# 1998 Islington London Borough Council election

The 1998 Islington Council election took place on 7 May 1998 to elect members of Islington London Borough Council in London, England. The whole council was up for election and the Labour Party lost overall control of the council to no overall control.

## Election result

The results saw the Labour and Liberal Democrat parties finish tied on 26 seats each, after the Liberal Democrats gained 12 seats. The Liberal Democrat gains included taking the ward of Barnsbury, where the then Prime Minister Tony Blair had lived before becoming prime minister. In the final seat Labour won by 3 votes after 5 recounts to prevent the Liberal Democrats from winning a majority. This meant Labour was able to continue as the administration, relying on the casting vote of the Labour mayor Pat Haynes.
Reasons for the losses for Labour were reported as being the council tax level, which was the highest in London, poor schools and the council's £800 million debt.
At the same as the election Islington voted 81.55% in favour of the 1998 Greater London Authority referendum and 18.45% against, on a 34.15% turnout.
Islington Local Election Result 1998 :
| Party | Seats | Net gain/loss | Seats % | Votes % | Votes | +/− |
| Liberal Democrats | 26 | +14 | 50.0 | 41.4 | 44,391 | +15.3 |
| Labour | 26 | −13 | 50.0 | 40.6 | 43,388 | −8.8 |
| Conservative | 0 | −1 | 0 | 6.3 | 6,369 | −6.0 |
| Green | 0 | | 0 | 6.3 | 6,366 | |
| Independent | 0 | | 0 | 0.3 | 266 | |
| Socialist Labour | 0 | | 0 | 0.2 | 154 | |

## Ward results

* - Existing Councillor seeking re-election.
Barnsbury (3) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes |
| | Liberal Democrats | Bridget Fox | 1,725 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Alastair Loraine | 1,623 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Carol Powell | 1,575 |
| | Labour | Paula Kahn | 929 |
| | Labour | Steven Barnett | 914 |
| | Labour | Lloyd Child | 897 |
| | Green | Robert Pearce | 211 |
| | Conservative | Christopher Cox | 174 |
| | Tenants & Residents | John Worker | 131 |
| | Conservative | Martin Moyes | 111 |
| | Conservative | Jonathan Small | 96 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 8,386 |
| | Liberal Democrats gain from Labour | Liberal Democrats gain from Labour | Swing |
| | Liberal Democrats gain from Labour | Liberal Democrats gain from Labour | Swing |
| | Liberal Democrats gain from Labour | Liberal Democrats gain from Labour | Swing |
Bunhill (3) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes |
| | Liberal Democrats | Joseph Trotter | 1,317 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Rosetta Wooding | 1,236 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Jyoti Vaja | 1,176 |
| | Labour | Ian Darby | 555 |
| | Labour | Theresa Debono | 487 |
| | Labour | Hassan Asmal | 480 |
| | Socialist Labour | Sharon Hayward | 154 |
| | Green | Denise Bennett | 94 |
| | Conservative | Peter Cuthbert | 78 |
| | Conservative | Doris Daly | 76 |
| | Conservative | Alam-Zeb Khan | 71 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 5,724 |
| | Liberal Democrats gain from Labour | Liberal Democrats gain from Labour | Swing |
| | Liberal Democrats gain from Labour | Liberal Democrats gain from Labour | Swing |
| | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Swing |
Canonbury East (2) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes |
| | Liberal Democrats | Jonathan Dearth | 1,101 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Richard Washington | 1,026 |
| | Labour | Andrew Bosi | 750 |
| | Labour | Peter Lewis | 574 |
| | Green | Judith Kleinman | 92 |
| | Conservative | Timothy Devlin | 72 |
| | Conservative | Duncan Reed | 59 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,674 |
| | Liberal Democrats gain from Labour | Liberal Democrats gain from Labour | Swing |
| | Liberal Democrats gain from Labour | Liberal Democrats gain from Labour | Swing |
Canonbury West (2) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes |
| | Liberal Democrats | Angela Ribezzo | 985 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Barbara Smith | 955 |
| | Labour | Diane Brace | 544 |
| | Labour | Nicholas Stewart | 480 |
| | Conservative | Carol-Anne Aitken | 89 |
| | Conservative | Richard Campbell | 88 |
| | Green | Robert Turner | 54 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,195 |
| | Liberal Democrats gain from Labour | Liberal Democrats gain from Labour | Swing |
| | Liberal Democrats gain from Labour | Liberal Democrats gain from Labour | Swing |
Clerkenwell (3) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes |
| | Liberal Democrats | Sarah Ludford | 1,783 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Bruce Neave | 1,449 |
| | Liberal Democrats | George Allan | 1,427 |
| | Labour | Timothy Clark | 762 |
| | Labour | Harriet Quiney | 672 |
| | Labour | David Northcott | 576 |
| | Green | Raymond Cunningham | 259 |
| | Conservative | Gordon Dear | 162 |
| | Conservative | Nicholas Roberts | 132 |
| | Conservative | Margaret Reese | 118 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 7,340 |
| | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Swing |
| | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Swing |
| | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Swing |
Gillespie (2) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes |
| | Labour | Richard Greening | 966 |
| | Labour | Nigel Mason | 751 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Philip Middleton | 336 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Elizabeth Rorison | 312 |
| | Green | Sara Meidan | 276 |
| | Conservative | John Shields | 101 |
| | Conservative | Rifat Bairam | 87 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,829 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing |
Highbury (3) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes |
| | Labour | Mary Creagh | 1,107 |
| | Labour | Maureen Leigh | 1,052 |
| | Labour | Jenny Rathbone | 1,033 |
| | Green | Christopher Ashby | 748 |
| | Green | Malcolm Powell | 522 |
| | Green | Patricia Tuson | 513 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Kathleen Williams | 330 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Mark Hornby | 321 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Sheila Thornton | 313 |
| | Conservative | Andrew Brooke | 227 |
| | Conservative | Jean-Paul Floru | 199 |
| | Conservative | James Barbaras | 191 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 6,556 |
Highview (2) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes |
| | Labour | Ruairi McCourt | 766 |
| | Labour | Jennifer Sands | 720 |
| | Green | Michael Holloway | 223 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Jonathan Griffiths | 177 |
| | Green | Michele Wilson | 169 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Ursula Craig | 148 |
| | Conservative | Simon Matthews | 58 |
| | Conservative | Bruce Picking | 55 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,316 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing |
Hillmarton (2) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes |
| | Liberal Democrats | Doreen Scott | 1,028 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Edward Featherstone | 998 |
| | Labour | Antonia Benedek | 781 |
| | Labour | Phil Kelly * | 780 |
| | Green | Mark Chilver | 165 |
| | Conservative | Roy Taft | 82 |
| | Conservative | Mahendra Oza | 59 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,893 |
| | Liberal Democrats gain from Labour | Liberal Democrats gain from Labour | Swing |
| | Liberal Democrats gain from Labour | Liberal Democrats gain from Labour | Swing |
Hillrise (3) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes |
| | Labour | Alan Clinton | 1,036 |
| | Labour | Milton Babulall | 948 |
| | Labour | Sheila Camp | 940 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Heather Eggins | 426 |
| | Liberal Democrats | James Sanderson | 371 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Philip Vaughan | 328 |
| | Conservative | Maureen Campbell | 255 |
| | Green | Victoria Olliver | 255 |
| | Conservative | Simon Cooper | 180 |
| | Conservative | Bryan Wilsher | 143 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 4,882 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing |
Holloway (3) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes |
| | Liberal Democrats | Margot Dunn | 1,338 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Barry Kempton | 1,290 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Douglas Taylor | 1,262 |
| | Labour | Catriona Munro | 838 |
| | Labour | David Sayer | 830 |
| | Labour | Robert Dowd | 828 |
| | Green | Sheena Etches | 138 |
| | Conservative | Alan Reese | 99 |
| | Conservative | Mark Rittner | 94 |
| | Conservative | James Rooke | 91 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 6,808 |
| | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Swing |
| | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Swing |
| | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Swing |
Junction (3) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes |
| | Labour | Janet Burgess * | 1,104 |
| | Labour | Talal Karim | 940 |
| | Labour | Sandra Marks | 934 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Margaret Lally | 430 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Elizabeth Sidney | 347 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Alford Reeves | 319 |
| | Green | Angela Royston | 284 |
| | Green | Ajay Burlingham-Johnson | 271 |
| | Conservative | Charles Sharman | 167 |
| | Conservative | Anthea Ward | 152 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 4,948 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing |
Mildmay (3) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes |
| | Labour | Patrick Haynes | 1,056 |
| | Labour | Jennette Arnold | 1,022 |
| | Labour | Michael Boye-Anawomah | 941 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Anna Berent | 621 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Andrew Crudgington | 500 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Derek Jackson | 493 |
| | Green | Grant Gilbert | 290 |
| | Conservative | Adam Duguid | 277 |
| | Conservative | Oriel Hutchinson | 273 |
| | Conservative | Gary Moores | 252 |
| | Independent | Margaret McDonnell | 135 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 5,860 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing |
Quadrant (2) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes |
| | Liberal Democrats | David Barnes * | 1,161 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Laura Willoughby | 992 |
| | Labour | Philip Bird | 689 |
| | Labour | Caspar Bowden | 569 |
| | Conservative | Rebecca Baty | 274 |
| | Conservative | Oliver Judge | 239 |
| | Green | Susan Wilkinson | 141 |
| | Green | Stefan Tobler | 88 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 4,153 |
| | Liberal Democrats gain from Conservative | Liberal Democrats gain from Conservative | Swing |
| | Liberal Democrats gain from Labour | Liberal Democrats gain from Labour | Swing |
St George's (3) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes |
| | Labour | Rosemary Blackmore | 1,357 |
| | Labour | Walter Burgess | 1,165 |
| | Labour | Shonagh Methven | 1,147 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Jody Beveridge | 503 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Paul Fox | 464 |
| | Green | Mary Adshead | 450 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Julian Glover | 411 |
| | Conservative | Allan Saile | 216 |
| | Conservative | Rosemarie Totvanian | 161 |
| | Conservative | Glenn Timmermans | 152 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 6,026 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing |
St Mary (3) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes |
| | Liberal Democrats | Isobel Cox | 1,299 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Joan Coupland | 1,298 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Richard Heseltine | 1,272 |
| | Labour | Jessica Bawden | 815 |
| | Labour | Paul Convery | 796 |
| | Labour | Paul Jackson | 796 |
| | Green | Mjka Scott | 149 |
| | Conservative | Tracey Braddick | 118 |
| | Conservative | Stephen McMinnies | 88 |
| | Conservative | Lisa Ruffell | 79 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 6,710 |
| | Liberal Democrats gain from Labour | Liberal Democrats gain from Labour | Swing |
| | Liberal Democrats gain from Labour | Liberal Democrats gain from Labour | Swing |
| | Liberal Democrats gain from Labour | Liberal Democrats gain from Labour | Swing |
St Peter (3) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes |
| | Liberal Democrats | Maria Powell | 1,548 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Stephen Hitchins | 1,480 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Christopher Pryce | 1,373 |
| | Labour | Paula Beattie | 515 |
| | Labour | Nicholas Butcher | 460 |
| | Labour | Jenina Pendry | 350 |
| | Green | Ura Kiefer | 155 |
| | Conservative | Thomas Duke | 138 |
| | Conservative | Peter Warren | 94 |
| | Conservative | Ian Sparham-Souter | 90 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 6,203 |
| | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Swing |
| | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Swing |
| | Liberal Democrats hold | Liberal Democrats hold | Swing |
Sussex (2) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes |
| | Labour | Meg Hillier * | 884 |
| | Labour | Daniel Bonner | 859 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Graham Baker * | 856 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Hewa Jaff | 719 |
| | Green | Robin Latimer | 99 |
| | Green | Swadesh Poorun | 54 |
| | Conservative | Raymond Muggeridge | 38 |
| | Conservative | John Wilkin | 33 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 3,542 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing |
Thornhill (2) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes |
| | Labour | Ian Perry | 828 |
| | Labour | Edna Griffiths | 735 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Patricia Peel | 411 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Michael Aspell | 376 |
| | Green | Nicola Baird | 143 |
| | Conservative | Stanley Morris | 142 |
| | Conservative | Stephen Kreppel | 139 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 2,774 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing |
Tollington (3) :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes |
| | Labour | Roger McKenzie | 1,178 |
| | Labour | Barbara Sidnell | 1,149 |
| | Labour | Derek Sawyer | 1,103 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Elizabeth Macmillan | 418 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Matthew Ryan | 386 |
| | Green | James Goggin | 385 |
| | Liberal Democrats | David Tibbs | 358 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 4,977 |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing |
| | Labour hold | Labour hold | Swing |