The Greens celebrate victory by a huge margin

IT was set up as a duel between Labour, the dominant ruling party in Camden, and the Greens – defending their only seat in the council chamber. But in the end the result of the Highgate ward by-election wasn’t even close.

Winner Lorna Jane Russell took more than 58 per cent of the vote, ensuring that the Green Party will still have a voice at the Town Hall. She picks up the baton from Sian Berry, who stepped down from the council this autumn to concentrate on her parliamentary candidacy in Brighton.

The result makes no difference to who calls the shots at the Town Hall as Labour holds 46 of the 55 seats – a factor which might have counted against them in people’s thinking in a one-off ward by-election.

Cllr Russell said: “Residents wanted balance and accountability on the council, instead of another Labour seat to add to their huge majority.” Canvassers had asked the question on the doorstep how a 47th Labour councillor and a third in Highgate would make an impactful difference. Cllr Russell said that the win was also down to “hard work and determination”, adding: “My team and I worked extremely hard to speak and importantly listen to as many residents as possible in what was a genuine grassroots campaign.”

Cllr Russell, who lives on the Holly Lodge Estate, had once been a Labour councillor and the deputy mayor of Camden – but she gave up the opportunity to take the full mayoral role when she defected to the Greens in October 2021. After claiming twice as many votes as her Labour rival, she said: “Time and time again residents were telling me about the concerns they have with Labour both locally and nationally. It’s clear that they wanted an alternative voice to stand up for them.”

In the middle of the campaign, the Labour leadership of the council found itself dealing with the homeless tents clearance scandal, while residents on Holly Lodge are in dispute with the Town Hall over locked fire escape routes to the roof.

Labour cabinet councillor Adam Harrison, the acting deputy council leader, said: “We’ve not won all three seats in Highgate ward for more than 20 years. Nevertheless, we made sure to run a positive campaign focused on the Highgate community and local issues – such as the cost of living crisis and protecting local green spaces. The local Labour team led by ward councillors Camron Aref-Adib and Anna Wright already knock on doors all year round – so they went straight into having hundreds more such conversations on the doorstep.

“And I have to say Tricia [Leman] was a fantastic local candidate who carried a positive message with her, meeting with residents day in, day out during the campaign.” Letters, page 16