Congratulations to Labour’s Mick Gilgunn for his victory in the July 1 Tollington ward by-election, but thanks also to the many residents whose votes took the Green Party to a strong second place behind him.
Jonathan Ward, our candidate, only had a few weeks to win hearts and minds after Richard Watts’s sudden announcement that he was stepping down as a councillor.
But even in the former council leader’s own ward, a double-digit swing to the Green Party saw Labour’s percentage majority halved, which gives us high hopes for the borough-wide election next year.
On the doorstep Jonathan and his team found a positive reception to our messages that a “one-party state” Labour Islington is bad for local accountability and that the council should listen more to local people.
We’re looking forward to hearing what local voters say next May.
EMMA TURNER
Islington Green Party
