Councillor Kam Rai elected Leader of Redbridge Council

At the Full Council meeting on 25 July Cllr Kam Rai was elected as the new Leader of Redbridge Council, following over a decade of serving the borough as a councillor in Goodmayes ward, and six years as Deputy Leader.

Cllr Kam Rai grew up in Redbridge, raising his three children locally while working in financial services and supporting a local homelessness charity.

He was first appointed to the Cabinet shortly after his election in 2014 and held the finance portfolio for over a decade. Cllr Rai also led on Leisure and Culture between 2020 and 2023, before taking over responsibility for Regeneration in 2023. Over this time Cllr Rai helped deliver the £7million Hainault Forest regeneration project, bringing a new playground, café and craft workshops to the park and committing to doubling the size of Fairlop Waters Country Park.

Cllr Kam Rai, Leader of Redbridge Council said, “I feel so fortunate to represent the place I call home, where we have outstanding schools, safe neighbourhoods, and wonderful parks.

Redbridge is a special place, with close-knit and welcoming communities, busy high streets, beautiful green spaces and lots to do - we really have everything we need right on our doorstep, with more on the way.

“Since becoming a councillor in 2014 I have seen first-hand the challenges facing local councils across the country, with rising demand for services, and government funding cuts.

“In Redbridge we have always risen to the challenge of protecting the vital services local people rely on and innovating to deliver more with less. As the finance lead for the Council, I’ve set a balanced budget every year and as Leader I want to build on this legacy – making sure our borough gets the best value for money.”

Cllr Rai continued, “We have an incredible opportunity ahead of us in Redbridge. We already know our borough is a great place to live, work, and visit, but there is work to be done to make sure every single one of our neighbours can build a good life. I will work closely with local people, and our partners in the Police, the Greater London Authority and Government to bring in investment and our fair share of resources.

We do have challenges, and the role of councillors is to bring our communities together, to represent everyone fairly and be the voice for those who have none. I commit to working tirelessly to improve the place we live in and to leave no one behind, but we cannot do this alone – each one of us has a responsibility to make Redbridge cleaner, greener and safer, and if we all do our bit, we will succeed.”

Cllr Rai takes over from Cllr Athwal, who served Redbridge as Council Leader for over a decade before stepping down following his election as the Member of Parliament for Ilford South.