Last Thursday, Islington Labour passed the Councils annual budget for 2026/27 whilst Green Party councillors unanimously voted against it.
The budget contains investments into front-line services and community assets that will benefit residents in Islington. Residents will see the positive change in their communities, from local community centres and parks to our council estates.
Top investments include:
- A £5 million “Making it happen” fund that prioritises spending on residents’ top priorities, including £1.9m to tackle anti-social behaviour, £840k to improve play spaces and parks across the borough and £140k for participatory budgeting, funding projects that residents propose and decide on
- £324 million to improve existing council housing
- £58 million to buy new council housing
- £28 million for our Council Tax Support Scheme, already one of the country’s most generous
- More than £4 million to fund pothole repairs
- Over £12 million to continue to support the Freedom Pass scheme.
Councillor Flora Williamson Executive member for Finance, said: “I am proud of my Islington Labour colleagues for passing this budget. We are delivering on what matters to Islington and the increased investment in the budget will allow us to continue our good work”.
“I am very disappointed that the Islington Greens decided to play politics and vote against our budget. Their vote was a vote against £324 million to improve Council housing, a vote against our £1.9 million investment into tackling anti-social behaviour and a vote against increasing the amount of affordable homes”.
“The Islington Green party have shown that they do not support investment in our borough, and that they value theatrics above delivery”.
Despite the budget being approved by Overview and Scrutiny Committee, which contains members from the Green Party, they still took the decision to vote against passing it at Full Council.