Labour leadership candidates needing new policy ideas have been quick to praise the achievements of places like Lambeth and their co-operative council model, and it remains true that nationally Labour need look no further than its councils for new models of progressive policy making.

Here in Islington at the last election Labour took back control of the council after ten years in opposition with one of the most progressive local manifestos in the country. At the heart of that manifesto is The Islington Fairness Commission.

Despite the pockets of affluence for which it is known, Islington is the eighth most deprived local authority in England, and is one of the most unequal. Addressing this inequality is the top priority of our incoming administration.

Local authorities have the powers to tackle issues like crime, public health, early years in education and social housing and it is in this context that the commission will consider, in depth and in detail, how it can level the playing field and make Islington a fairer place to live.

We’ve already made a start with the introduction of free school meals for all primary school children and the commitment to many more affordable homes. However, there is more, even in these times of swingeing cuts, that we can do. The Islington Fairness Commission intends to put the emphasis on reducing inequality in every decision the council makes.

The commission will be chaired by Professor Richard Wilkinson – co-author of The Spirit Level: why more equal societies always do better – and its first meeting is due to take place next week. At it, the commission hopes to develop a clear picture of how inequality manifests itself in the borough and to begin to map out the ways in which the council and partners can push forward the fairness agenda in the months ahead. For subsequent meetings, we take the Commission out into the community, holding meetings in both estates and up-market businesses that will show us the two different sides of living and working in Islington and ask what we can do to close the gap.

This is an opportunity for Islington to hold a mirror up to itself and look long and hard at the problems that persist in the borough. To the outside world, Islington is the punchline in every middle class joke; in reality, it suffers from some of the worst indicators for public health, poverty and housing need in the country. We don’t want to beat ourselves up or do Islington down, but equally we don’t want to put our fingers in our ears either. It’s no good sitting in the town hall for four years talking about cuts and a lack of money if we don’t make sure we do everything in our power to address the massive gap that exists between the richest and the poorest in Islington. In the end, as Professor Wilkinson has ably demonstrated, more equal societies are happier and better, for everyone who lives in them.

The Commission’s first meeting will be held in Islington Town Hall on Monday 19 July at 7.30pm and is open to the public