Islington Labour have put forward their proposals for the council budget 2026/27 in which generous support schemes for residents and investment into local priorities have been maintained, and cuts to frontline services have been minimal.

Thanks to years of good financial management by Islington Labour we are able to commit to setting up a £5m fund to invest on Islington residents’ most important priorities, as part of the council’s 2026/27 budget proposals.

Cllr Flora Williamson, Executive Member for Finance and Performance, said: “Residents across Islington continue to feel the impact of rising costs, and we know how important it is that the council stands firmly alongside those who need support. This Budget is about delivering for local people — protecting vital support like our Council Tax Support Scheme and investing in the improvements that make a real difference to everyday life.”

In the budget we are committing to invest:

• £324 million increase for investment into current social housing, helping to ensure that people across the borough have a safe space to call home.
• Spending more than £58 million on acquiring new housing, so that homes continue to go to those that need them most.
• Investing just under £100 million in building new council homes.
• Created 1.5 hectares of new green, healthy space for local people to enjoy.
• Committing around £28 million to support more than 24,500 households in maintaining our council tax support scheme. One of the most generous support schemes in the country.
• Budgeting £12.5 million to continue to support the Freedom Pass scheme.

The budget focuses on directly protecting the council’s frontline services so that Islington Labour can continue to deliver for our residents. The well run and financially secure budget means that we can maintain our reserves while delivering virtually unimpacted services. For the first time in over a decade, we have financial security in knowing our minimum level of funding from central government thanks to the Labour government.