Labour celebrate as it takes control of Islington Council in awful poll for Lib Dems

Friday March 7 2010

IT WAS a second day of celebrations for Islington Labour today as they seized control of the council in a landslide victory claiming 35 of a possible 48 seats.

High from last night’s overwhelming endorsement of Islington North MP Jeremy Corbyn and Islington South MP Emily Thornberry, with a substantial swing to Labour, tired party council candidates were more than optimistic at the Sobell Centre count today.

There were scenes of despair as the Lib Dems – who have controlled the council since 2002 – fell dramatically from power, plunging to just 13 seats.

Islington’s only Green councillor Katie Dawson also lost her Highbury West seat to Labour, while the Tories failed to turn their attempts to have any presence in the Town Hall a reality.

Rebel Lib Dem councillor Andrew Cornwell, whose defection pushed the ruling party into an era of instability last year, was absent from the count.

He did not contest his seat this year.

The Lib Dem cull claimed some popular figures, including former mayor and Junction ward councillor Stefan Kasprzyk. But his party colleague former Camden Councillor Arthur Graves, who
stood in the ward for the first time, scored a victory. Islington Labour scored at least two firsts, with both the first councillor of Congolese origin (Jean-Roger Kaseki - Tollington) and
the youngest councillor in the country (Faye Whaley - Canonbury) – at just 18.

Labour also made significant gains in former Lib Dem-held Finsbury seats.

New council leader Catherine West later promised to “understand the needs of the people of Islington”.

Lib Dem leader Terry Stacy and party bigwigs Greg Foxsmith, Paula Belford, Ursula Woolley and George Allan were among the few to keep their seats.