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Graphic of the slow progress of Lib Dems in Camden and
their dramatic rise to power from a hung council in 1998
in neighbouring Islington |
Is it year of the Lib Dems?
Borough-wide challenge as bullish party eyes Town Hall prize
THE pie charts above demonstrate how Liberal Democrats have
slowly wrested power in neighbouring Islington – an achievement
they hope to repeat in Camden next month.
While Labour still faces its traditional showdown with the Conservatives,
for the first time in nearly four decades the third party is
staking a claim.
The creeping success of the Liberal Democrats has nibbled away
at traditional Labour strongholds elsewhere in London.
But victory in Camden at the local elections on May 4 would
be the Lib Dems’ biggest success yet in London. Camden’s
Labour has not faced such pressure before.
In Islington, the Lib Dems almost wiped out Labour over successive
elections and now have a firm grip on the council. They are
unlikely to surrender that control this time around. Islington
was once considered a strong Labour council.
South of the river, the Lib Dems have sunk Labour councils in
similar style.
In Southwark and Lambeth, the councils have been switched from
Labour strongholds to authorities where no single party is in
overall control, reflecting a slow swing away from Labour over
the past eight years.
Lib Dems hope they will continue these advances in Camden. Sensing
their best ever chance to grab power, activists have almost
given up on targeting specific wards, instead favouring a cross-borough
approach which has seen them even canvassing hard in Labour
fortresses such as King’s Cross.
Labour currently has an 18-seat majority in Camden.
If it loses nine seats – three council wards – to
opposition parties, then it will lose control of the Town Hall.
With Labour seats in Highgate, Camden Town, Gospel Oak and Haverstock
under attack, one of the opposition parties could cash in when
the ballot boxes open in two weeks. |
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