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Islington London Borough Council

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Islington London Borough Council, also known as Islington Council, is the local authority for the London Borough of Islington in Greater London, England. The council has been under Labour majority control since 2010. The council meets at Islington Town Hall.

Islington Council
Coat of arms or logo
Coat of arms
Islington Council logo
Type
Type
HousesUnicameral
Leadership
Jason Jackson,
Labour
since 15 May 2025[1]
Una O'Halloran,
Labour
since 19 November 2024
Victoria Lawson
since 8 January 2024[2]
Structure
Seats51 councillors
Graph of the party split among 51 seats.
Political groups
Administration (32)
  Labour (32)
Opposition (19)
  Green (19)
Length of term
Whole council elected every four years
Elections
Plurality at-large (FPTP)
Last election
7 May 2026
Next election
2 May 2030[3][4]
Meeting place
Islington Town Hall, Upper Street, London, N1 2UD
Website
www.islington.gov.uk

History

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There has been an elected Islington local authority since 1856 when the vestry of the ancient parish of Islington was incorporated under the Metropolis Management Act 1855. The vestry served as one of the lower tier authorities within the area of the Metropolitan Board of Works, which was established to provide services across the metropolis of London.[5] In 1889 the Metropolitan Board of Works' area was made the County of London. In 1900 the lower tier was reorganised into metropolitan boroughs, each with a borough council, two of which were called Islington (covering the parish of Islington) and Finsbury (covering a group of smaller parishes and territories south of Islington).[6]

The London Borough of Islington and its council were created under the London Government Act 1963, with the first election held in 1964.[7] For its first year the council acted as a shadow authority alongside the area's outgoing authorities, which were the councils of the two metropolitan boroughs of Islington and Finsbury.[8] The new council formally came into its powers on 1 April 1965, at which point the old boroughs and their councils were abolished.[9]

The council's full legal name is the "Mayor and Burgesses of the London Borough of Islington".[10]

From 1965 until 1986 the council was a lower-tier authority, with upper-tier functions provided by the Greater London Council. The split of powers and functions meant that the Greater London Council was responsible for "wide area" services such as fire, ambulance, flood prevention, and refuse disposal; with the boroughs (including Islington) responsible for "personal" services such as social care, libraries, cemeteries and refuse collection. The Greater London Council was abolished in 1986 and its functions passed to the London Boroughs, with some services provided through joint committees.[11] Islington became a local education authority in 1990 when the Inner London Education Authority was dissolved.[12]

Since 2000 the Greater London Authority has taken some responsibility for highways and planning control from the council, but within the English local government system the council remains a "most purpose" authority in terms of the available range of powers and functions.[13]

Powers and functions

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The local authority derives its powers and functions from the London Government Act 1963 and subsequent legislation, and has the powers and functions of a London borough council. It sets council tax and as a billing authority it also collects precepts for Greater London Authority functions and business rates.[14] It sets planning policies which complement Greater London Authority and national policies, and decides on almost all planning applications accordingly. It is a local education authority and is also responsible for council housing, social services, libraries, waste collection and disposal, traffic, and most roads and environmental health.[15]

Political control

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The council has been under Labour majority control since 2010. The first election was held in 1964, initially operating as a shadow authority alongside the outgoing authorities until it came into its powers on 1 April 1965. Political control of the council since 1965 has been as follows:[16][17][18]

Party in controlYears
Labour1965–1968
Conservative1968–1971
Labour1971–1981
SDP1981–1982
Labour1982–1998
No overall control1998–1999
Liberal Democrats1999–2006
No overall control2006–2010
Labour2010–present

Leadership

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The role of Mayor of Islington is largely ceremonial. Political leadership is instead provided by the leader of the council. The leaders since 1965 have been:[19]

CouncillorPartyFromTo
David Gwyn JonesLabour19651968
Donald Bromfield[20]Conservative19681969
Michael MorrisConservative19691971
David Gwyn JonesLabour19711972
Gerry SouthgateLabour1972May 1981
Donald HoodlessLabourMay 1981Dec 1981
Jim EvansSDPDec 1981May 1982
Margaret HodgeLabourMay 1982May 1992
Derek SawyerLabourMay 1992May 1994
Alan ClintonLabourMay 1994May 1997
Derek SawyerLabourMay 1997Dec 1999
Steve Hitchins[21]Liberal DemocratsDec 1999May 2006
James Kempton[22][23]Liberal Democrats16 May 2006May 2009
Terry Stacy[24]Liberal Democrats14 May 2009May 2010
Catherine West[25][26]Labour18 May 201010 Oct 2013
Richard Watts[27][28][29]Labour10 Oct 201320 May 2021
Kaya Comer-Schwartz[29][30][31]Labour20 May 2021Oct 2024
Una O'Halloran[32][33]Labour19 Nov 2024

Composition

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Following the May 2026 election, the composition of the council is as follows:[34]

PartyCouncillors
Labour32
Green19
Total51

The next election is due in May 2030.[35]

Wards

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The wards of Islington and the number of seats:[36]

  1. Arsenal (3)
  2. Barnsbury (3)
  3. Bunhill (3)
  4. Caledonian (3)
  5. Canonbury (3)
  6. Clerkenwell (3)
  7. Finsbury Park (3)
  8. Highbury (3)
  9. Hillrise (3)
  10. Holloway (3)
  11. Junction (3)
  12. Laycock (3)
  13. Mildmay (3)
  14. St Mary's & St James' (3)
  15. St Peter's & Canalside (3)
  16. Tollington (3)
  17. Tufnell Park (3)

Elections

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Since the last boundary changes in 2022 the council has comprised 51 councillors that represent 17 wards, with each ward electing three councillors. Elections are held every four years.[37]

Premises

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222 Upper Street, London, N1 1XR: Council offices, built 1983

The council meets and has some of its offices at Islington Town Hall on Upper Street, which was built in phases between 1922 and 1925 for the old Islington Borough Council.[38] The council's other main offices are in a separate building nearby at 222 Upper Street, which was purpose-built for the council in 1983.[39][40]

See also

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References

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  1. ↑ Loubser, Isabel (16 May 2025). "Islington's new mayor is Jason Jackson". Islington Tribune. Retrieved 24 May 2025.
  2. ↑ "Chief Executive". Islington Council. 8 January 2024. Retrieved 19 April 2024.
  3. ↑ "Local authority, combined authority, and county combined authority election cycles in England". GOV.UK.
  4. ↑ "Representation of the People Act 1983". www.legislation.gov.uk.
  5. ↑ Metropolis Management Act 1855 (18 & 19 Vict. c. 120)
  6. ↑ London Government Act 1899 (62 & 63 Vict. c. 14)
  7. ↑ "London Government Act 1963", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, 1978 c. 33, retrieved 16 May 2024
  8. ↑ Youngs, Frederic (1979). Guide to the Local Administrative Units of England. Vol. I: Southern England. London: Royal Historical Society. ISBN 0901050679.
  9. ↑ Youngs, Frederic (1979). Guide to the Local Administrative Units of England. Vol. I: Southern England. London: Royal Historical Society. ISBN 0901050679.
  10. ↑ "Deed of Variation" (PDF). Islington Council. Retrieved 19 April 2024.
  11. ↑ "Local Government Act 1985", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, 1985 c. 51, retrieved 5 April 2024
  12. ↑ Education Reform Act 1988 (c. 40)
  13. ↑ Leach, Steve (1998). Local Government Reorganisation: The Review and its Aftermath. Routledge. p. 107. ISBN 978-0714648590.
  14. ↑ "Council Tax and Business Rates Billing Authorities". Council Tax Rates. Retrieved 8 April 2020.
  15. ↑ "Local Plan Responses – within and outside London". Mayor of London. 12 November 2015. Retrieved 9 April 2020.
  16. ↑ "Compositions Calculator". The Elections Centre. University of Exeter. Retrieved 21 May 2025. (Put "Islington" in search box to see specific results.)
  17. ↑ "Islington". BBC News Online. 19 April 2009. Retrieved 4 August 2011.
  18. ↑ "LibDems take control of Islington". The Herald. 17 December 1999. Archived from the original on 7 November 2012. Retrieved 4 August 2011.
  19. ↑ "London Boroughs Political Almanac: London Borough of Islington". London Councils. Archived from the original on 16 January 2021. Retrieved 24 May 2025.
  20. ↑ "All-Labour council goes under new management". The Times. London. 10 May 1968. p. 1.
  21. ↑ Cumiskey, Lucas (25 September 2019). "Steve Hitchins obituary: Former Lib Dem Islington Council leader and Whittington Health Trust chair dies". Islington Gazette. Retrieved 30 June 2022.
  22. ↑ "Council minutes, 16 May 2006" (PDF). Islington Council. Retrieved 24 May 2025.
  23. ↑ Ellery, Simon (3 April 2009). "Islington leader steps down". Local Government Chronicle. Retrieved 24 May 2025.
  24. ↑ "Council minutes, 14 May 2009" (PDF). Islington Council. Retrieved 24 May 2025.
  25. ↑ "Council minutes, 18 May 2010" (PDF). Islington Council. Retrieved 24 May 2025.
  26. ↑ Dean, Jon (16 September 2013). "Islington Council leader to stand down next month". Islington Gazette. Retrieved 24 May 2025.
  27. ↑ "Council minutes, 10 October 2013" (PDF). Islington Council. Retrieved 24 May 2025.
  28. ↑ "Richard Watts to stand down as leader of Islington Council". Islington Citizen. 2 March 2021. Retrieved 24 May 2025.
  29. 1 2 "Council minutes, 20 May 2021". Islington Council. Retrieved 24 May 2025.
  30. ↑ Batholomew, Emma (20 May 2021). "Cllr Kaya Comer-Schwartz takes over as leader of Islington Council". Islington Gazette.
  31. ↑ Loubser, Isabel (11 October 2024). "Islington Council leader resigns". Islington Tribune. Retrieved 24 May 2025.
  32. ↑ "Council minutes, 19 November 2024". Islington Council. Retrieved 24 May 2025.
  33. ↑ "Cllr Una O'Halloran becomes Leader of Islington Council". Islington Council News. 11 February 2025. Retrieved 11 February 2025.
  34. ↑ "Islington election result - Local Elections 2026". BBC News. Retrieved 8 May 2026.
  35. ↑ "Councils Map | LocalCouncils.co.uk". www.localcouncils.co.uk. Retrieved 8 May 2026.
  36. ↑ "The London Borough of Islington (Electoral Changes) Order 2020". gov.uk. 14 September 2020. Retrieved 14 November 2021.
  37. ↑ "The London Borough of Islington (Electoral Changes) Order 2020", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, SI 2020/969, retrieved 19 April 2024
  38. ↑ Historic England. "Islington Town Hall (Grade II) (1297950)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 19 April 2024.
  39. ↑ "The Civic Plunge Revisited" (PDF). Twentieth Century Society. 24 March 2012. Retrieved 25 April 2020.
  40. ↑ "Petitions". Islington Council. Retrieved 19 April 2024.
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