2022 local election in Haringey
2022 Haringey Council election|
|
|
|
|
|
| Leader
|
Peray Ahmet
|
Luke Cawley-Harrison
|
| Party
|
Labour
|
Liberal Democrats
|
| Last election
|
42 seats, 57.3%
|
15 seats, 23.9%
|
|
Incumbent council control
Labour
|
| |
The 2022 Haringey London Borough Council election is due to take place on 5 May 2022. All 50 members of Haringey London Borough Council will be elected. The elections will take place alongside local elections in the other London boroughs and elections to local authorities across the United Kingdom.
In the previous election in 2018, the Labour Party maintained its longstanding control of the council, winning 42 out of the 57 seats with the Liberal Democrats forming the council opposition with the remaining 15 seats. The 2022 election will take place under new election boundaries, which will retain the same number of councillors.
Background[]
History[]
Result of the 2018 borough election
The thirty-two London boroughs were established in 1965 by the London Government Act 1963. They are the principal authorities in Greater London and have responsibilities including education, housing, planning, highways, social services, libraries, recreation, waste, environmental health and revenue collection. Some powers are shared with the Greater London Authority, which also manages passenger transport, police, and fire.[1]
Since its formation, Haringey has been continuously under Labour control, apart from a period of Conservative control from 1968 to 1971. Apart from a few councillors from minor parties, all councillors elected to the council have been Labour, Conservative or Liberal Democrat. Since 2002, only Labour and Liberal Democrat councillors have been elected. In the most recent council election in 2018, Labour won 42 seats with 57.3% of the vote and the Liberal Democrats won 15 seats with 23.9% of the vote. The Green Party received 10.4% of the vote and the Conservatives won 7.8% of the vote, though neither party won any seats.[2] The incumbent leader of the council is the Labour councillor Peray Ahmet, who has held that role since 2021.[3]
Council term[]
After the 2018 election, Labour councillors chose Joseph Ejiofor, the incumbent deputy leader of the council and an official in the party's Momentum faction, to be the new council leader.[2] Local party members had voted to endorse a different councillor, Zena Brabazon, to have been the council leader.[2] Peray Ahmet, a former cabinet member Ejiofor had removed in 2018, became council leader in May 2021 after challenging Ejiofor.[3] Ejiofor was blocked by the Labour Party from standing as a candidate in 2022 after the Local Government Ombudsman released a report criticising his decision to purchase a house for more than £2,000,000 as part of plans for a development around the site of the former Cranwood nursing home. Ahmet acceded to the opposition Liberal Democrats' request for an inquiry into how property transactions have been handled by the council, including the Cranwood development.[4]
In October 2018, the Labour councillor Ishmael Osamor, son of the Labour MP Kate Osamor, resigned after pleading guilty to possessing drugs with intent to supply and drug possession.[5] A by-election for his West Green seat was held on 13 December 2018, which was won by the Labour candidate Seema Chandwani.[6]
In 2020, five Labour councillors: Patrick Berryman, Dana Carlin, Vincent Carroll, Preston Tabois and Noah Tucker, were suspended from their party following complaints being made against them.[7] Noah Tucker and Preston Tabois were readmitted in 2021.[8] Tucker was suspended again days later, "based on new material [the Labour Party] was not previously aware of".[9] Carroll was restored to the party in 2021.[10] Berryman and Carlin were also restored to the Labour group. The Labour councillor James Chiriyankandath left his party in June 2021 after Ahmet's election as council leader.[11]
Like most other London borough councils, Haringey will be electing councillors under new ward boundaries. The Local Government Boundary Commission for England produced new wards after a period of consultation.[12] The number of councillors will remain the same at 57, representing fifteen three-councillor wards and six two-councillor wards.[13]
Electoral process[]
Haringey, like other London borough councils, elects all of its councillors at once every four years. The previous election took place in 2018. The election will take place by multi-member first-past-the-post voting, with each ward being represented by two or three councillors. Electors will have as many votes as there are councillors to be elected in their ward, with the top two or three being elected.
All registered electors (British, Irish, Commonwealth and European Union citizens) living in London aged 18 or over will be entitled to vote in the election. People who live at two addresses in different councils, such as university students with different term-time and holiday addresses, are entitled to be registered for and vote in elections in both local authorities.[14] Voting in-person at polling stations will take place from 7:00 to 22:00 on election day, and voters will be able to apply for postal votes or proxy votes in advance of the election.[14]
Previous council composition[]
Council composition after the 2018 election
| After 2018 election
|
Before 2022 election
|
| Party
|
Seats
|
Party
|
Seats
|
|
|
Labour
|
42
|
|
Labour
|
41
|
|
|
Liberal Democrats
|
15
|
|
Liberal Democrats
|
15
|
|
|
Independent
|
0
|
|
Independent
|
1
|
Ward results[]
References[]
Council composition after the 2018 election