratic future.”

A poll of over two thousand of the wealthiest people in the G20, furthermore, has found that more than half of them think extreme wealth is a threat to democracy, and almost three quarters support higher taxes on their own wealth, to improve public services and help address the cost of living crisis.

In the UK, a YouGov poll last year showed that three quarters of us would support wealth taxes on millionaires, too, but, perhaps unsurprisingly, the Conservatives have no intention to implement such a thing, while, more disappointingly, Labour have confirmed they have no plans to do so either.

If our largest two parties are so out of touch with public sentiment, the damage inequality causes, and the benefits a wealth tax could bring, who can people vote for in the coming year’s elections, if they think this issue is important? The Green Party, as it happens, is proposing a tax on the wealthiest top 1%, which could raise £21-43 billion a year. Just saying…

Andrew Myer, Islington Green Party

The post Letters to the Papers: Vote Green to see popular wealth tax become a reality appeared first on Islington.

For many years Islington Green Party have been campaigning to exempt Islington Council’s poorest residents from paying council tax.

It used to be the case that people on the lowest incomes were given a 100 per cent discount from council tax, but the Conservative and Liberal Democrat coalition handed over the discount scheme to local authorities without enough money to protect people on the lowest incomes.

Council budgets are strained, but chasing people for council tax they are too poor to pay simply pushes residents into growing arrears, desperation, and financial distress, which may lead them to need more council support.

The health and the finances of the borough are best served by discounting as many residents on low incomes as possible from paying council tax. Labour’s new council tax reduction scheme extends a total discount to more households than ever, but the Green Party would go further.

Our upcoming budget amendment will find the money to protect more residents in this cost of living crisis. That’s why we abstained on Labour’s proposals. They’re a welcome step forward but we need to go further.

Cllr Benali Hamdache
Leader of the Green Party Opposition Group

The post Letters to the Papers: The low-paid need protection from council tax appeared first on Islington.

Rod Gonggrijp of Crayford Road in Tufnell Park, said the experimental path had confused cyclists who were unsure how to get into it as they approach the Holloway Road junction from Camden Road before joining it on the right side of Seven Sisters Road.

“Asking people to cross the road before the junction at Holloway Road is quite dangerous. I wouldn’t have designed it like that, and of course the whole cycle lane is really built assuming people don’t turn left or right anyway.”

Visit haveyoursay.tfl.gov.uk/c50-camden-finsbury-park to comment on the new bike route.

The post Have your say on TfL’s new confusing Cycleway 50 appeared first on Islington.

Because of NHS cuts and lower birth rates there will be a consultation on closing one of the maternity wards. The Green Party is launching a petition to save the services. 

Local Green Councillors are encouraging residents to sign the petition and respond to the consultation. We know how valuable local maternity services are for our community. You can also respond to the NHS consultation too.

Green Councillor for Highbury Benali Hamdache said: “Terrible government cuts are driving this decision. For too long the NHS has been underfunded. But once one of these wards are closed, they’re gone forever. Demographic changes may well be temporary, but reduced services will be forever. Please sign our petition.”

The post Take action to save Islington’s Maternity Services appeared first on Islington.

The by-election results were as follows:

With 46 of the 55 Camden seats held by Labour already, Lorna said : “Residents saw the value in having opposition councillors to scrutinise the council and hold the administration accountable.”

Lorna added that locally residents were furious about issues like the “poor quality of council housing, rat-running on local roads, and the fact that Camden does not listen to the Highgate community”.

Huge thanks to all the amazing Islington volunteers and helpers who came out to leaflet, door knock, help out on polling day or donate – you really made a difference!

The post Lorna Jane Russell elected in Highgate appeared first on Islington.