Lessons from London’s Councils

Low trust in politics and widespread dissatisfaction with democracy pose significant challenges for democratic nations worldwide. This growing mistrust stems from multiple factors, including shortcomings in public policy delivery and a perception that elected officials often fail to represent their communities both descriptively and substantively.

In response to these pressing issues, the Migrant Democracy Project (MDP), in collaboration with the London School of Economics (LSE), is proud to launch two new reports based on an innovative study of local politics in London. The first report explores the extent to which elected councillors reflect the diversity of London’s population, offering critical insights into the representativeness of local government. The second report examines the challenges faced by councillors from underrepresented groups, shedding light on the barriers to inclusion within the political system.

Meet our chair and speakers:

Chair:

Prof Paul Apostolidis teaches in the Department of Government at the LSE, serves as School Academic Lead for Student Civic Engagement and has research expertise in migrant worker political organising and grounded political theory.

Speakers:

Dr Omar Hammoud-Gallego is an Assistant Professor in Public Policy at Durham University with expertise in migration policy and on democratic engagement and representation. Prior to this role, he was a Fellow in Political Science and Public Policy at the School of Public Policy of The London School of Economics. He has extensive policy experience, having worked for the United Nations and has co-led several research projects for the Migrant Democracy Project. For more information on his work, visit: omarhgallego.com

Dr Katharina Lawall is a Lecturer/Assistant Professor in Comparative Politics at the University of Reading. Katharina works on political behaviour, polarisation and diversity in politics, and is an expert in quantitative methods, including surveys, experiments and field randomised control trials (RCTs). She has led several large-scale research projects involving academic-civil society collaborations. For more information about Katharina’s work, visit: katharinalawall.com

Dr Alex Bulat is a migration researcher and project consultant. Alex co-founded Migrant Democracy Project and worked on various projects on the representation of minoritised communities. She brings lived experience as a local councillor from a migrant background, working for 7 years in the migration and democratic reform sector in the UK.

Valerie Bossman-Quarshie is an elected councillor in the Borough of Islington in London. Valerie has lived in Islington all her life, having attended Christ the King school in Finsbury Park. Valerie works in a school but spent the pandemic volunteering at the Elizabeth House Community Centre in Highbury where she is a trustee. Valerie assisted with putting together food parcels, offering support to local people and looking after the most vulnerable when they’ve needed it most. She has also been a school governor in Islington for many years. Valerie is a member of the Council’s Licensing and Housing Scrutiny committees. She is also Vice-Chair of Children’s Scrutiny Committee.

Joseph Vambe is a Southwark Labour Councillor representing Chaucer ward, the area he grew up in. He is currently the Deputy Cabinet Member for Neighbourhoods, overseeing local democratic structures and future neighbourhood plans funding arrangements. This is a role dedicated to strengthening the way the council works with local communities. Before becoming Southwark’s youngest elected councillor, he read Human, Social and Political Sciences at the University of Cambridge (King’s College, 2018) and completed a master’s degree in Politics and International Studies. Joseph is passionate about addressing social inequalities, particularly in education, and started an organisation called Equivalent-Exchange aimed at supporting, mentoring and providing opportunities for pupils in the most disadvantaged schools. His interests lie in promoting social mobility, community empowerment and driving change.

Photo by Mary Anne Twimbers on Unsplash

Host or Publisher LSE Department of Government