Split lines on Labour Party leadership

Published: 20 August, 2010
by RÓISIN GADELRAB

ISLINGTON Labour Party has split along constituency lines over who it wants to be the next leader – Diane Abbott in the north and Ed Miliband in the south.

In typical Islington style, “Islington North has swung left and Islington South, not quite as left”, in the words of one Labour insider.

MP Emily Thornberry has already backed Ed Miliband officially and now her constituency party has followed.

In MP Jeremy Corbyn’s constituency, about 50 members of the Islington North group attended a meeting where Ms Abbott was officially adopted as preferred leader. 

By an unfortunate timetabling error, the meeting clashed with Tribune magazine and the Howard League for Penal Reform’s Labour leadership hustings at Islington Town Hall where leadership hopefuls Ms Abbott, Mr Miliband and his brother David and Ed Balls faced tough questions on crime. 

But in north Islington, the traditional meeting date was held and group members missed out on seeing their future leaders, instead choosing to forge ahead with their leadership selection vote.