Tories the late starters in Islington two-horse race

A correspondent not unadjacent to Islington contacts The Voice to note:

Islington South and Finsbury Conservatives have selected their PPC, more than two years after the Liberal Democrats re-selected Bridget Fox to fight the seat.

The Tory hopeful, Antonia Cox, is an investment banker turned journalist who lives in Kensington. She has promised to move into Islington if elected – a pledge she is unlikely to be called on to fulfil. Ladbrokes have given the Conservatives (surprisingly generous) odds of 25/1 to win the seat. The borough has 0 (zero) Conservative councillors. Even the ConservativeHome post announcing her selection helpfully points out that the sitting Labour MP Emily Thornberry’s majority is just 484 votes ahead of the Lib Dems.

Mrs Cox used to work for the Daily Telegraph. We don’t know if she’s read fellow Torygraph journalist Ed West’s recent column, where he said of Islington, “for the Tories to ever win here the Great Reform Act would have to be repealed”.

It’s good to see Islington South maintaining its tradition of women candidates: in 2005 the main parties all fielded women in the seat. But it’s to be hoped any Islington voters tempted to vote Tory will remember that last time they simply helped Labour cling on.