Satnam was first elected as a councillor for Tufnell Park ward in 2014 and served as the Executive Member for Finance and Performance until May 2022. He is recently retired as principal of the Working Men’s College. He has also worked in a law centre and sixth form college and served on the council of City and Guilds. Satnam has previously served as a governor at NRC (Islington PRU) and Acland Burghley; he is now a trustee of the Hilldrop Community Centre and Cripplegate Foundation and has a long record of involvement in anti-racism and anti-cuts campaigning.