Abdi-Wali announces cabinet posts in first speech as Camden leader

Camden’s new leader has confirmed who will run the council in her reshuffled cabinet following her predecessor’s ousting at the recent local elections.

At the first full council meeting post-election on Wednesday 20 May, Cllr Sagal Abdi-Wali (Labour, Camden Square) officially became the leader of the council, making history as the first Black woman to do so. She has appointed two deputies: Cllr Pat Callaghan (Labour, Camden Town) and Cllr Adam Harrison (Labour, Bloomsbury).

Cllr Callaghan continues as deputy after serving under former leader Richard Olszewski, who lost his seat to the Green Party at the recent elections. She will also take on the new community resilience brief. Cllr Harrison, who also ran for the leadership, will now be heading up Callaghan’s old role as lead for safer communities.

In the chamber, the leader paid tribute to Olszewski and said she wanted to build on previous Labour administrations, noting that despite “great successes” the borough’s communities were still facing “unprecedented challenges”.

“We continue to see rising demand for council services, families being deeply impacted by the cost-of-living crisis, and deepening inequalities in our communities, and we cannot allow this to continue and that is the reason why I choose to be a councillor. It is our duty to ensure that we improve the lives of our residents,” she said.

Cllr Abdi-Wali added: “We must also work together to protect the social fabric of our borough, tackle the rise in divisive politics and the attempted erosion of community cohesion.”

The new leader has shrunk the cabinet team by scrapping the voluntary sector, equalities and cohesion portfolio held by Cllr Nadia Shah since 2022. Cllr Shah lost her Regent’s Park seat to the Green Party in May’s elections.

Cabinet members who are staying in post include Camron Aref-Adib (Labour, Highgate) for finance and cost of living, Sabrina Francis (Labour, Bloomsbury) for jobs, young people and culture, Nasrine Djemai (Labour, Haverstock) for new homes and community investment, and Marcus Boyland (Labour, Gospel Oak) for best start for children and families.

Cllr Anna Wright (Labour, Highgate) has been moved from the health and social care portfolio, and will now take on the brief for better homes and homelessness prevention, previously held by Cllr Abdi-Wali.

Camden’s new health chief will be Cllr Kemi Atolagbe (Labour, Haverstock), who joins the cabinet for the first time. Cllr James Slater (Labour, Kentich Town North), who held a supporting cabinet role under the last administration, has taken over from Cllr Harrison as cabinet member for planning and a sustainable Camden.

As of 1 April this year, each member of the council’s executive is entitled to receive £28,200.95, apart from the leader, who receives £45,120.46.

On Wednesday evening, Cllr Lorna Jane Russell (Green, Highgate) was also confirmed as the leader of the opposition after her party gained 10 seats at the local elections.

However, Muhammad Abu Naser who won a seat in Regent’s Park ward will not be taking up his post as a councillor as he is employed as a teacher at a Camden-run school, something which election rules do not allow as the local authority is his employer. A by-election will be held, possibly in July, to fill the vacancy.

The Greens have partnered with councillor Shah Bakth (Camden People’s Alliance, St Pancras and Somers Town) bringing the new opposition group to 11, supplanting the Liberal Democrats as the main opposition group.

Newly-elected Cllr James White (Green, Holborn and Covent Garden) said the two parties were “brought together by a shared commitment to progressive values”.

Camden also has a new civic mayor, Tricia Leman (Labour, Camden Square), who takes over from Cllr Eddie Hanson (Labour, Kilburn).

A list of committee memberships has also been published.

Liam Martin-Lane (Labour, Kings Cross) takes over as chair the Planning Committee, and Jonathan Simpson (Labour, Kings Cross) continues as chair of the Licensing Committee.

No opposition councillors have been given a role leading any of the many scrutiny committees — a move criticised by the Greens and the Lib Dems. The Camden New Journal reports that in recent years the ruling group has allowed at least one opposition member to chair at least one of the cross-party committees.

Camden Council, all member meeting, Wednesday 20 May 2026. Agenda, Webcast.

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