Junction by-election: James Potts retains Labour’s seat in close-run race

A triumphant James Potts with Labour’s council leader Una O’Halloran. Photograph: Joe Steen

James Potts retained the Junction ward seat for Labour in yesterday’s by-election – after a close-run race that saw the party’s vote share fall by 22 points.

The seat was vacated last month by former council leader Kaya Comer-Schwartz, who resigned to take up her new job as deputy mayor for policing and crime at City Hall.

Potts won with 785 votes, beating out his main challenger, Independent Jackson Caines, by a modest margin of 235.

In his victory speech, game show contestant and writer Potts said he was “deeply honoured and delighted” to have been elected as a councillor.

He noted that concerns around anti-social behaviour had been a key issue raised during the campaign, and pledged to act for all his constituents.

“The work starts now — tomorrow, in fact.”

Islington’s new leader Una O’Halloran, who was officially appointed to the role last week, said the result was “amazing”.

“It’s great that people know Islington Labour are still on their side. [James] worked hard as a candidate, it was a fair campaign, and I’m really pleased.”

She added that the party saw off its Independent rivals despite them “throwing everything” at their campaign — including an endorsement for Caines from Islington North MP and former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn.

“People are concentrating on Islington locally, and I’m really excited,” O’Halloran said.

Mayor of London Sadiq Khan also congratulated Potts on X (formerly Twitter): “Brilliant to see. Congratulations councillor!”

Caines, who secured 550 votes (28.3 per cent) told the Citizen that he felt his result was “very promising”, and said that Islington Labour had been “tainted” by the national party.

He argued that as long as the national party maintained its support for Israel’s “criminal” actions in the Middle East and continued to pursue “austerity” policies, the Labour-run council would only see further challenges from campaigns like his.

In a post on X, he wrote: “While we didn’t win this time, my independent campaign forced Labour to throw everything they had at defending a supposedly safe council seat.

“This was an exhilarating and educational experience. Thank you to everyone who voted for me and to my amazing team of volunteers!”

Here are the full results in order of votes received:

James Potts, Labour Party, 735;

Jackson Caines, Islington Independents, 550;

Devon Osborne, Green Party, 219;

Rebecca Jones, Liberal Democrats, 156;

John Wilkin, Conservative Party, 113;

Brian Potter, Independent, 97;

Bill Martin, The Socialist Party of Great Britain, 22.

Turnout for the by-election was 21.33 per cent, with 1,946 votes cast.