Senior figures in the Labour and Conservative Parties, racked by rows over their London mayoral selection processes, were licking their wounds yesterday after Liberal Democrats snatched control of the London borough of Islington in a stunning poll victory.
The leader of the Liberal Democrats, Mr Charles Kennedy, joined party supporters at the town hall to celebrate the win of their candidate, Mr Paul Fox, at Hillrise ward which gives them a 27-25-seat lead on the council in a Labour heartland.
Islington Town Hall was the flagship of left-wing authorities throughout the 1980s and the borough was home to the Prime Minister, Mr Tony Blair, before he moved to Downing Street. Labour, which had ruled on the mayor's casting vote since last year, had controlled the council for more than 28 years with a few months' intermission in 1981 and 1982 after defections to the Social Democrats.
Mr Fox scored a 31.2 per cent swing against Labour since May last year. The Tories, with a derisory 33 votes, came last, trailing behind Labour, the Greens and a candidate standing for "Parents Against Privatisation".
Mr Kennedy said: "This is a fantastic triumph for the people of Islington and shows that Liberal Democrats can win all over the country, in inner cities as well as rural Britain." The party's mayoral candidate, Ms Susan Kramer, said: "The Liberal Democrats are clearly winning support across the capital, even in the Labour heartland of Islington."
The borough's Liberal Democrat leader, Mr Steve Hitchins, said: "The people of Islington . . . have kicked Labour out after nearly 30 years. This is a victory for democracy." He pledged his party would "bring a fresh start to Islington".
The major parties could not blame voter apathy for the result. At 32 per cent, the turnout was higher than at last month's Commons by-election at Kensington and Chelsea.