Islington Tribune - by ROISIN GADELRAB Published: 9 May 2008
Cllr Stefan Kasprzyk
Son of first Polish exodus expected to become mayor
A SINGLE vote will decide who becomes Islington’s next mayor. Lib Dem councillor Barbara Smith will hand over her chain of office to party colleague Stefan Kasprzyk on Tuesday, unless for some reason a Lib Dem councillor fails to make it to the Town Hall vote.
Labour is pushing for one of its councillors, Wally Burgess, to take the honour, but with the ruling Lib Dems having a majority of only one, they need a partisan mayor to hold the vital casting vote.
Cllr Kasprzyk, who is of Polish descent and was educated at St Aloysius College in Archway, said: “It’s a great honour, specially for me because I’m born and bred in Islington and never thought I would get to be mayor.”
He added: “We’re hearing an awful lot about mass immigration and Poles coming across. I’m a product of the Second World War exodus when the UK kindly let my parents and others stay. I never thought somebody with my name would even make councillor, which only goes to show what a great borough we are.”
If he becomes mayor next week, his charity will be Islington Boat Club and Angel Canal Boat Community Trust.
He said: “I used to be scoutmaster to Polish scouts in Devonia Road. The idea of engaging youths in adventurous activities, teaching them responsibility and personal development appeals to me.”