Highbury West by-election

I've just found out that we'll be facing a Council by-election in Highbury West on 5 May as Mary Creagh has resigned her council seat in order to fight Wakefield in the General Election.

Highbury West is one of our best wards and we narrowly missed getting our first councillor elected there in 2002. I now find myself in the position of fighting two elections - most likely on the same day - as I have long been selected as a candidate for Highbury West.

Based on the 2002 result we need to convince about 80 Labour voters to switch in order to elect Islington's first Green councillor. Given the work we've been putting in year-round we're confident that we can do this. We're helped by the fact that Highbury West is somewhere that the LibDems do appallingly badly. They came a poor third in 2002 and in last June's elections to the London Assembly and the European Parliament.

Here's my first press release of the by-election campaign:

Greens confident of winning first councillor

Islington Green Party announced their candidate for the Highbury West by-election today. Jon Nott, 32, stood in the Highbury West in the 2002 council elections when the Green Party narrowly missed out on their first Islington councillor. Jon also stood for the London Assembly in June last year and again the Green Party were the clear challengers to Labour.

"Only the Green Party can beat Labour in Highbury West," says Jon. "We are the only party working for Highbury residents all year round and this is reflected in the level of support in recent elections."

"Highbury West has suffered badly from the way the Council has mismanaged the Arsenal stadium move. Residents deserve someone who will speak up for them on the Council and only the Green Party provides the real choice for real change."

"The Green Party is the only party to oppose the further privatisation of Islington's schools and the only party offering a real solution to transport problems. Greens on the London Assembly and in the European Parliament are already delivering improvements for Highbury West residents - electing a Green councillor will make a real difference."

The LibDems came a poor third in Highbury West in both the 2002 Council elections and last years' London Assembly and European Parliament elections.

Jon is a former Vice-Chair of CND, whose headquarters are in Highbury West, and has lived in Islington for five years and worked for a human rights campaign based in Archway since 1998. He lives with his partner and her daughter.

The Highbury West by-election has been called for Thursday 5 May following the resignation of Cllr Mary Creagh. Mary Creagh is standing down to pursue her political career in Wakefield, where she will stand at the General Election.

Notes:
1. The Green Party was only 148 votes short of winning their first Council seat in Highbury West in 2002. The Liberal Democrats were over 600 votes behind.

2. In Highbury West Jon Nott was the clear challenger to the winning Labour candidate in last June's election to the London Assembly.

Labour - 784 (32.5%)
Green - 565 (23.5%)
LibDem - 371 (15.5%)
Conservative - 288 (12.0%)