Islington North Labour Party has been reconstituted, seven months after the general election and much longer after it was suspended in effect, but not officially, by cutting off its access to party membership data and systems. It met on 19 February 2025, after much discontent about the Region being slow to restore the CLP’s ability to function.

According to Labour List, right-winger Alex Gardiner was elected secretary but said: “There’s been understandable strong feeling in the local Party as so many had long-standing loyalty to the former Labour MP, so we want all the factions within the Party to unite from now on”.

A few members of Islington North were expelled for signing Jeremy Corbyn’s nomination papers and similar before the July 2024 general election. Some 70 more Corbyn-supporting members quit just before general election day. There are now four ex-Labour “independents” (three of them from Islington South, not North), in a joint group with the Greens on the council.

The “independents” have run candidates in two council by-elections in Islington North, without success. They have an office in the constituency, in the shape of Jeremy Corbyn’s constituency office. Corbyn’s office has organised two public meetings (“People’s Forums”) in the constituency since July 2024, but as we understand it those who have quit in Islington North have no regular “party”-type meetings. Or if they do, they are not publicised.

Let’s hope the “official” welcome to “all factions” to join the reconstituted Islington North proves good.