The latest headlines in your inbox
The latest headlines in your inbox
From Tony Blair to Jeremy Corbyn, Islington has a rich Labour history.
But in a borough where 75 per cent voted Remain, the party is facing the threat of traditional supporters switching to the Liberal Democrats or Greens because Mr Corbyn has dragged his feet over a second referendum.
While Islington North has been held by Mr Corbyn since 1983, the more affluent south is the constituency of shadow foreign secretary Emily Thornberry.
In the latter — among the independent shops and Victorian terraces close to Upper Street — voters say they could switch to the Liberal Democrats in next week’s European elections.
“I’m Labour — I’ve been Labour for years,” says vintage shop owner Annie Moss, whose customers have included Kate Moss and Ralph Lauren.
But the owner of Annie’s in Camden Passage said she is considering voting for the Lib Dems, who have positioned themselves as the “Remain party”, adding: “I want to remain within Europe more than anything else.
“Islington is traditionally Labour and I think an awful lot are thinking Lib Dem. Jeremy Corbyn is on the fence, which is a shame.
“I also feel we must have a second referendum because an awful lot of people didn’t know what they were voting for the first time.”
The parade of shops is just yards from the site of Mr Blair and Gordon Brown’s famous “Granita pact” over the leadership of the Labour Party.
The Granita restaurant is long gone, with the site now home to a marketing suite for Galliard Homes’ £400 million Islington Square development of apartments and shops.
Remain voter Steve Cooper, 44, owner of cheese shop Pistachio and Pickle, said he was going to shun the two mainstream parties: “I will probably vote Lib Dem but I haven’t decided. In the area everyone is a remainer.
“If we are leaving then — dare I say — this is a waste of taxpayers’ money. How many hundreds of thousands of pounds is it costing to vote for this when we are not actually going to be included? Go spend it on a school or to rejuvenate the high street.”
Mother and psychiatrist Dr Aurelie Pach, 38, said: “I’m very sorry about Brexit. I’m French, so for me it’s a real heartbreak that the UK is going to get out of Europe.
“I am away for the elections. If I had voted I would go for a party that is pro-Remain or at least has a sensible deal. At the moment I am not convinced by Labour or the Conservatives.”
Labour voter Samantha Perrin, 32, who works in marketing and was playing with her six-month-old son Oscar in Arlington Square, said: “My husband is French and I think we both feel a bit let down by the whole Brexit vote. I have considered voting for the other parties but they just don’t seem credible. I will probably end up voting for Labour, as I always do.”
MP Ms Thornberry said: “The vast majority of people in my constituency didn’t want Brexit in the first place and can see the whole thing has become a total mess.
“So I think they are right to demand — and I agree with them — that if any deal can be cobbled together to get through Parliament, we need to go back to the people and say ‘do you want this or do you want to remain?’”
Bernhard Niesner, chief executive of language learning app Busuu, which has its headquarters in Finsbury Square, added: “I 100 per cent would like to see a second referendum. In fact, the current deal is so bad that it doesn’t even pass Parliament.”
Photographer Nina Tschorn, 24, is originally from Germany and moved to England after her A-levels. She works in Kobo Cafe in Upper Street and said she will be voting in Germany for a party “on the Left” to prevent Right-wingers winning.
She said: “After Brexit I’m more aware that I’m only a migrant. I just applied for and got my settled status. I don’t know if I should be happy or sad about it. Obviously I’m happy I can stay — but it’s very sad having to apply for it.”
The Green Party’s Caroline Russell is the only opposition councillor on Labour-run Islington Council and her Highbury East ward is in Mr Corbyn’s constituency. The Greens say they have seen a surge in support.
Ms Russell said: “Islington Green Party is on fire. We’ve got more new members coming to ever session we advertise. It just feels like there is a massive Green wave. We are just getting new members all the time. People are literally following me down the street to get posters.”
