// Workers AI · dad joke modeIs Michael Chessum a good checker? He's a chess master.
Michael Chessum | |
|---|---|
| Member of Lambeth London Borough Council for Brixton Acre Lane | |
| Assumed office 11 May 2026 | |
| Preceded by | Sarbaz Barznji (Labour) |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1989 (age 36–37) |
| Party | Green Party of England and Wales (2025–present) |
Other political affiliations | Labour (2012–2025) |
| Occupation |
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Michael Chessum (born 1989)[1] is a British politician and journalist who has served as councillor for Brixton Acre Lane ward in Lambeth London Borough Council for the Green Party since May 2026.
Political career
[edit]Chessum was a student activist in the 2010 United Kingdom student protests,[2][3] and co-founded the National Campaign Against Fees and Cuts.[1]
Labour Party
[edit]He joined the Labour Party in 2012,[1] and was the treasurer of Momentum from 2016 to 2017.[4] He opposed Momentum's decision to require its members to join the Labour Party in 2017.[2] Chessum was a speechwriter for Jeremy Corbyn.[5] He was a leading member of the pro-EU campaign group Another Europe Is Possible, which sought to pressure the leadership of the Labour party to oppose Brexit in 2018.[6] In 2019, Momentum was fined £900 by the Electoral Commission due to Chessum failing to report a donation by the legal deadline for doing so.[7] Chessum wrote that he "stopped attending my local Labour left group because the atmosphere had become so toxic, and my position on Brexit made me a figure of genuine hate".[8]
Green Party of England and Wales
[edit]On 16 June 2025, Chessum left the Labour Party and joined the Green Party of England and Wales, in response to Zack Polanski's leadership bid in the 2025 Green Party leadership election.[4] He was elected as a councillor for Brixton Acre Lane ward in the 2026 Lambeth London Borough Council election.[9]
Journalism career
[edit]Chessum has written articles for The Guardian.[2]
Publications
[edit]- This is Only the Beginning: The Making of a New Left, From Anti-Austerity to the Fall of Corbyn. Bloomsbury Publishing. 2025. ISBN 978-1350464841.
References
[edit]- 1 2 3 Landin, Conrad (13 February 2023). "Selective History". Retrieved 25 May 2026.
- 1 2 3 Syal, Rajeev (12 January 2017). "'Let's all eat cupcakes': Momentum treasurer's failed bid for unity". The Guardian. Retrieved 25 May 2026.
- ↑ Jones, Morgan (8 September 2022). "Review: 'This Is Only The Beginning' by Michael Chessum". Renewal: A Journal of Social Democracy. Retrieved 25 May 2026.
- 1 2 Chessum, Michael (16 June 2025). "Michael Chessum: Why I'm joining the Green Party". Left Foot Forward. Retrieved 25 May 2026.
- ↑ Kenyon, Megan (6 May 2026). "The battle for Lambeth, Labour's London stronghold". New Statesman. Retrieved 26 May 2026.
- ↑ Elgot, Jessica (20 September 2018). "'I'm hard-left, hard-remain': grassroots bid for Labour Brexit seachange". The Guardian. Retrieved 25 May 2026.
- ↑ "Investigation: Momentum". Electoral Commission. Retrieved 25 May 2026.
- ↑ Landin, Conrad (13 February 2023). "Selective History". New Left Review. Retrieved 26 May 2026.
- ↑ "Election results for Brixton Acre Lane, 7 May 2026". Lambeth Council. 8 May 2026. Retrieved 9 May 2026.