James Murray joined the Mayor's Office in 2016 as Deputy Mayor for Housing and Residential Development, coming from Islington Council, where he held the position of Executive Member for Housing & Development for six years.

During James’s time in Islington, the borough was one of the top building local authorities in the country. He oversaw the introduction of planning policies to raise the proportion of affordable homes in new developments, including a new standard for viability assessments.

In the Mayor’s Office, James is focussing on bringing together a broad alliance – including councils, housing associations, developers and businesses – to support plans to build more new and affordable homes in London. He is advising the Mayor on planning policy, particularly helping to develop and implement new approaches to housing. He is overseeing work at City Hall to improve the private rented sector and tackle homelessness, in line with the Mayor’s priorities.