Caroline Russell

Caroline Russell (born 10 August 1962) is a British politician and activist serving as Leader of the Green Party in the London Assembly since October 2018, and a Member of the London Assembly (AM) for Londonwide since May 2016. Early life and education Caroline Russell was born on 10 August 1962. She studied fine art at the Ruskin School of Drawing and Fine Art, University College, Oxford, and at Goldsmiths, University of London, graduating with a Master of Arts (MA) degree. She subsequently studied civil engineering at City, University of London, graduating with a Bachelor of Engineering (BEng) degree, and first moved to Islington in 1986. Political career Russell became engaged in politics after the death of a young child in a traffic incident near where she lived. In 2012, Russell was serving as local transport spokesperson for the Green Party of England and Wales. Russell was elected as a councillor for Highbury East on Islington council in the May 2014 election by a margin of eight votes. She was the only member of the council not representing the Labour Party and so was the only opposition member. In October 2014, she called for Holloway Road to have a speed limit of 20 mph, a road controlled by Transport for London which had not been affected by Islington council's earlier 20 mph limit on all roads they controlled. In December of the same year, she criticised as "authoritarian" a Labour councillor's comments that cannabis users should not be allowed to live in council housing.