General Election 2010: the state of play in Islington

With a general election looming, it's time to think seriously about who we want to have running the country. But it's every bit as important to start thinking about who we want to have in charge right here in Islington, too, and which local issues matter to us. If you're not already clued up on who's who in local politics, read on for a brief potted history.

Both Islington North and Islington South & Finsbury are currently held by Labour MPs: Jeremy Corbyn in the North and Emily Thornberry in the South. Islington North, which covers Holloway, Highbury, Tuffnell Park and and Archway is the smallest parliamentary constituency by area in the whole of the UK. Islington South & Finsbury covers not only the Southern part of the borough, but parts of Kings Cross, Pentonville and Clerkenwell too.

Islington as a whole has been seen as a 'Labour stronghold' for some time, due in part to its close association with New Labour and also to its high proportion of 'traditional' Labour voters such as its many council tenants (source: UK Polling Report). But this status quo was very nearly overturned in the last general election in 2005, when just 484 votes came between Liberal Democrat candidate Bridget Fox and Labour's Emily Thornberry in Islington South & Finsbury, making it the most marginal constituency in the country.

Despite the close Labour/Lib Dem result in the last General Election, Islington Conservatives reported this week on their site that they are optimistic of a strong result in the next election, claiming that the Labour incumbent Emily Thornberry is feeling more threatened by the conservatives' than by the Lib Dems. Their candidate in the Islington South and Finsbury distrcit is Antonia Cox.

In addition to the three main parties, Islington voters in both constituencies also have the option of voting Green, with James Humphreys standing in Islington South & Finsbury, and Emma Dixon in Islington North. The party won 4.8  in the South and 7.1 per cent in the North in 2005. The animal rights-focused party Animals Count is also standing in Islington South & Finsbury.

With such a marginal seat involved, the election in Islington is set to be an interesting one to watch. Watch this space for updates on the situation as it unfolds, and information on how and where to contact your local candidates.