Everything to play for as Islington Town Hall battle opens on all fronts

Published: 9 April 2010
by RÓISÍN GADELRAB

“THERE’S no such thing as a safe seat in Islington... except maybe Tollington.” Such was the belief of a Labour Party insider considering the prospect of next month’s local  elections.

Biased though Labour  supporters may be, they could well be correct.

No ward other than Tollington was won with a big majority in 2006 and all are set to stage close battles between the Lib Dems and Labour. 

All, that is, except Highbury East and West, where the Greens are putting all their might into capitalising on the popularity of their only councillor, Katie Dawson, in Highbury West.

The Tories, under the leadership of Richard Bunting, are targeting the more affluent areas of St Peter’s, St Mary’s and Barnsbury, where they have won respectable but still low votes in the past, and a small group of leaseholders and tenants will be standing as independents.

It’s a tough one to call. The death of Bunhill councillor Donna Boffa and the decision of former finance chief councillor Andrew Cornwell to become independent stripped the ruling Lib Dems of their majority in their final weeks in power.

All eyes will be on key wards, where the battle will be most vicious. None more so than in Labour MP Emily Thornberry’s “knife-edge” constituency of Islington South, where the Lib Dems hold Bunhill and Clerkenwell. The Independent Working Class Association (IWCA), which split the Labour vote in the two wards at the last election, is not putting up candidates this time.

Based on the last polling figures, if IWCA voters move over to Labour, Catherine West’s party, then Labour will take both wards with a substantial majority.

The Lib Dems won’t be helped by the fact that three familiar faces, councillors Ruth Polling, Donna Boffa and Kelly Peasnell, will not be defending their seats, although they have picked Finsbury born-and-bred Peter Muswell to replace Cllr Boffa.

One of the key battles will be for St George’s, where Labour is putting up some of its strongest players. Stalwart Wally Burgess has been gently persuaded out of the seat he has held for 12 years to make way for younger blood.

Bright young activists Jessica Asato and Alex Smith, who writes for former lobbyist Derek Draper-founded website Labourlist, will fight alongside Gary Heather in the hope of seizing the two Lib Dem-held seats. 

Independent Lib Dem Andrew Cornwell is standing down, leaving Tracy Ismail as the only St George’s councillor to defend a seat. David Wilson and adult social services chief Ursula Woolley’s husband Caspar will join her to fight for the Lib Dems.

Labour is putting up a strong team in Canonbury, where Lib Dem candidates won with majorities of about 300 last time. Cllr Burgess, Tim McLoughlin – once rated one of the 10 cleverest men in Britain – and 18-year-old Faye Whaley, who became involved in politics after organising the march for murdered teenager and friend Ben Kinsella, will take on established Lib Dem councillors Paula Belford and Barbara Smith. 

In Lib Dem Hillrise, the most popular councillor, Fiona Dunlop, who polled 1,126 votes last time, is standing down, leaving Greg Foxsmith and Julia Williams, who will be joined by Lorraine Constantinou. 

Labour, aware that its candidates lost out by fewer than 100 votes last time around, is putting up Tom Ogg, Marian Spall and Stephen Ng – chairman of Islington Chinese Association – in the hope of snatching the seats away.

The Lib Dems will be hoping to take another close ward, Labour-held Holloway, where Councillor Natasha Chatterjee is standing down. And they expect to win the third Junction ward seat back from Labour. 

Their candidate, Camden Lib Dem councillor Arthur Graves, has been busy raising his profile with an increasing number of photo opportunities in recent months.

Mildmay could be another one to watch. The Lib Dems hold all three seats but popular Mayor of Islington Anna Berent is retiring, aged 83, while Councillor Meral Ece is also stepping down. 

Father-of seven Phil Stevens has been picked to fight Ms Berent’s seat for the Lib Dems. The results were close last time and Labour could be in with a chance.

There are rumours that St Mary’s ward could be anybody’s, with all four parties fighting hard for control. 

At the moment, the Lib Dems hold two seats and Labour has one but former Lib Dem council leader James Kempton is stepping down.

And Labour may control St Peter’s but the Lib Dems were hot on their tails last time around. It was also where the Conservatives scored some of their highest results. 

• A full list of candidates will be published on Islington Council’s website at midday on Monday.