A Camden cabinet member is stepping down as a councillor after 16 years at the town hall.

Cllr Abdul Hai, whose portfolio covers young people, equalities and cohesion, will not put himself forward for re-election in May.

The King’s Cross representative said it was “time to step aside” for a new generation of councillors to deliver public services while tackling inequality and social injustice.

In an email sent to Labour Party colleagues, Cllr Hai said: “It has been an honour and privilege to have represented King’s Cross ward for 16 years, where I have sought to make local government legitimate and relevant in the eyes of the public, creating bridges between the many diverse communities in Camden.

“As a cabinet member, I have held various positions since 2010 by working closely with the Labour group and our communities to deliver services and initiatives to improving residents’ quality of life and opening new opportunities for them.”

%image(15151496, type="article-full", alt="Cllr Hai says he "sought to make local government legitimate"")

Cllr Hai has spent nearly 12 years as part of the cabinet, which is the council’s decision-making executive.

Citing challenges during his term from the Chalcots Estate evacuation to the Covid-19 pandemic, the King’s Cross councillor said he is leaving the local authority “in a strong position to navigate through tough times ahead”.

Listing some of his proudest achievements in office, Cllr Hai included “addressing the structural inequalities exposed by Covid-19" and the work of the Youth Safety Taskforce.

He said the coroner service had been brought into the “21st century” to meet the needs of different faith groups, in particular for Muslim and Jewish communities.

%image(15151498, type="article-full", alt="Cllr Hai speaking as part of his work with the Youth Safety Taskforce")

Cllr Hai said that hate crime has been combatted through the adoption of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance definition of antisemitism, and the All-Party Parliamentary Group on British Muslims definition of Islamophobia.

He also pointed to “making the senior managers of the council more representative of the diverse community that they serve through our inclusion workforce initiative”.

The King’s Cross councillor added: “Camden will always remain a special place where I have grown up and have family and work links.

“I will continue to be politically active and work towards achieving a Labour government.”