The new Mayor of London Sadiq Khan has appointed James Murray as his deputy mayor for housing. James Murray is currently the lead councillor for housing and development at Islington council but will stand down from his current role to focus on his new position.
James Murray has been the Executive Member for Housing and Development at Islington Council since 2010, having first been elected in 2006. During his time at Islington Council he sought to impose penalties on ‘buy-to-leave’ investors and to prevent private landlords renting out sub-standard ‘shoebox flats’.
Sadiq Khan’s Mayoral manifesto promised a dedicated team at City Hall to fast-track the building of affordable homes to rent and buy, and target of 50% affordable new homes in London and a minimum of 80,000 new homes a year.
Khan reiterated his focus on housing when announcing Murray’s appointment. He said: "Housing is a top priority and I want all Londoners to be able to buy or rent a decent, affordable home. James Murray comes to City Hall with a strong track record of success, having championed the delivery of innovative housing solutions for years. I know he will be a huge asset to the team as we work towards building the thousands of affordable housing London needs.”
