Conservative funding cuts are having a real impact on Islington and our Labour-run Council, after 13 years of austerity which has forced the Council find nearly £300 million of budget savings.

We want to build a better Islington for local people, but we can only do this with the right resources. In our 2022 Local Election Manifesto we committed to campaigning against cuts from central government and to fight for the priorities of local residents, which include – but are not limited to – building new housing, maintaining existing housing and fairer funding.

Ahead of tomorrow’s Autumn Statement, Islington Labour’s leading politicians – Kaya Comer-Schwartz, Leader of the Council, and Diarmaid Ward, Deputy Leader of the Council – are calling on the Chancellor to act on building new council homes, maintaining council homes and for fair funding for local authorities.

Cllr Kaya Comer-Schwartz, Labour Leader of Islington Council, said: “There’s only so much that we can do who are struggling. We are doing all we can to support local people through our Warm Spaces, hardship payments and free school meals initiatives to support local people, but we are doing it with one hand tied behind our back.

“I fear the Government’s announcement tomorrow won’t get close to what Islington’s residents need right now, which is why we have written to the Chancellor calling for more help for local authorities. Only by reversing cuts to local government and increasing local government funding can we continue protecting local services and invest in the things that matter most to local people.”

The full text of the letter can be found below.