Brixton Could Be Getting A New Windrush Ward

By Maire Rose Connor Last edited 37 months ago
Brixton Could Be Getting A New Windrush Ward
Brixton's Windrush Square, which was renamed as such to mark the 50th anniversary of the arrival of HMS Empire Windrush. Image: public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Lambeth could soon be getting a new ward named in honour of the Windrush generation. The recommendation comes as part of a new review by The Boundary Commission into the borough's electoral arrangements.

The review was prompted by what The Boundary Commission calls "electoral inequality"; with some councillors currently representing many more electors than others, leading to a situation where, "the value of each vote in borough elections varies depending on where you live in Lambeth"

To remedy this, the report argues, Lambeth needs to drastically redraw its ward boundaries, boosting the number of wards from 22 to 26. 'Brixton Windrush' would be one of them.

A screenshot of the proposed Brixton ward. Image: The Local Government Boundary Commission

The name 'Brixton Windrush' was originally proposed by the Liberal Democrats to honour “the contribution of the Windrush Generation and their communities to the life of the borough”.

The suggestion comes as local leaders all over London, galvanised by the Black Lives Matter movement, reconsider the landmarks, statues and street names with links to colonialism and slavery. In fact, just a 20-minute walk from Coldharbour Lane — which would become part of the 'Brixton Windrush' ward under the new plans — you'd find Vassall Road, named after the politician and slave-owner Henry Vassall-Fox.

'Brixton Windrush' would be represented by two councillors and cover much of the same area as the current 'Brixton Central' ward. Locals can have their say on the proposed ward and all the other recommendations by clicking here. The public consultation is open until 12 April.

Last Updated 12 February 2021