Where can someone develop the dedication and confidence needed to work in politics? For Islington’s Young Mayor, Jimmy Joseph, it was in the heat and pressure of a kitchen.
A month into his tenure, the 16-year-old Young Mayor talks to Islington Now about his achievements so far, how he entered local politics, and his love of cooking.
While he was born in east London, Joseph has always held “deep connection” with Islington, both as his place of study and the home of his favourite football team, Arsenal.
Last September, a poster at his secondary school inspired him to join the borough’s Youth Council and take his ideas for improving Islington straight to its Town Hall.
“I’ve always been interested in local politics,” Joseph says. “But when I saw that you could apply to be a youth councillor, I thought: ‘Oh, that’s really up my street.’”
After consulting his family and friends, he decided to run a campaign focusing on disability and accessibility. “I’ve got family members with disabilities, people with disabilities in my college. So my campaign was for equal rights and equal chances for people with disabilities.”
Following a competitive campaign period against 49 other candidates, Joseph and 13 others were voted in as the new Youth Council last November. “I just couldn’t believe it was true,” he says. “Like, ‘Oh my god, am I dreaming?’ It was one of the greatest feelings I had.”
The priorities of the current Youth Council include an aim to plant 900 trees by 2026, work with councillors to reduce crime and violence in Islington and improve mental health support for young people.
This February, his fellow councillors selected Joseph as the new Young Mayor. In this role, he represents the borough at regional Young Mayor meetings and has a casting vote within Islington Council.
“I just couldn’t believe it was true. Like, ‘Oh my god, am I dreaming?’ It was one of the greatest feelings I had.”
Jimmy Joseph, Young Mayor
One of Joseph’s first tasks as Young Mayor was to represent Islington’s young people at a full council meeting. “It was nerve-wracking,” he says. “I got to ask a question in the chamber.”
The experience, he says, also gave him a rare insight into the cut-throat world of local politics: “As much as one team wanted one thing, the other side wanted another. You could really see when they were compromising. You could really see the politics side of it.”
Has his time as Young Mayor inspired a career as a politician? “I’m always interested in politics,” says Joseph, ‘but it’s not what I want to go into.”
The Young Mayor is currently studying cooking at college and aspires to become a chef. “It’s my passion, it’s my joy.”
In terms of his favourite dish to make, his answer could not be more unequivocal. “Steak. Steak and chips. That is my favourite, and each time I cook it with a twist.”
For young people interested in improving their community, Joseph recommends keeping an eye on the opening of the next Youth Council elections in autumn 2026.
“For any young person who’s really keen about Islington, and really wants to make a difference, the Youth Council is the place,” says Joseph. ”Even if you don’t want to be in the Youth Council, you can still reach out via our website and we will take it seriously.”
Islington Youth Council meets every month, in order to work on their campaign priorities or advise local organisations and councillors. Its goal is to ensure the views of young people are heard in the decisions made by Islington Council.
“Anyone can say what the youth needs,” says Joseph. “The adult councillors could say, ‘I think the youth need this and that.’ But the whole point of the Youth Council is that it’s physically coming from the youth. We know the issues we face, we know what we need.”
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Priya is an MA Newspaper Journalism student, covering the Bunhill ward in Islington. She has previously written for the Guardian and the Wall Street Journal, where she reported on industrial action, arts and culture, the UK general election, and more.