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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

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

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

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

Chessum has written articles for The Guardian.[2]

Publications

  • 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

  1. ^ a b c Landin, Conrad (13 February 2023). “Selective History”. Retrieved 25 May 2026.
  2. ^ a b c Syal, Rajeev (12 January 2017). “‘Let’s all eat cupcakes’: Momentum treasurer’s failed bid for unity”. The Guardian. Retrieved 25 May 2026.
  3. ^ Jones, Morgan (8 September 2022). “Review: ‘This Is Only The Beginning’ by Michael Chessum”. Renewal: A Journal of Social Democracy. Retrieved 25 May 2026.
  4. ^ a b Chessum, Michael (16 June 2025). “Michael Chessum: Why I’m joining the Green Party”. Left Foot Forward. Retrieved 25 May 2026.
  5. ^ Kenyon, Megan (6 May 2026). “The battle for Lambeth, Labour’s London stronghold”. New Statesman. Retrieved 26 May 2026.
  6. ^ Elgot, Jessica (20 September 2018). “‘I’m hard-left, hard-remain’: grassroots bid for Labour Brexit seachange”. The Guardian. Retrieved 25 May 2026.
  7. ^ “Investigation: Momentum”. Electoral Commission. Retrieved 25 May 2026.
  8. ^ Landin, Conrad (13 February 2023). “Selective History”. New Left Review. Retrieved 26 May 2026.
  9. ^ “Election results for Brixton Acre Lane, 7 May 2026”. Lambeth Council. 8 May 2026. Retrieved 9 May 2026.