Haringey's first Green council leader takes power

Two weeks after the election, councillors have backed a minority Green Party administration to run Haringey Council, reports Joe Ives, Local Democracy Reporter

New Haringey Council leader Mark Blake with fellow Green councillor Nelly Tackie (credit Joe Ives/LDRS) — New Haringey Council leader Mark Blake (left) with fellow Green councillor Nelly Tackie at Tottenham Town Hall (credit Joe Ives/LDRS)

The Greens have formally taken control of Haringey Council with a new minority administration – marking a historic shift away from Labour.

Green Party councillor Mark Blake is the new leader of the council after Labour and Liberal Democrat councillors abstained on the key vote for his appointment and put no alternative name forward themselves.

The vote to make Cllr Blake council leader took place at a full council meeting last night (Wednesday 20th) at Tottenham Town Hall, as councillors met for the first time since the local election. It sees Labour officially lose control of the council for the first time since 1971.

Cllr Blake said: “Thank you for being here this evening on what is a momentous occasion that marks a significant shift. It’s the first time in 55 years that people in Haringey have elected a leadership from a party other than Labour.”

He added: “We take office at a time when the council faces a challenging financial position with structural pressures on social care, temporary accommodation and children’s services. The scale of the financial gap means we’ll have to work differently, boldly and rebuild trust through transparency and stewardship.”

The Labour group were significantly reduced in size at the election, losing 23 of 44 councillors – including incumbent council leader Peray Ahmet, who lost her seat representing Noel Park ward to the Greens.

Cllr Blake is one of the most experienced members of the 27-strong Green minority administration, having previously served as a Labour councillor for nearly a decade until leaving the party in 2023 to become an independent, before officially joining the Greens only last year.

But experienced though he is, even Cllr Blake did not appear to predict a few of Wednesday evening’s events. This included an apparent deal between Labour and Lib Dem councillors to vote against Andrew Reid as the Green Party’s candidate for mayor.

Working together the two opposition groups narrowly voted in Liberal Democrat councillor Dawn Barnes to the ceremonial post instead, with 28 votes in favour and 27 against.

Cllr Barnes replaces Labour’s Ahmed Mahbu, who lost his White Hart Lane ward seat to the Greens at the election on 7th May.

In Haringey the mayor is a civic position with no executive decision-making powers but, with the political balance of the council so finely poised, it could be far more consequential this year.

Right now the Greens have 27 seats, Labour have 20 and the Lib Dems hold eight. In the event the council is tied on a decision, the mayor casts the deciding vote.

Lib Dem group leader Luke Cawley-Harrison told the meeting he recognised that the election result signalled that “a change in direction of those running the council was what they would like to see”.

He added: “I hope that with his new party Cllr Blake can bring about that change over the coming four years and that we do not see a repeat of the period when Cllr Blake formed part of the Labour administration as cabinet member.”

The Lib Dem leader also said his group were “keen” to work with the new administration “positively, collaboratively and constructively to make Haringey the very best borough it can be”.

Meanwhile, newly-elected Labour leader Ibrahim Ali said he wished to work “constructively” with the Green administration for the good of the borough.

“Congratulations to all of you. Well done to all of you, new, and returning colleagues. I look forward to working with all of you in the coming years.”

Of his opposition leaders, Cllr Blake said: “I look forward to working with them in the spirit of co-operation where possible for the benefit of the people in Haringey – the circumstances demand nothing less.”

However, the precarious power balance in Haringey could change again in the near future, with two by-elections scheduled.

One will be for Northumberland Park. It was announced last week that one of the ward’s winning Green candidates, Jayon Henriques, was ineligible to take his seat, although no specific reason has been given.

The other by-election will be in Woodside ward, after Haringey Labour revealed this week that their own winning candidate, Hasret Bozdogan, would not be taking her post due to personal reasons “that transpired after 7th May”.

Neither by-election has been scheduled yet, but when the Woodside poll does come around the Greens will be hopeful of winning it, since Bozdogan only beat her nearest Green competitor by three votes.

The new Green minority adminstration could become a majority one should they win both by-elections. This would give the party 29 councillors – the minimum needed to have overall control of the local authority.

But such an outcome won’t reverse another surprise vote on Wednesday evening, with Labour and the Lib Dems again teaming up to vote through an amendment granting them key positions on the council’s committees.

It was a move that will significantly undermine the Green administration’s powers, at least until the next annual council meeting in 2027.

The Liberal Democrats, who gained one seat at the election and now have eight councillors in total, will have significantly more sway as a result of the amendment being passed.

Cllr Ali also accused the Greens of being “naive” in their approach to finances.

The outgoing Labour administration had asked for more than £130million of ‘exceptional financial support’ from the government over the past two financial years to help the council avoid going bust.

Only time will tell if the new Green administration, now inhereting this financial turmoil, can prove Cllr Ali wrong.

The story was updated at 5.30pm on Thursday (21st) to include more quotes from last night’s meeting.

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