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Islington North
Borough constituency for the House of Commons
Interactive map of boundaries from 2010
Location within Greater London
County	Greater London
Electorate	73,970 (2023)
Current constituency
Created	1885
Member of Parliament	Jeremy Corbyn (Independent)
Seats	One
Created from	Finsbury

Islington North (/ˈɪzlɪŋtən/ IZ-ling-tən) is a constituency in Greater London established for the 1885 general election. It has been represented in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament since 1983 by Jeremy Corbyn, who was Leader of the Labour Party and Leader of the Opposition from 2015 to 2020. Since 2020, Corbyn has represented the seat as an independent. He was re-elected to Islington North as an independent in the 2024 general election.

It is the smallest constituency by area, covering 7.38 square kilometres.

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

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

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

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 7.35 square kilometres (2.84 sq mi), 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 results

Elections in the 2020s

Elections in the 2010s

Elections in the 2000s

Elections in the 1990s

Elections in the 1980s

Elections in the 1970s

Elections in the 1960s

Elections in the 1950s

Elections in the 1940s

Elections in the 1930s

Elections in the 1920s

Elections in the 1910s

* Craig lists Arnall as an Independent Labour candidate.

Elections in the 1900s

Elections in the 1890s

Elections in the 1880s

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

Notes

1. A borough constituency (for the purposes of election expenses and type of returning officer)

References

1. "The 2023 Review of Parliamentary Constituency Boundaries in England – Volume two: Constituency names, designations and composition – London". Boundary Commission for England. Retrieved 21 June 2024.
2. "Jeremy Corbyn wins independent seat in Islington North". The Guardian. 3 July 2024. Retrieved 5 July 2024.
3. "Open Geography Portal". geoportal.statistics.gov.uk. Retrieved 8 July 2024.
4. "The Electoral Calculus' profile of Islington North". Electoral Calculus. Retrieved 14 June 2024.
5. "The Electoral Calculus' profile of Islington North". Electoral Calculus. Retrieved 14 June 2024.
6. Redistribution Of Seats Act, 1885. Sixth Schedule. Divisions Of Boroughs. Number, Names, Contents, And Boundaries Of Divisions.
7. ^ Youngs Jr., Frederic A. (1979). Guide to the Local Administrative Units of England, Vol.I: Southern England. London: Royal Historical Society. pp. 743, 746, 749. ISBN 0-901050-67-9.
8. Representation Of The People Act 1918. Ninth Schedule. Redistribution Of Seats.
9. Representation Of The People Act 1948, First Schedule. Parliamentary Constituencies.
10. The Parliamentary Constituencies (England) Order 1970 (S.I. 1970/1674).
11. The Parliamentary Constituencies (England) Order 1983 (S.I. 1983/417).
12. "The Parliamentary Constituencies (England) Order 1995 (S.I. 1995/1626)". legislation.gov.uk. The National Archives (United Kingdom). Retrieved 27 May 2013.
13. "Standard Area Measurements (2019) for Electoral Areas in the United Kingdom". geoportal.statistics.gov.uk. Retrieved 16 December 2022.
14. "The Parliamentary Constituencies (England) Order 2007 (S.I. 2007/1681)". legislation.gov.uk. The National Archives (United Kingdom). Retrieved 27 May 2013.
15. "The Parliamentary Constituencies Order 2023". Schedule 1 Part 3 London region.
16. Parliamentary constituencies, UK Parliament; Accessed 12 August 2015.
17. "Fifth Periodical Report" (PDF).
18. "Labour Members of Parliament 2015". UK Political.info. Archived from the original on 29 September 2018.
19. "Revised estimates of leave vote in Westminster constituencies". Retrieved 26 October 2016.
20. Leigh Rayment's Historical List of MPs – Constituencies beginning with "T" (part 1)
21. "Jeremy Corbyn". members.parliament.uk.
22. "Statement of Person Nominated and Notice of Poll: Islington North Constituency". Haringey Council. 7 June 2024.
23. "General Election 2019 candidates". London Borough of Islington. Retrieved 14 November 2019.
24. "Commons Briefing Paper 8749. General Election 2019: results and analysis" (PDF). London: House of Commons Library. 28 January 2020. Archived (PDF) from the original on 18 November 2021. Retrieved 19 January 2022.
25. "Election results". London Borough of Islington. Retrieved 7 May 2018.
26. "Commons Briefing Paper 7979. General Election 2017: results and analysis" (PDF) (Second ed.). House of Commons Library. 29 January 2019 . Archived (PDF) from the original on 12 November 2019.
27. "Election Data 2015". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 17 October 2015. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
28. "Islington Council". Archived from the original on 4 March 2016.
29. General Election – Campaign News Archived 2015-01-20 at the Wayback Machine Socialist Party of Great Britain, 15 January 2015.
30. "Election Data 2010". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 26 July 2013. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
31. "Islington Council" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 3 March 2012.
32. "Election Data 2005". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
33. "Election Data 2001". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
34. "Election Data 1997". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
35. "Election Data 1992". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
36. "Election Data 1987". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
37. "Election Data 1983". Electoral Calculus. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 October 2015.
38. ^ Election Expenses. Parliament of the United Kingdom. 1980. p. 16. ISBN 0102374805.
39. William Wolff (25 February 1974). "Why the Big Guns failed to fire". Daily Mirror. p. 15.
40. "1969 By Election Results". British Elections Ephemera Archive. Archived from the original on 14 March 2012. Retrieved 27 August 2015.
41. "1958 By Election Results". Archived from the original on 25 June 2012. Retrieved 15 August 2015.
42. British Parliamentary Election Results 1918–1949, F. W. S. Craig.
43. ^ British Parliamentary Election Results 1885–1918, F. W. S. Craig.
44. "Islington". London Standard. 6 July 1892. p. 5. Retrieved 11 November 2017.
45. "North Islington Elections (1969)". 13 April 2014. Archived from the original on 12 December 2021 – via www.youtube.com.

Bibliography

• Iain Dale, ed. (2003). The Times House of Commons 1929, 1931, 1935. Politico's (reprint). ISBN 1-84275-033-X.
• The Times House of Commons 1945. 1945. {{cite book}}: |work= ignored (help)
• The Times House of Commons 1950. 1950. {{cite book}}: |work= ignored (help)
• The Times House of Commons 1955. 1955. {{cite book}}: |work= ignored (help)
• Craig, F. W. S. (1983) . British parliamentary election results 1918–1949 (3rd ed.). Chichester: Parliamentary Research Services. ISBN 0-900178-06-X.

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

v t e Jeremy Corbyn
Leader of the Opposition (2015–2020) Leader of the Labour Party (UK) (2015–2020) MP for Islington North (1983–present)
Leadership	Leadership campaign Shadow Cabinet frontbench 2016 mass resignations Antisemitism in the British Labour Party
Politics	Political positions Electoral history Labour Party Momentum Democratic socialism Independent Alliance (UK)
Policies	Free education Proposed National Education Service Nuclear disarmament People's Quantitative Easing Renationalisation of British Rail
Elections	2015 (party leadership) 2016 local party leadership challenge 2017 local general 2018 (local) 2019 local European general
Family	Piers Corbyn (brother)
In the media	Comrade Corbyn Corbyn: The Strange Rebirth of Radical Politics Jeremy Corbyn: Accidental Hero Oh Jeremy Corbyn: the big lie The Left's Jewish Problem: Jeremy Corbyn, Israel and Anti‑Semitism Jeremy (snail) Corbynmania Corbyn wreath-laying controversy
Post-leadership	Peace & Justice Project Islington North in the 2024 United Kingdom general election
Category

51°33′40″N 0°06′50″W / 51.561°N 0.114°W / 51.561; -0.114

• Parliamentary constituencies in London
• Constituencies of the Parliament of the United Kingdom established in 1885
• Politics of the London Borough of Islington
• Jeremy Corbyn