Islington South and Finsbury | |
---|---|
Borough constituency for the House of Commons | |
County | Greater London |
Electorate | 70,489 (December 2019) [1] |
Current constituency | |
Created | 1974 |
Member of Parliament | Emily Thornberry (Labour) |
Seats | One |
Created from | Islington South West, and Shoreditch and Finsbury |
Islington South and Finsbury is a constituency [n 1] created in 1974 and represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since 2005 by Emily Thornberry of the Labour Party. [n 2] Thornberry served as Shadow Foreign Secretary from 2016 until 2020 and is currently Shadow Attorney General for England and Wales.
This densely populated seat covers Barnsbury, part of Highbury, Islington proper, and Clerkenwell and Finsbury adjoining the City. It contains many desirable apartments and townhouses as well as 20th century social housing developments.
The constituency has been described as "the natural habitat of the hypocritical, well-off, ostensibly liberal chattering classes" [2] [ dead link ] including higher earners, leaders in the public sector, critics, entertainers, writers and former Prime Ministers Tony Blair and Boris Johnson. Despite this reputation for liberal affluence there is also significant deprivation in the constituency and its neighbour Islington North. [3]
1974–1983: The London Borough of Islington wards of Barnsbury, Bunhill, Clerkenwell, Pentonville, St Mary, St Peter, and Thornhill.
1983–2010: As above, save that Pentonville was abolished and Canonbury East, Canonbury West, Hillmarton, Holloway were created or added to the seat.
2010–present: The London Borough of Islington wards of Barnsbury, Bunhill, Caledonian, Canonbury, Clerkenwell, Holloway, St Mary's and St Peter's.
The seat covers the southern part of the London Borough of Islington, including Barnsbury, Canonbury, major parts of Holloway, Kings Cross and the former area of the Metropolitan Borough of Finsbury, which includes Bunhill, Pentonville and Clerkenwell.
Further to the 2023 Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies, enacted by the Parliamentary Constituencies Order 2023, the composition of the constituency from the next general election, due by January 2025, will be:
The seat will be expanded to bring its electorate within the permitted range by adding the Borough of Hackney ward of De Beauvoir. The area within the Borough of Islington will be unchanged, but following a review of local authority ward boundaries which came into effect on 4 May 2022, some of the ward names have been modified.
Islington South and Finsbury was created in 1974 from part of the former Islington South West and Shoreditch and Finsbury constituencies. In 1983, its boundaries changed when the Islington Central constituency was abolished and its area split between Islington South and Finsbury and Islington North.
Islington was an early stronghold for the SDP. All three sitting Labour MPs defected to the party together with a majority of the borough council. [n 3] However, in spite of their less radical position than the Labour Party, they won only one seat to Labour's 59 in the 1982 Islington Council elections [5] and at the 1983 general election, Labour managed to narrowly retain the seat. The new MP, Chris Smith was the first MP to come out as gay and was aligned with the Labour left, and retained the seat with a slight increase in his majority in 1987. By 1992, the post-merged SDP, the Liberal Democrats, had faded locally, and no longer had the former MP as a candidate, and Smith managed to win a majority exceeding 10,000 votes.
The Liberal Democrat revival in local elections in Islington, which saw them take control of the council in 2000, began to cross over to Parliamentary elections in 2001. In 2002, the Liberal Democrats won every council seat in Islington South and Finsbury, and Smith's subsequent retirement and the resultant loss of incumbency made the constituency vulnerable once again in 2005. However Smith's successor, Emily Thornberry, retained the seat with a narrow majority of 484 votes over the Liberal Democrat challenger, Barnsbury councillor Bridget Fox. [6] — the seat therefore became one of the ten most marginal in Britain. However, in the local council elections a year later, Labour made an almost full recovery locally and won a majority of the seats in Islington South and Finsbury, defeating both Bridget Fox and the-then council leader Steve Hitchins. [7] At the 2010 general election, Thornberry increased her majority over Fox. In 2014 the Liberal Democrats lost all their remaining seats on the council. The 2015 general election result made the seat the 93rd safest of Labour's 232 seats by percentage of majority. [8]
Election | Member [9] | Party | |
---|---|---|---|
Feb 1974 | George Cunningham | Labour | |
1982 | SDP | ||
1983 | Chris Smith | Labour | |
2005 | Emily Thornberry | Labour |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | Emily Thornberry [10] | ||||
Majority | |||||
Turnout |
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | Emily Thornberry | 26,897 | 56.3 | −6.5 | |
Liberal Democrats | Kate Pothalingam | 9,569 | 20.0 | +7.9 | |
Conservative | Jason Charalambous | 8,045 | 16.8 | −3.9 | |
Green | Talia Hussain | 1,987 | 4.2 | +1.7 | |
Brexit Party | Paddy Hannam | 1,136 | 2.4 | New | |
Monster Raving Loony | Sandys of Bunhill | 182 | 0.4 | New | |
Majority | 17,328 | 36.3 | −5.8 | ||
Turnout | 47,816 | 67.8 | −1.3 | ||
Registered electors | 70,489 | ||||
Labour hold | Swing | -7.2 | |||
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | Emily Thornberry | 30,188 | 62.8 | +11.9 | |
Conservative | Jason Charalambous | 9,925 | 20.7 | −1.6 | |
Liberal Democrats | Alain Desmier | 5,809 | 12.1 | +1.2 | |
Green | Benali Hamdache | 1,198 | 2.5 | −5.1 | |
UKIP | Pete Muswell | 929 | 1.9 | −5.7 | |
Majority | 20,263 | 42.1 | +13.4 | ||
Turnout | 48,049 | 69.1 | +4.1 | ||
Registered electors | 69,536 | ||||
Labour hold | Swing | +6.7 | |||
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | Emily Thornberry | 22,547 | 50.9 | +8.7 | |
Conservative | Mark Lim | 9,839 | 22.2 | +2.8 | |
Liberal Democrats | Terry Stacy | 4,829 | 10.9 | −23.2 | |
UKIP | Pete Muswell | 3,375 | 7.6 | +6.0 | |
Green | Charlie Kiss | 3,371 | 7.6 | +6.0 | |
CISTA | Jay Kirton | 309 | 0.7 | New | |
Majority | 12,708 | 28.7 | +20.5 | ||
Turnout | 44,270 | 65.0 | +0.6 | ||
Registered electors | 68,127 | ||||
Labour hold | Swing | +3.0 | |||
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | Emily Thornberry | 18,407 | 42.3 | +2.4 | |
Liberal Democrats | Bridget Fox | 14,838 | 34.1 | −4.2 | |
Conservative | Antonia Cox | 8,449 | 19.4 | +4.6 | |
Green | James Humphreys | 710 | 1.6 | −3.2 | |
UKIP | Rose-Marie McDonald | 701 | 1.6 | +0.1 | |
English Democrat | John Dodds | 301 | 0.7 | New | |
Animal Welfare | Richard Deboo | 149 | 0.3 | New | |
Majority | 3,569 | 8.2 | +6.6 | ||
Turnout | 43,555 | 64.4 | +10.8 | ||
Registered electors | 67,650 | ||||
Labour hold | Swing | +3.3 | |||
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | Emily Thornberry | 12,345 | 39.9 | −14.0 | |
Liberal Democrats | Bridget Fox | 11,861 | 38.3 | +10.2 | |
Conservative | Melanie McLean | 4,594 | 14.8 | +1.1 | |
Green | James Humphreys | 1,471 | 4.8 | New | |
UKIP | Patricia Theophanides | 470 | 1.5 | New | |
Monster Raving Loony | Andy "the Hat" Gardner | 189 | 0.6 | New | |
Independent | Chris Gidden | 31 | 0.1 | New | |
Majority | 484 | 1.6 | -24.2 | ||
Turnout | 30,961 | 53.6 | +6.2 | ||
Registered electors | 57,748 | ||||
Labour hold | Swing | −12.1 | |||
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | Chris Smith | 15,217 | 53.9 | −8.6 | |
Liberal Democrats | Keith Sharp | 7,937 | 28.1 | +6.8 | |
Conservative | Nicky Morgan | 3,860 | 13.7 | +0.7 | |
Socialist Alliance | Janine Booth | 817 | 2.9 | New | |
Independent | Thomas McCarthy | 276 | 1.0 | +0.5 | |
Stuckist Party | Charles Thomson | 108 | 0.4 | New | |
Majority | 7,280 | 25.8 | -15.4 | ||
Turnout | 28,215 | 47.4 | −16.3 | ||
Registered electors | 59,516 | ||||
Labour hold | Swing | -7.7 | |||
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | Chris Smith | 22,079 | 62.5 | +11.4 | |
Liberal Democrats | Sarah Ludford | 7,516 | 21.3 | -2.0 | |
Conservative | David Berens | 4,587 | 13.0 | -11.7 | |
Referendum | Jane Bryett | 741 | 2.1 | New | |
Independent | Alan Laws | 171 | 0.5 | New | |
Natural Law | Martin Creese | 121 | 0.3 | +0.09 | |
Independent | Erol Basarik | 101 | 0.3 | New | |
Majority | 14,563 | 41.2 | +14.76 | ||
Turnout | 35,316 | 63.7 | -8.82 | ||
Registered electors | 55,468 | ||||
Labour hold | Swing | +6.6 | |||
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | Chris Smith | 20,586 | 51.1 | +11.0 | |
Conservative | Mark Jones | 9,934 | 24.7 | +4.1 | |
Liberal Democrats | Christopher Pryce | 9,387 | 23.3 | -14.8 | |
Justice From British Rail | Rhona Hersey | 149 | 0.4 | New | |
Monster Raving Loony | Marie Avino | 142 | 0.4 | New | |
Natural Law | Michael Spinks | 83 | 0.2 | New | |
Majority | 10,652 | 26.4 | +24.4 | ||
Turnout | 40,281 | 72.5 | +1.3 | ||
Registered electors | 55,541 | ||||
Labour hold | Swing | ||||
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | Chris Smith | 16,511 | 40.1 | +3.8 | |
SDP | George Cunningham | 15,706 | 38.1 | +2.8 | |
Conservative | Andrew Mitchell | 8,482 | 20.6 | −6.1 | |
Green | Peter Powell | 382 | 0.9 | New | |
Socialist (GB) | Stephen Dowsett | 81 | 0.2 | 0.0 | |
Humanist | Judith Early | 56 | 0.1 | New | |
Majority | 805 | 2.0 | +1.0 | ||
Turnout | 41,218 | 71.2 | +9.2 | ||
Registered electors | 57,910 | ||||
Labour hold | Swing | +0.5 | |||
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | Chris Smith | 13,460 | 36.3 | -15.7 | |
SDP | George Cunningham | 13,097 | 35.3 | N/A | |
Conservative | Arthur Johnston | 9,894 | 26.7 | -7.4 | |
National Front | John Donegan | 341 | 0.9 | -2.5 | |
Islington and Finsbury Party | J. Murphy | 102 | 0.3 | New | |
BNP | D. Stentiford | 94 | 0.3 | New | |
Socialist (GB) | Clifford Slapper | 85 | 0.2 | -0.1 | |
Majority | 363 | 1.0 | -17.0 | ||
Turnout | 37,073 | 62.0 | -0.9 | ||
Registered electors | 59,795 | ||||
Labour hold | Swing | ||||
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | George Cunningham | 12,581 | 52.04 | -9.41 | |
Conservative | Nigel Waterson | 8,237 | 34.07 | +13.15 | |
Liberal | Antony Dean | 1,991 | 8.24 | -7.23 | |
National Front | Paul Kavanagh | 824 | 3.41 | New | |
Communist | Marie Betteridge | 330 | 1.36 | -0.80 | |
New Britain | Dennis Delderfield | 136 | 0.56 | New | |
Socialist (GB) | Ralph Critchfield | 78 | 0.32 | New | |
Majority | 4,344 | 17.97 | -22.56 | ||
Turnout | 24,177 | 62.92 | +6.9 | ||
Registered electors | 38,427 | ||||
Labour hold | Swing | ||||
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | George Cunningham | 14,544 | 61.45 | +7.1 | |
Conservative | P. Hodgson | 3,951 | 20.92 | −2.4 | |
Liberal | R. Adams | 3,661 | 15.47 | −4.1 | |
Communist | Marie Betteridge | 512 | 2.2 | +0.4 | |
Majority | 9,593 | 40.5 | +9.6 | ||
Turnout | 22,668 | 56.0 | −10.1 | ||
Registered electors | 42,251 | ||||
Labour hold | Swing | ||||
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Labour | George Cunningham | 15,064 | 54.31 | ||
Conservative | J. Szemerey | 6,473 | 23.34 | ||
Liberal | R. Adams | 5,415 | 19.52 | ||
Communist | Marie Betteridge | 492 | 1.77 | ||
Independent | A. Lomas | 293 | 1.06 | ||
Majority | 8,591 | 30.97 | |||
Turnout | 27,737 | 66.06 | |||
Registered electors | 41,988 | ||||
Labour win (new seat) |
Barnsbury is an area of north London in the London Borough of Islington, within the N1 and N7 postal districts.
The London Borough of Islington is a London borough which forms part of Inner London, England. Islington has an estimated population of 215,667. It was formed in 1965, under the London Government Act 1963, by the amalgamation of the metropolitan boroughs of Islington and Finsbury.
Islington was a civil parish and metropolitan borough in London, England. It was an ancient parish within the county of Middlesex, and formed part of The Metropolis from 1855. The parish was transferred to the County of London in 1889 and became a metropolitan borough in 1900. It was amalgamated with the Metropolitan Borough of Finsbury to form the London Borough of Islington in Greater London in 1965.
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: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) pp. 40–41.