Elmedina Baptista-Mendes – or Dina for short – is encouraging a radical shift in Islington’s political landscape, arguing that the borough’s leadership fails to reflect its multicultural identity.
Dina is a Portuguese citizen who moved to Islington from Cape Verde in the 1990s and works as a nurse. She is now standing as a Green Party candidate for the Tollington ward.
She says that Islington is “a microcosm of London’s diversity” but the local authority is “leaving our communities behind”.
Dina’s move into politics was inspired by her frontline experience during the COVID-19 pandemic. While serving as a public speaker for NHS England, she connected with local communities in Portuguese and Creole to offer health information. She was shocked by the high levels of health misinformation and lack of support available for these groups.
Along with this concern, the impact of “decimated” budget cuts to public health services on these communities, inspired Dina to run for council in her local area, Tollington. “I have to be there and make sure people are making the right decisions,” she says.
This disparity in representation is a systemic issue across London. Data from the Migrant Democracy Project (MDP) shows that although 40% of London’s population is made up of first-generation migrants, they form only 16% of elected councillors.
“The majority of councillors in Islington are white men belonging to one single party who can decide whatever they want without any real consultation from the communities in their area,” says Dina.
“Not everyone is at the table for you to have conversations about communities (…) and to reach a conclusion that embraces the majority,” she explains.
Dina is optimistic about her campaign and the trajectory of the Green Party. She’s eager to turn her years of community care into political action for Tollington.
“The campaign is going really well. It’s been positive to hear the people asking questions about the Greens and interested and excited about the party,” she said.
Ella is an MA Newspaper Journalism student at City St George's university. She also works as a news reporter for Pharmafile, a health and pharmaceutical magazine.