Islington North
2005 Results:
Labour: 16118 (51.2%)
Liberal Democrat: 9402 (29.9%)
Conservative: 3740 (11.9%)
Other: 2234 (7.1%)
Majority: 6716 (21.3%)
2001 Result
Conservative: 3249 (10.8%)
Labour: 18699 (61.9%)
Liberal Democrat: 5741 (19%)
Green: 1876 (6.2%)
Other: 651 (2.2%)
Majority: 12958 (42.9%)
1997 Result
Conservative: 4631 (12.9%)
Labour: 24834 (69.3%)
Liberal Democrat: 4879 (13.6%)
Other: 1516 (4.2%)
Majority: 19955 (55.6%)
No Boundary Changes:
Profile: A compact, densely-populated inner-city seat in North London, the smallest in the country by area. It covers Tufnell Park, Archway, Finsbury Park, Highbury, While there is some gentrification this this seat covers some of the most deprived, troubled and crime-ridden parts of Islington, inclusing the huge Andover Estate. It includes HMP Holloway and Arsenal`s Emirates Stadium.
The constituency has been safely Labour since the 1930s, though the then sitting MP Michael O`Halloran defected to the SDP in 1981 and fought the seat as an independent in 1983, having lost the selection for the SDP nomination. There was a substantial swing towards the Liberal Democrats at the last election, but it would require much more to make this anything other than a Labour stronghold.
Outgoing MP: Jeremy Corbyn(Labour) born 1949, Wiltshire. Educated at Adam`s Grammar School and North London Polytechnic. Former trade union organiser. A staunch left-winger, member of the socialist campaign group and one of Labour`s most rebellious MPs. Haringey councillor 1974-1983. First elected as MP for Islington North 1983 (more information at They work for you)
Candidates: 
Adrian Berrill-Cox (Conservative) Educated at Reading University. Barrister, working for the Financial Services authority.Wheelchair user who has muscular atrophy.Jeremy Corbyn(Labour) born 1949, Wiltshire. Educated at Adam`s Grammar School and North London Polytechnic. Former trade union organiser. A staunch left-winger, member of the socialist campaign group and one of Labour`s most rebellious MPs. Haringey councillor 1974-1983. First elected as MP for Islington North 1983 (more information at They work for you)
Rhodri Jamieson-Ball (Liberal Democrat) Born Wales. Islington councillor since 2006.
Emma Dixon (Green) Born 1971, London 1971. Educated at St Paul`s Girls` School and Cambridge University. Barrister.
2001 Census Demographics
Total 2001 Population: 91584
Male: 47.4%
Female: 52.6%
Under 18: 21.2%
Over 60: 12.8%
Born outside UK: 31.2%
White: 73.4%
Black: 13.4%
Asian: 5.5%
Mixed: 4.6%
Other: 3%
Christian: 52.4%
Hindu: 1%
Jewish: 1.2%
Muslim: 8.5%
Full time students: 7.5%
Graduates 16-74: 41.3%
No Qualifications 16-74: 23.8%
Owner-Occupied: 34.9%
Social Housing: 45.8% (Council: 32.4%, Housing Ass.: 13.4%)
Privately Rented: 16.4%
Homes without central heating and/or private bathroom: 9.3%
Thanks Frederic, Pete, Andy
these are really useful posts,
with a lot of plausible answers.
I always find it hard to get my head round the fact that a depopulating area doesn’t necessarily mean it’s running down.
(and the point about Islington Central).
I wonder whether the Tories carried any wards in 1979 – but seriously doubt it would be anything more than in 1978 – possibly less as – which was virtually a blank despite about 38% of the vote.
Yes the vote was fairly evenly spread I imagine – this was true of the constituency results as well with the Tory share ranging from 33.6% in Islington north to 35.6% in Islington Central and Labour ranging from 51.5% in central to 52.6% in North. Islington South’s figures were in between in each case. Labour’s lead ranged from 16% in Islington Central to 19% in North. In 1978 Labour polled 51.4% to 38.2% for the Conservatives. The two seats the Conservatives won were in different wards both of which Labour topped the poll – Canonbury West (which was in Islington Central) and Hillrise (North). They were reaosnably close in Clerkenwell (S & Finsbury) and in St George’s (North) but of course the 1979 result was not as close as 1978 so most likely the Tories carried no wards.
Thanks Pete,
Looking further up the thread, I see the Tory votes weren’t bad in the area in 2008, and am cautiously hopeful there may be a decent improvement in this Borough in 2010, but unlikely to be as good as 1979 with all the changes since.
Frederic is correct I think about the Winter of Discontent and the way it was seen to hit London.
That seemed to be very true from the things I’ve been looking up about 1979 in recent months,
and it must have been pretty demoralising for government ministers in central London fighting their way through to their offices amongst the piles of rubbish and ungrit roads.
Pete
That suggests that Islington had very small socioeconomic variances in 1978/9.
Certainly in comparison to boroughs such as Camden, Haringay and Walthan Forest.
It must have been somewhat humiliating, and perhaps rather a surprise that all but three of the SDP councillors (defectors from Labour) were defeated in May 1982.
But the “Alliance” had actually hit menapausal problems early in 1982, before the Falklands War, perhaps because various national issues, but I guess the media’s infatuation with them went slightly off the boil.
Still, this would be perhaps a place one would have expected them to do better in the circumstances then.
The Lib Dems have selected Islington Councillor Rhodri Jamieson-Ball
I am a bit surprised Laura Willoughby didn’t get selected again, after her very good performance in 2005
Has Highbury always been in this constituency?
It was added in 1983. It had been part of Islington Central since 1974 and Islington East before that
Has Holloway always been in this seat?
Upper Holloway has. Lower Holloway (including the prison) is in Islington South & Finsbury