For the first time in 55 years, Haringey has chosen a new direction.
On May 7, residents voted to make the Green Party the largest party on the council.
That choice carries both a responsibility and a message: residents want a council that listens, is honest about the challenges we face, and is prepared to do things differently.
We take office at a time of immense strain for local government. After nearly 16 years of austerity, Haringey’s budget has fallen by 55% in real terms.
Like so many councils, this has left us reliant on private equity providers, that charge high fees, take large premiums and deliver inconsistent results. It’s a rigged market.
This is a difficult inheritance, but it can be overcome with transparency, sound stewardship and a willingness to rethink how the council works.
By the end of this year, our residents will have clear and accessible information on the council's finances and key areas where performance must improve.
Throughout the election, residents repeatedly raised issues we know are in the council’s control: empty council homes, slow repairs, fly‑tipping, weak enforcement against rogue landlords, and the human suffering caused by temporary accommodation.
Behind these concerns are real lives: the wheelchair user in unsuitable housing, the renter handing over most of their income, the families relying on food banks, and the young people priced out of their communities, for whom home ownership is a pipe dream.
This administration will address improvement areas head on.
That begins with strengthening governance. Scrutiny must be independent. It was therefore disappointing that, at the Council AGM, the Liberal Democrats handed the chair of the Scrutiny Committee to the Labour Party.
Can the same party that marked its own homework for 50 years be trusted? Did Liberal Democrat voters seriously vote for this?
People are fed up with horse-trading and back-room deals. We want to show that another way is possible.
Housing will be our defining priority: reducing voids, speeding up repairs, tackling damp and mould, strengthening private sector enforcement, and delivering the council housebuilding programme.
We will push for more genuinely affordable homes for local people, not overseas investors and private companies.
Climate action will run through everything we do.
As the son of Windrush‑generation parents, I know climate change is not an abstract threat. Its impacts fall hardest on the poorest communities.
We will resist attempts to normalise climate denial in our politics.
Finally, to those voters who did not vote Green, we are here for you too. We will listen, engage constructively, and work to earn your trust.
Haringey voted for hope, unity and honesty. We are prepared to meet that mandate with humility and determination. The work begins now.
- Cllr Mark Blake is Green Party leader of Haringey Council.
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