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Easter service changes

During the Easter period, some of our services will be operating slightly different hours. Our council’s bin collection schedule will change for one week starting on Friday 29 March to make sure everyone’s waste is picked up around the bank holiday.

See the full schedule and your amended rubbish and recycling collection dates and other service changes including parking and library opening times over the Easter period.

Two people

The Mayor of Islington

The Mayor of Islington for 2023/24 is Councillor Gary Heather, and the Deputy Mayor is Councillor Anjna Khurana.

An introduction to the Mayor

Cllr Gary Heather has lived in Islington since 1975, residing first in Archway and now at the Nag’s Head in Holloway. 

First elected as a councillor for Finsbury Park Ward in 2014, Cllr Heather has served on the council for 9 years. During that time, he has been an active Member on virtually all of the council’s scrutiny committees, including the Policy and Performance Scrutiny Committee and the Environment and Regeneration Scrutiny Committee, on which he was a strong advocate for environmental improvements, including achieving Net-Zero Carbon by 2030 and for reducing, reusing and recycling more waste. 

Before becoming a councillor, Cllr Heather was very active in the borough as a campaigner for improved living conditions for residents and in defending vital public services, such as housing and the NHS. He was prominent in the campaigns to prevent the closure of the accident and emergency service at the Whittington Hospital, and the sell-off of parts of the hospital under their estate strategy.  

As President of Islington Trades Union Council, he served on the Islington Fairness Commission from 2010-11, and was the North Locality’s councillor on the council’s Inequalities Task-Force in 2022-23 that developed Let’s Talk Islington to improve engagement with residents. 

Each mayor chooses a specific charity to support and raise funds for throughout their time in office. Cllr Heather has chosen Voluntary Action Islington, a charity that empowers the expansion of volunteering to help people across the borough, as well as promoting inclusion and the power of community. 

Find out more about these charities on the Mayor's Charity page.

The role of the Mayor

Islington has a ceremonial mayor, who is elected by their fellow councillors to serve for a one-year term in office. During that term, the Mayor represents the borough at numerous civic and public events, acting as the borough’s first citizen.

The Mayor chairs meetings of the full council. At those meetings, the Mayor is entitled to vote as an Islington councillor and also currently has the casting vote in the event of a tie after all councillors have voted.

The Mayor represents the council at many civic and ceremonial events, both in the borough and at other functions outside the borough.

The Mayor may attend a variety of events and functions, on average 500 per year, including:

  • Opening events, fairs and fetes
  • Visiting schools or day centres
  • Attending commemorative and cultural events (such as Refugee Week, Windrush Day, LGBTQ+ History Month), community festivals and religious celebrations
  • Celebrating local people or communities (such as Civic Pride Week at Nags Head, volunteer awards, summer reading challenge celebrations)
  • Acting as guest speaker at dinners and receptions for various groups and organisations
  • Visiting residents on their 100th birthday and offering congratulations on behalf of the borough
  • Presiding at citizenship ceremonies

  • Chairing all meetings of the full council

 

Past Mayors of Islington

  • 1965: Catherine Griffiths
  • 1966-67: (Arthur James) Jim Coman
  • 1967-68: Arthur Edward White
  • 1968-69: Richard Ernest Trott
  • 1969-70: Donald William Bromfield
  • 1970-71: Robin Goodman
  • 1971-72: Ernest Gough
  • 1972-73: Mrs Patricia A Bradbury
  • 1973-74: Harry Reid
  • 1974-75: Jack Walker
  • 1975-76: David J Davies
  • 1976-77: Mrs Skip Gordon
  • 1977-78: (HJ) Bert Stanfield
  • 1978-79: Mrs Doris Rogers
  • 1979-80: Arthur Bell
  • 1980-81: James Evans
  • 1981-82: Edna Browning
  • 1982-83: Ted Doveton
  • 1983-84: Patrick Haynes
  • 1984-85: Rosie Dale
  • 1985-86: Marjorie A Ogilvy-Webb
  • 1986-87: Bob Crossman
  • 1987-88: Terry Herbert
  • 1988-89: Valda James
  • 1989-90: Candy Atherton
  • 1990-91: Maureen Leigh
  • 1991-92: Joan Herbert
  • 1992-93: Edna Griffiths
  • 1993-94: Anne Gilman
  • 1994-95: Michael Boye-Anawomah
  • 1995-96: John Burke
  • 1996-97: Sandy Marks
  • 1997-98: Rupert Perry
  • 1998-99: Meg Hillier
  • 1999-2000: Jenny Sands
  • 2000-01: Mary Powell
  • 2001-02: Joe Trotter
  • 2002-03: Margot Dunn
  • 2003-04: Doreen Scott
  • 2004-05: Joan Coupland
  • 2005-06: Jonathan Dearth
  • 2006-07: Jyoti Vaja
  • 2007-08: Barbara Smith
  • 2008-09: Stefan Kasprzyk
  • 2009-10: Anna Berent
  • 2010-11: Mouna Hamitouche
  • 2011-12: Phil Kelly
  • 2012-13: Jilani Chowdhury
  • 2013-14: Barry Edwards
  • 2014-15: Theresa Debono
  • 2015-16: Richard Greening
  • 2016-17: Kat Fletcher
  • 2017-18: Una O'Halloran
  • 2018-19: Dave Poyser
  • 2019-20: Rakhia Ismail
  • 2020-21: Janet Burgess
  • 2021-22: Troy Gallagher
  • 2022-23: Marian Spall
Cllr Gary Heather - Mayor of Islington 23/24
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