Cllr Sarah Hayward has become the new leader of Camden Council

Published: 10 May, 2012
EXCLUSIVE by RICHARD OSLEY

SARAH Hayward was last night (Wednesday) voted by Labour councillors to be the next leader of Camden Council, although almost half the group voted for someone else in a final run-off.

It was Cllr Hayward’s challenge to Nash Ali’s leadership in March that triggered his resignation and a six-week leadership contest, which then saw councillors Theo Blackwell and Tulip Siddiq throw their hats into the ring.

Although it was hard to predict who would win through, Cllr Hayward’s gamble to take on Cllr Ali ahead of the annual general meeting finally paid off after two rounds of secret voting by councillors.

But only just.

She was said to have won by the narrowest of margins and there was a curious report of one dithering councillor having a sudden change of heart and switching their vote away from Cllr Siddiq and in favour of Hayward in between the two rounds of voting.

This was said to have swung the contest.

In fact, after one round of voting, Cllr Siddiq had the most votes with 15 of the 30-strong group supporting her.

But candidates needed 16 votes to win a major­ity and when Cllr Blackwell was eliminated for coming third in round one, Cllr Hayward claimed what was said to be a 16-14 vote win in a straight run-off with Cllr Siddiq – a clear indication that somebody switched.

Through a Labour lens, inability for anybody to claim a resounding win is explained by the strength of the field with three councillors with cabinet experience standing.

Sceptics will say that it is proof that the group is divided, however convivial they are with each other in public.

Cllr Hayward said last night that she was “humbled” by the support shown for her and thanked the other candidates and the outgoing leader, Cllr Ali.

She said the vote had shown the party’s ­“massive strength in depth” which had left councillors with difficult choices.

Cllr Blackwell said: “Sarah will be a brilliant leader and will bring a sense of new purpose.

"She has a real opportun­ity make a difference.”

Both Cllr Blackwell and Cllr Siddiq retained their places on the cab­inet through a separate vote.

Cllr Ali will also sit on the top table of 10 councillors who have the final say on Town Hall policy.

Cllr Angela Mason, removed by the group last year, returns to cab­inet, while new faces Phil Jones and Valerie Leach take senior positions.

Larraine Revah and Sean Birch drop out.

Cllr Hayward will decide who gets which portfolio.

She is well connected within the Labour Party, a blogger and a prolific tweeter – subjects range from politics to Arsenal and the X Factor.

She was the communications officer who worked on Tony Blair’s visit to Camden ahead of the 2006 council elections, but came into the limelight four years later when she helped mastermind the party’s return to power at the Town Hall.

She is already well known among council staff, many of whom view her as firm and assertive.

In recent weeks Cllr Hayward has led Camden’s opposition to the HS2 rail link that threatens to lead to disruption and demolition in the south of the borough.