Islington South MP Emily Thornberry with Labour councillors and candidates at the party’s local elections manifesto launch

ISLINGTON South and Finsbury MP Dame Emily Thornberry delivered a brutal attack on the Greens as she described their election tactics as “dangerous, wrong, and divisive”, but said she was confident her party would hold the Town Hall when voters go to the ballot box in May.

Dame Emily was speaking to dozens of Labour councillors and candidates at the party’s manifesto launch on Saturday when she accused the Greens of trying to turn people against Labour.

“The way in which they are trying to divide us, and the way in which they are trying to turn people to hate the Labour Party is disgusting, it is disgusting”, she told supporters gathered in Mildmay Community Centre.

Asked whether it was simply the job of opposition parties to criticise their political opponents, she told the Tribune: “Criticise us, but to say that Islington Council is complicit in genocide in Gaza? Seriously? […] This poisonous rhetoric, this isn’t what politics ought to be about, this is dangerous, this is wrong, this is divisive.”

The Green leaflet she was referencing accused the Labour government of “ongoing complicity in genocide in Gaza and attack on Iran”, as well as changing indefinite leave to remain and leaving elderly people in the cold.

On the doorsteps, Labour canvassers have been desperately trying to distance themselves from the increasingly unpopular government led by Sir Keir Starmer, with many privately saying that they agree with national grievances expressed by voters.

After rallying the troops, Dame Emily told the Tribune that the local party had always had a “distinctive” character, and it was right that they hold the government to account on the policies which members disagree on – namely those surrounding immigration, international policy, and a lack of funding for local government.

“It’s always been this way”, she said. “When I was first selected, I was selected on an anti-war ticket. The leadership of the Labour Party was in favour of a war in Iraq, I was not. In fact, Islington Labour never selected people in favour of the war. We have always had our own distinctive character.”

Dame Emily went on: “[We agree with] 95 per cent of what the government does, but there will be a percentage of things that we don’t agree with, and that’s fine, that’s what proper politics ought to be about. At least we’ve got some policies, which is more than you can say for the blinking Greens.”

Despite spending the majority of her speech attacking Zack Polanski’s party – who in Islington pose the main threat to Labour – the MP said she was confident that Labour would win locally.

“We’re not meeting a lot of people who are going to vote Green,” she claimed, “The younger generation, there is much more resonance, the under-30s, but I’m not sure otherwise”.

Characterising Labour as the “grown-ups”, in an argument reminiscent of that made during the 2024 general election, she added: “When it comes to governing, you have to be a grown-up and you have to be prepared to actually make some decisions and govern properly.”

Indeed, Dame Emily further suggested that if handed the keys to the Town Hall, Zack Polanski’s party might try and build their “own ­version of the Eiffel Tower on Newington Green”.

This was a ­reference to the Green-led Brighton and Hove Council £36million loan given for the i360 – which had been likened to the Parisian landmark in a business plan – a tourist attraction that undelivered so badly it went bust and missed its debt repayments.

Dame Emily told Labour canvassers: “Making castles out of the air doesn’t butter any parsnips, it does not do anything that the people of Islington need, it just gets you into debt.”

‘Can’t win here’

THERE’S another Green leaflet brushing political opponents up the wrong way as it claims the party is on track to decisively seize Arsenal.

Using polling data from Britain Votes Now – a website which is rather vague about its exact methodology – the Greens have claimed they are on track to seize the ward with 42 per cent of the vote.

The “can’t win here” leaflet is a brand utilised by all parties, and it has become somewhat of a private joke as to how campaign managers are able to find favourable data. Of course, it’s designed to encourage residents to vote tactically, but the unpredictability of voting patterns given local concerns mean that it is not a hard and fast rule.

In the recent Gorton and Denton parliamentary by-election up north, Labour insisted that voters only had a choice between them and Reform. The Greens, who residents were told were consigned to third place, went on to claim victory.

Come to the Tribune’s hustings

THERE are only 35 days to go before voters decide at the ballot box who gets to control the Town Hall. Before that, you might want to hear the leaders of the parties set out their stalls in a head-to-head debate.

If that’s the case, then come to our hustings, 6.30-8pm, April 22. to ask leaders from Labour, the Greens, Lib Dems, Tories, and Independents what they want Islington to look like if they are handed the keys to the council chamber.

We will take questions from the audience on all topics from housing to the NHS. Thank you to Nambucca in Holloway Road, who have kindly offered to host us in the name of local democracy.