Islington North (UK Parliament constituency)

Template:Short description Template:Use dmy dates Template:Infobox UK constituency Islington North is a constituencyTemplate:Efn in Greater London established for the 1885 general election. It has been represented in the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom since 1983 by Jeremy Corbyn, who was Leader of the Labour Party and Leader of the Opposition from 2015 to 2020. Corbyn has been an independent since 2020. He was returned as its member of Parliament (MP) at the 2024 general election.

It is the smallest by area of the 650 parliamentary constituencies, covering Template:Cvt.

Constituency profile

The seat includes the densely populated and multicultural neighbourhoods of Finsbury Park, Highbury, Canonbury, Archway, Tufnell Park and the northern part of Holloway. Electoral Calculus categorises the seat as being part of the “Strong Left” demographic, those who have very economically left-wing and socially liberal views, and have an internationalist outlook including strong opposition to Brexit: only 21.6% of Islington North voted for Brexit in 2016, indicating that it is a heavily pro-Remain area.

Despite high incomes and house prices, around 52% of the constituency is deprived, in terms of employment, income and education, mirroring the national average. The average age is 42.5, at least 36% of the local population owns a car, whilst 31% own a home, which are both considerably low in comparison to the rest of the UK, and the gross household income is £52,102. Arsenal Football Club is located in the seat.

Boundaries

1885–1918

File:IslingtonNorth1885.png

Islington North in London 1885–1918

The seat was created by the Redistribution of Seats Act 1885, as one of four divisions of the new parliamentary borough of Islington. The constituency was defined in the legislation as consisting of the single ward of Upper Holloway of the parish of Islington. The ward was one of eight used in the election of Islington vestrymen under the Metropolis Management Act 1855.

1918–1950

File:IslingtonNorth1918.png

Islington North in London 1918–50

File:Islington Met. B Ward Map 1916.svg

Under the next redistribution of seats by the Representation of the People Act 1918 constituencies in the County of London were defined in terms of wards of the metropolitan boroughs created in 1900. Islington North comprised three wards of the Metropolitan Borough of Islington: Tollington, Tufnell and Upper Holloway.

1950–1974

File:IslingtonNorth1950.png

Islington North in London 1950–74

At the next redistribution of seats by the Representation of the People Act 1948 the constituency was again defined as Tollington, Tufnell and Upper Holloway wards of the Metropolitan Borough of Islington, with boundaries as they existed at the end of 1947.

1974–1983

In 1965 local government in Greater London was reorganised, with the formation of London boroughs. The changes were reflected in parliamentary boundaries from 1974. The London Borough of Islington was divided into three constituencies. Islington North was defined as comprising seven wards: Highview, Hillmarton, Hillrise, Junction, Parkway, St. George's and Station.

1983–1997

In 1983 the parliamentary representation of Islington was reduced to two constituencies. The new, enlarged, Islington North was formed from ten wards of the borough as they existed in February 1983. These were Gillespie, Highbury, Highview, Hillrise, Junction, Mildmay, Quadrant, St. George's, Sussex and Tollington wards.

1997–2010

In 1997 there were only slight boundary changes, with the constituency defined as the same ten wards with their boundaries as they existed on 1 June 1994.

Since 2010

The seat, which is the smallest constituency in the UK by area, covers the northern half of the London Borough of Islington, which includes the areas of Holloway, Highbury, Tufnell Park, Upper Holloway and Archway.

From 2010 until 2022, the constituency comprised the following eight electoral wards: Finsbury Park, Highbury East, Highbury West, Hillrise, Junction, Mildmay, St. George's and Tollington.

Following a review of local authority ward boundaries which came into effect on 4 May 2022, the seat now comprises the following eight London Borough of Islington wards: Arsenal; Finsbury Park; Highbury; Hillrise; Junction; Mildmay; Tollington; Tufnell Park.

The boundaries of the constituency were not changed as part of the 2023 Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies.

These boundaries have been considerably changed since 1970, when Islington returned three MPs and shared another with Hackney. This reflects the depopulation of central London on a lowering of adult occupancy of households and the local authority has replaced tower blocks. The core of the constituency was the area north of Seven Sisters Road and Camden Road. At Template:Convert, it is the smallest UK Parliamentary constituency. At the Fifth Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies begun in 2012 the seat was approximately 1,300 electors below the electoral quota and the highest concentration of elector density nationally. The criteria of successive reviews emphasise equal electorates as well as restricting seats to one or, if unavoidable, two local authority areas.

Political history

The constituency was held by the Labour Party without interruption from a by-election in 1937 until former Labour member and leader Jeremy Corbyn won it as an independent in 2024. From 1945 to 2019, Labour's smallest majority was 10.4% of the vote, in a by-election in 1969, on a very low turnout.

As a Labour candidate, Corbyn had his smallest majority (15.3%) in 1983, when he was first elected, and his largest (60.5%) in 2017, when he was leader of the party. In the ten elections since Corbyn began representing the constituency, the Conservatives have finished in second place five times while the Liberal Democrats have also been runners up on five occasions. The 2015 result made the seat the 26th safest of Labour's 232 seats by percentage of majority.

In the 2016 referendum to leave the European Union, the constituency voted remain by 78.4%. This was the fifth highest support for remain for a constituency.

Members of Parliament

Election	Member	Party
1885	Sir George Trout Bartley	REDIRECT Template:Party name with color
1906	David Waterlow	REDIRECT Template:Party name with color
Dec 1910	Sir George Touche	REDIRECT Template:Party name with color
1918	Sir Newton Moore	REDIRECT Template:Party name with color
1923	Sir Henry Cowan	REDIRECT Template:Party name with color
1929	Robert Young	REDIRECT Template:Party name with color
1931	Albert Goodman	REDIRECT Template:Party name with color
1937	Leslie Haden-Guest	REDIRECT Template:Party name with color
1950	Moelwyn Hughes	REDIRECT Template:Party name with color
1951	Wilfred Fienburgh	REDIRECT Template:Party name with color
1958	Gerry Reynolds	REDIRECT Template:Party name with color
1969	Michael O'Halloran	REDIRECT Template:Party name with color
1981		REDIRECT Template:Party name with color
1983		REDIRECT Template:Party name with color
1983	Jeremy Corbyn	REDIRECT Template:Party name with color
2020		REDIRECT Template:Party name with color

Election results

File:Isl N Election Results.png

Election results 1885-2024

Elections:

2020s

2010s

2000s

1990s

1980s

1970s

1960s

1950s

1940s

1930s

1920s

1910s

Elections in the 2020s

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General election 2024: Islington North

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Praful Nargund	16,873	34.4
		Sheridan Kates	2,660	5.4
		Karen Harries	1,950	4.0
		Martyn Nelson	1,710	3.5
		Vikas Aggarwal	1,661	3.4
	Independent	Paul Josling	32	0.1
Majority			7,247	14.8
Turnout			49,006	67.5
style="color:inherit;background-color: Template:If empty" |	gain from Template:Yesno		Swing

Elections in the 2010s

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General election 2019: Islington North

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Nick Wakeling	8,415	15.6
		James Clark	5,483	10.2
		Caroline Russell	4,326	8.0
		Yosef David	742	1.4
		Nick The Incredible Flying Brick	236	0.4
Majority			26,188	48.7
Turnout			53,805	71.6
	hold		Swing

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General election 2017: Islington North

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		James Clark	6,871	12.5
		Keith Angus	4,946	9.0
		Caroline Russell	2,229	4.1
		Keith Fraser	413	0.8
		Michael Foster	208	0.4
		Knigel Knapp	106	0.2
		Susanne Cameron-Blackie	41	0.1
		Bill Martin	21	0.1
		Andres Mendoza	7	0.03
Majority			33,215	60.5
Turnout			54,928	73.4
	hold		Swing	+8.7

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General election 2015: Islington North

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Alex Burghart	8,465	17.2
		Caroline Russell	5,043	10.2
		Julian Gregory	3,984	8.1
		Greg Clough	1,971	4.0
		Bill Martin	112	0.2
Majority			21,194	43.0
Turnout			49,234	67.1
	hold		Swing

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General election 2010: Islington North

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Rhodri Jamieson-Ball	11,875	26.7
		Adrian Berrill-Cox	6,339	14.2
		Emma Dixon	1,348	3.0
		Dominic Lennon	716	1.6
Majority			12,401	27.8
Turnout			44,554	65.4
	hold		Swing	+3.3

Elections in the 2000s

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General election 2005: Islington North

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Laura Willoughby	9,402	29.9
		Nicola Talbot	3,740	11.9
		Jon Nott	2,234	7.1
Majority			6,716	21.3
Turnout			31,494	53.9
	hold		Swing	−10.8

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General election 2001: Islington North

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Laura Willoughby	5,741	19.0
		Neil Rands	3,249	10.8
		Christopher Ashby	1,876	6.2
		Stephen Cook	512	1.7
	Reform 2000 Party	Emine Hassan	139	0.5
Majority			12,958	42.9
Turnout			30,216	48.8
	hold		Swing	−6.4

Elections in the 1990s

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General election 1997: Islington North

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		James Kempton	4,879	13.6
		Simon Fawthrop	4,631	12.9
		Christopher Ashby	1,516	4.2
Majority			19,955	55.6
Turnout			35,860	62.5
	hold		Swing	+6.7

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General election 1992: Islington North

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Lurline Champagnie	8,958	23.7
		Sarah Ludford	5,732	15.1
		Christopher Ashby	1,420	3.8
Majority			12,784	33.7
Turnout			37,852	66.6
	hold		Swing

Elections in the 1980s

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General election 1987: Islington North

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Ernest Noad	9,920	25.3
		Alan Whelan	8,560	21.8
		Christopher Ashby	1,131	2.9
Majority			9,657	24.7
Turnout			39,188	66.5
	hold		Swing

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General election 1983: Islington North

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		David A. Coleman	9,344	25.3
		John Grant	8,268	22.4
		Michael O'Halloran	4,091	11.1
		L. A. D. Bearsford-Walker	176	0.5
		Roy A. J. Lincoln	134	0.4
Majority			5,607	15.1
Turnout			36,964	66.5
	hold		Swing

Elections in the 1970s

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General election 1979: Islington North

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Neil Kerr	7,861	33.6
		(Hugh) Kenneth Clarke	2,079	8.9
		Stephen Hook	501	2.1
		Michael Simpson	438	1.9
		Roy McCullogh	217	0.9
Majority			4,456	19.0
Turnout			23,413	61.2
	hold		Swing

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General election October 1974: Islington North

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Charles Wellesley	6,155	27.5
		Michael Davenport	2,736	12.2
	Labour and Democrat	D. Fallon	558	2.5
Majority			6,818	30.4
Turnout			22,422	54.2
	hold		Swing

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General election February 1974: Islington North

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Mark Wolfson	6,704	25.8
		Michael Davenport	4,503	17.3
		J. Score	871	3.4
	Labour and Democrat	D. Fallon	570	2.2
Majority			6,628	25.5
Turnout			25,980	63.1
	hold		Swing

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General election 1970: Islington North

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Andrew Pearce	7,862	35.6
		Brian Green	1,232	5.6
Majority			5,148	23.1
Turnout			22,104	49.0
	hold		Swing

Elections in the 1960s

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1969 Islington North by-election

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Andrew Pearce	5,754	38.9
		Eric G. Thwaites	1,514	10.2
	Independent Socialist	Austin Williams	245	1.7
Majority			1,534	10.4
Turnout			14,801	32.8
	hold		Swing	−9.2

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General election 1966: Islington North

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Michael Morris	8,357	30.69
		Eric G. Thwaites	2,682	9.85
Majority			7,831	28.77
Turnout			27,227	54.23
	hold		Swing

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General election 1964: Islington North

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Victor Lyon	8,912	31.75
		Eric G. Thwaites	3,634	12.95
Majority			6,613	23.56
Turnout			28,071	54.70
	hold		Swing

Elections in the 1950s

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General election 1959: Islington North

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Ronald Bartle	14,820	44.2
Majority			3,898	11.6
Turnout			33,538	62.0
	hold		Swing	−12.5

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1958 Islington North by-election

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Ronald Bartle	5,968	30.3
		Jim McKie	576	2.9
Majority			7,461	36.5
Turnout			19,703	35.6
	hold		Swing	+7.9

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General election 1955: Islington North

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Euan Mackinnon	14,522	39.7
Majority			7,578	20.6
Turnout			36,622	64.7
	hold		Swing	+0.7

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General election 1951: Islington North

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Graham Page	18,541	40.4
Majority			8,865	19.2
Turnout			45,947	77.8
	hold		Swing	−0.8

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General election 1950: Islington North

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Graham Page	16,935	37.2
		Robert Eric Burns	2,189	4.8
Majority			9,419	20.7
Turnout			45,478	76.7
	hold		Swing	−7.1

Elections in the 1940s

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General election 1945: Islington North

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Charles Rhys	11,240	32.6
Majority			11,994	34.8
Turnout			23,236	67.2
	hold		Swing

Elections in the 1930s

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1937 Islington North by-election

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Wilfrid Sugden	12,227	47.5
Majority			1,296	5.0
Turnout			27,750	40.4
style="color:inherit;background-color: Template:If empty" |	gain from Template:Yesno		Swing	6.9

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General election 1935: Islington North

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Robert Young	17,359	45.56
Majority			3,385	8.88
Turnout			38,103	59.69
	hold		Swing

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General election 1931: Islington North

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Robert Young	14,783	33.93
Majority			14,007	32.14
Turnout			43,573	66.54
style="color:inherit;background-color: Template:If empty" |	gain from Template:Yesno		Swing

Elections in the 1920s

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General election 1929: Islington North

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Gordon Touche	15,207	34.8
		Domini Crosfield	10,210	23.4
Majority			3,065	7.0
Turnout			43,689	68.0
style="color:inherit;background-color: Template:If empty" |	gain from Template:Yesno		Swing	+8.1

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General election 1924: Islington North

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Ewart Culpin	12,376	35.3
		Norman Thomas Carr Sargant	7,136	20.3
Majority			3,186	9.1
Turnout			35,074	72.2
	hold		Swing	+0.8

File:1917 Sir Henry Cowan.jpg

Henry Cowan

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General election 1923: Islington North

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Norman Thomas Carr Sargant	10,219	34.6
		George Bennett	8,556	28.9
Majority			583	1.9
Turnout			29,577	61.6
	hold		Swing	−10.0

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General election 1922: Islington North

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Edith Picton-Turbervill	7,993	27.8
		Norman Thomas Carr Sargant	7,256	25.2
Majority			5,527	19.2
Turnout			28,769	61.1
	hold		Swing	−17.3

Elections in the 1910s

File:Newton Moore (1870-1936).jpeg

Moore

Template:Election box winning candidate with party link coalition 1918Template:Election box registered electorsTemplate:Election box end 1918 * Craig lists Arnall as an Independent Labour candidate.

File:Sir George Alexander Touche, 1st Baronet in 1915.jpg

Touche

General election 1918: Islington North

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		*John Arnall	4,000	19.3
		Norman Thomas Carr Sargant	2,529	12.2
Majority			10,183	49.2
Turnout			20,712	49.6
	hold		Swing	+26.3

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General election December 1910: Islington North

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		David Waterlow	5,022	48.1
Majority			406	3.8
Turnout			10,450	82.4
style="color:inherit;background-color: Template:If empty" |	gain from Template:Yesno		Swing	+2.0

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General election January 1910: Islington North

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		George Touche	5,512	49.9
Majority			31	0.2
Turnout			11,055	87.2
	hold		Swing	−4.4

Elections in the 1900s

File:David Waterlow.jpg

Waterlow

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General election 1906: Islington North

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		George Trout Bartley	4,418	45.5
Majority			866	9.0
Turnout			9,702	80.3
style="color:inherit;background-color: Template:If empty" |	gain from Template:Yesno		Swing	+20.0

File:Edmund Rawlings.jpg

Rawlings

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General election 1900: Islington North

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Edmund Charles Rawlings	2,567	34.5
Majority			2,314	31.0
Turnout			7,448	62.3
	hold		Swing	+7.3

Elections in the 1890s

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General election 1895: Islington North

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Thomas Bateman Napier	3,317	41.8
Majority			1,309	16.4
Turnout			7,943	73.5
	hold		Swing	+3.2

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General election 1892: Islington North

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		James Hill	3,646	45.0
Majority			810	10.0
Turnout			8,102	75.1
	hold		Swing	−8.6

Elections in the 1880s

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General election 1886: Islington North

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Peter Clayden	1,976	36.4
Majority			1,480	27.2
Turnout			5,432	69.9
	hold		Swing	+9.2

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General election 1885: Islington North

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
		Samuel Danks Waddy	2,972	45.6
Majority			573	8.8
Turnout			6,517	83.8

Further information

A short film was made about the 1969 by-election. This highlighted the importance of the local Irish community, the poor local housing conditions (the opening line talks of "a crowded, crumbling constituency") and the relatively low turn-outs at previous elections. The film is now available through British Pathé Archive.

Michael O'Halloran, elected Labour MP for Islington North in 1969, was the subject of an investigation in the early-1970s by The Sunday Times newspaper. They highlighted his background with a local building company and the local Irish community and queried the tactics of his supporters during his selection as candidate.

O'Halloran defected to the SDP in September 1981, as did both of the other Islington MPs. However the Boundary Commission cut the number of constituencies in Islington from three to two. O'Halloran sought selection as the SDP candidate for the revised Islington North constituency but the local SDP association selected John Grant, then-SDP (elected as Labour) MP for Islington Central, as their official candidate. In February 1983, O'Halloran resigned his membership of the SDP and sat in Parliament as an "Independent Labour" member, supporting the Parliamentary Labour Party. Despite this, he failed to regain the Labour Party nomination for the 1983 general election and he was defeated by the new Labour candidate, Jeremy Corbyn, and finished in fourth place with 11.1% of the vote.

Corbyn defeated Paul Boateng for the Labour Party selection. Boateng subsequently became the first Black Cabinet Minister in the UK.

See also

• List of parliamentary constituencies in London
• List of parliamentary constituencies in Islington

External links

• Politics Resources (election results from 1922 onwards)
• Electoral Calculus (election results from 1955 onwards)
• Islington North UK Parliament constituency (boundaries April 1997 – April 2010) at MapIt UK
• Islington North UK Parliament constituency (boundaries April 2010 – May 2024) at MapIt UK
• Islington North UK Parliament constituency (boundaries from June 2024) at MapIt UK

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