Councillor Rakhia Ismail

• IN the report (‘I’m glad I defected to the Tories,’ says former mayor, October 29), an Islington Labour spokesperson said: “People in Holloway ward… deserve better than an unelected Tory so Cllr Ismail should do the right thing by resigning, and seek a real mandate.”

My reply is: indeed, Islington has had some budget cuts from central government years ago. This is in no small part due to the irresponsibility and atrocious Labour Party economic record (admitted by ex-Treasury secretary Liam Byrne who left a note to his successor in 2010 saying there was no money left).

While it is true I do not have a Conservative mandate the people of Holloway, residents, deserve better from Labour.

I resigned in September 2020 from Islington’s Labour, due to their lack of leadership; failure to deliver the vision that the Holloway ward needs; and Islington wasting taxpayers’ money by overspending £7million on Bunhill 2 Energy.

I saw the light in September 2020 when I left Islington Labour after its hypocrisy.

A prime example is the number of ward partnership meetings held and currently the work being delivered in the Holloway ward, not to mention generally how residents are engaged since September 2020.

For the past 11 years the country has rejected the Labour Party because it lacks economic vision; and for its cronyism leadership.

Islington is not different, all you need to see is the community response to the low traffic neighbourhoods, protests by the public in council meetings and in the streets, and the council not caring at all.

I am a lone voice against the Labour dominance of the council. Labour wants me to resign, of course, so no one will hold them to account.

I will not be resigning. Islington needs someone to be a voice for the community.

And next May the community will have an opportunity to vote Conservative and hold the council to account. I will be working very hard to make that happen.

CLLR RAKHIA ISMAIL
Conservative,
Holloway ward
Former Islington Labour Mayor