Margaret Hodge, recently seen making the CEO of Starbucks squirm like a schoolboy; James Purnell, newly appointed BBC director of strategy and digital; and shadow education secretary Stephen Twigg — what do they all have in common? Before they climbed to such heights these politicians were all Islington councillors.
Terry Stacy, leader of the Liberal Democrats in Islington, congratulated council leader Catherine West last week on winning a national award and facetiously wished her success in her parliamentary career. Rumours, as yet unconfirmed, abound that she will be standing for selection in nearby Hornsey and Wood Green, where she was shortlisted in 2007.
But similar trends can be seen within Stacy’s own party. Liberal Democrat Rhodri Jamieson-Ball stood against Jeremy Corbyn in Islington North after being elected as a councillor in Mildmay in 2006. Bridget Fox, a former Islington councillor for Barnsbury ward, stood against Emily Thornberry in Islington South and Finsbury in 2010.
Margaret Hodge, who led Islington council for ten years from 1982, said: “Inner London attracts sad politicos who want to become MPs.” She maintains it is not just the case in Islington: “It’s simply because it is Central London. The same thing happens in Camden, Hackney, Southwark and also Lambeth.”
Stephen Twigg, the Shadow Education Minister, said: “I might put it more kindly than that.”
Having started out in student politics as the head of the NUS, he believes his experience as a councillor taught him invaluable lessons about representing people. Moving back to London after university he wanted to live closer to the centre than his native Enfield. He maintains he picked an area to live in and not a council to stand for.
So why Islington?
According to the deputy leader of the council, Paul Smith, Islington is highly regarded by Labour as a workshop for future manifesto pledges. He is unsurprised that leaders and innovators are attracted to the council but he maintains this does not mean they neglect their duties as councillors.
Twigg agrees, praising policies such as free school meals, the fairness commission and the lead Islington council has taken on the living wage. He says the party is looking at the work of Labour councils as they undertake their policy review.
But both Lucy Rigby who is contesting Lincoln – 18th on Labour’s target list – and Jessica Asato for Norwich North – which is 67th – say they moved to the north of the capital for its culture and the opportunity to socialise, rather than the political scene.
For Ms Rigby, who works as a lawyer, Angel was a convenient place to live. “I was working just on the edge of the City and I could walk to work from there. It was a great place to be a young person and to live. Then I got involved with my local party. I chose the area to live in, not the council.”
Ms Asato thinks the area itself encourages the kind of people who might be interested in left-wing politics. “It’s got a very proud track record of welcoming diversity and for being a fantastic place for people to get involved no matter what their politics or what their background might be.”
But she is more open to the charge of career politician, a fact she readily admits in light of her role as a self-confessed ‘bag-carrier’ for Tessa Jowell, the former Olympics minister.
She has been vice chair of the Fabian Society, a council member of the Electoral Reform Society, a director of Left Foot Forward, acting director of Progress, vice chair of Young Labour and director of the Labour Yes! Campaign, in favour of AV. Cut her and she bleeds, well, red.
She says becoming a councillor was not just to help her become an MP. “Do you know it would be much easier for me not to have gone on the council? It’s not a stepping stone. The reason why I stood for Norwich North and for selection is because I grew up in Norfolk and I wasn’t going to let that opportunity get away from me.”
Lucy Rigby, who says being a councillor whetted her appetite for politics, disagrees. “I think some councillors figure out what they can change as a politician,” she says, “and then they think that actually they could make much more wide-ranging reforms from Westminster.”
The point at which people go for parliamentary selection seems to be as much about the timing of selections as anything else.
Nobody likes to be accused of parachuting into a seat from the lofty heights of party HQ and attempts by the national party to do so have seen a backlash from the local parties.
Candidates therefore clutch at any connection they might have and hope to be selected somewhere where they can make that claim. For seats outside London, that can be difficult.
Of the 2010 Islington intake three other councillors were unsuccessful. Mildmay councillor Kate Groucutt stood in Cardiff South where she had local connections, Andy Hull went for selection in Bradford West while Charlynne Pullen was unsuccessful in Milton Keynes South.
As Ms Asato identifies, the trend may be London-wide rather than Islington based. “It’s the centre of power. We don’t have huge regional government in this country. So anyone who’s interested in politics comes to London”.
Lynne Featherstone, MP for Hornsey and Wood Green, is a former Haringey councillor; Heidi Alexander, who represents Lewisham East, served as a councillor in Lewisham Borough council; and even Jeremy Corbyn, who no one could accuse of being a career politician, served as a councillor in Islington.
Maybe Ms Asato is right. As the seat of power, London will always attract those seeking to go into politics and Islington is just a little more rouge than Chelsea.
