By David Lennon
“I love it, it’s really interesting being a councillor,” says a very enthusiastic Anna Burrage, who was elected in 2022 as a Camden councillor for Primrose Hill. “We have money to spend and we can get things done. I am constantly surprised about the things that bother people, and I like to solve things.”
Not totally surprising when you learn that her background is in science − a PhD in High Energy Physics in 2000 from her home-town Liverpool University; and in management − an MSc in Leadership and Strategy in 2006 from our globally famous local London Business School.
Anna first joined the Labour Party in Liverpool aged 15. “Politics is not in our blood, but in our family. I grew up being socially aware.” Her Mum was a sociologist and her Dad a violinist in the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra.
She has lived in Islington and Hampstead for 20 years and says she knows Primrose Hill “from friends and then from walking here during Covid”. She has worked with multinational companies, government and charities, and is a freelance management consultant, which still allows her time to devote to being a mother of two teenagers and now local politics too.
When the local Labour Party issued a call for councillors, Anna said “Yes please”. One key question she had to answer was “Will you back the whip?”. In other words, would she agree to vote with the party line even if she found an issue contentious? Her reply to them, she told me, was “Yes, because we should have the opportunity to discuss the issues beforehand.” She added that big international issues are not in the purview of the local council.
She felt she was ready for the job, because “I spent a lot of my working life in the UK and abroad, reconciling what I heard and understanding the need to balance views.” Her scientific background gave her “rigorous training in how to think logically”.
And what are the issues confronting a local councillor? “We hear a lot about personal problems, on the doorstep and by email. Housing is a perpetual issue: overcrowding, damp and mould. Also anti-social and threatening behaviour.” Replacing the cladding and windows on Chalcot Towers is a big issue; with 3,500 residents in 720 flats, a lot of support is required while the estate is being refurbished. “There was a lot of mistrust about what Camden is doing, but with a huge £120 million budget, a lot of people are very happy with what has been done.”
She has listened to the debate about curbing antisocial behaviour on the Hill, and the ramifications of restricting entry to this community resource. This sharpened during the Covid lockdowns, as social media notices attracted thousands to spontaneous late-night parties on the Hill. The decision by Royal Parks to close the park at nights at weekends provoked strong debate locally. The New Year’s Eve stabbing of 16-year-old Harry Pitman has added urgency to the whole issue of how to police an open space.
Getting down to the nitty-gritty of Primrose Hill village, Anna wants “to make the commercial part of Regent’s Park Road more people-friendly”. This sounded to me suspiciously like the cyclist and pedestrian lobby wanting to squeeze out cars, but before I can dive into that one, she starts to talk about the chaos surrounding rubbish collection. It sounded like a total bureaucratic mess, so On The Hill invited Anna to write a piece explaining the situation and solutions (see ‘Regents Park Road Rubbish Collection’ below).
Anna’s enthusiasm is infectious. “I do council things every day; it could subsume my life if I did not manage my time carefully.” Given her passion for politics and skill at getting things done, I ask her if she would consider standing for Parliament. She recoiled and said definitely not. But I think our local MP Keir Starmer might want to have a word in her ear when looking for parliamentary candidates.
Your local councillors
Primrose Hill ward in Camden borough represents not only Primrose Hill but also the eastern part of Swiss Cottage, including its Library and the Hampstead Theatre. Two years ago the ward was carved out of the larger Camden Town/Primrose Hill/Swiss Cottage wards.
In 2022 it elected three councillors to Camden Council. Labour won all three seats, with newcomer Anna Burrage topping the votes, closely followed by Ajok Athian and Matt Cooper.
