Cllr Diarmaid Ward

CLIMATE activists have accused the deputy leader of the council of breaking a promise to hold a citizens’ assembly.

The row unfolded after Helena Farstad of Extinction Rebellion Islington grilled Councillor Diarmaid Ward during last Thursday’s full council over why a panel on the future of housing and achieving net-zero by 2030 had not been set up.

Local authorities use citizens’ assemblies to bring in members of the public to help deliberate on issues related to policy.

Campaigners say a green festival held by Islington did not amount to the same thing.

Ms Farstad said: “He’s very clear and sure what the citizens’ assembly is, by its formal definition but he’s trying to kind of: one, suggest that they’ve delivered on that promise and two, suggest that I didn’t even turn up to whatever they put on – the greener festival was put together at really, really short notice, it was two weeks, I think, before the event was set up – it was complete chaos in terms of what they did.”

A pledge to hold to a citizen’s assembly was made by Cllr Ward two years ago when members of XR Islington occupied a set of trees at Dixon Clarke Court in Highbury in an unsuccessful attempt to save them from being felled to make way for a new housing development.

After leaving the council chamber, Ms Farstad said on Twitter: “Instead of answering the question whether Islington Council will deliver on its promise to hold a Citizen’s Assembly, Cllr Diarmaid Ward chooses instead to attempt to discredit the question by telling untruths.”

Cllr Ward took exception to her criticism and responded: “Why are you being so rude and personal at 10pm in the evening on social media?” and added: “It’s really not an attractive habit. Maybe sleep on it?”

As this row grew, Lucy Facer, from Islington Clean Air Parents, said “is this really how you respond when someone challenges you? #unattractive #misogyny”.”

Cllr Ward said yesterday (Thursday): “If [my tweet] in any way came across that way [sexist] then I sincerely apologise. That wasn’t my intention at all. It was late at night, I was on my way home and I was genuinely trying to say ‘shall we discuss this another time rather than late at night on Twitter?’”

Responding to accusations he had broken his promise on a citizens assembly, he said: “We have held a housing and environment assembly.

“I think it wasn’t a citizens assembly under the strict definition and if that’s the case I think the best we can do is sit down and talk about it.

“We did hold the assembly as part of our festival but if the group feels we haven’t kept to our promises I want to talk to them to see how I can make it right.”