Many thanks to Tobias Newland for this article:
In May 2010 the two councils which control Kings Cross both returned to Labour control. For the first time since 1998 the councils on the Islington and Camden sides of Kings Cross are controlled by same political party. Previously Camden had been controlled by a Conservative/Liberal Democratic coalition, while Islington had been run by a Liberal Democrat administration.
That both Camden and Islington councils are under the same political control, “certainly makes joint working easier” notes Sarah Hayward a councillor in Camden’s Kings Cross ward which adjoins Caledonian and Clerkenwell wards in Islington as well as St Pancras and Somerstown ward in Camden north of the Euston Road.
Since the creation of the current Camden and Islington boroughs in 1965, Kings Cross has been under unified control for only 33 out of 45 years.[1] But since 1998, when Labour lost overall control of Islington Council, there have different party administrations on either side of the Kings Cross divide (shown in red on the map above).
Before 1965 the situation was even more complex with the area controlled by three metropolitan borough – Finsbury and Islington in the east (boundary shown in dotted red) and St Pancras borough in the west. For seven out of the 19 years between the War and 1965 the boroughs were under the control of different parties including periods in the early 1950s and again in the early 60s when the Conservatives controlled St Pancras Council with socialist administrations in the eastern boroughs.
The recent political convergence is particular welcome in the context of increasing physical divisions within Kings Cross experienced by residents walking through the area. Notably the loss of a bridge across the tracks at the northern end of Kings Cross station as well as pedestrian access into the station from Wharfdale Road.
And then there is the severance between the Kings Cross communities living north and south of Euston Road/Pentonville Road. Such was the power of the gulf which this created in local communities that older residents remember referring to the road as the river Jordan. The introduction of the London Congestion Charge in 2003 has made things worse. This already busy road has become a de facto inner ring road with studies showing that each day more than 15,000 private cars which used to enter central London diverting around the outside instead.[2]
[1] Woolard J and Alan Willis (ed), Twentieth Century Local Election Results, Volume 3: Summary Data: Inner London County & Borough Elections 1889-1998 (Local Government Chronicle Elections Centre, University of Plymouth, 2000)
[2] Leape, Jonathan, The London Congestion Charge, in Journal of Economic Perspectives – Volume 20, Number 4 – Fall 2006, pp157-176.
Kings Cross Environment 
“I think it’s fantastic that Labour controls both Camden and Islington..” Well be sure to note that is Sarah Hayward’s opinion!
Labour can be blamed for a vast array of what is wrong in the area. Not least the fact that the poor of become poorer, securing yet more of a voter base for Labour. The suffering continues…
Why are you censoring free speech on this website? Nothing I said in my past post should have been removed. The article implies a clear and strong bias towards labour. This should not be allowed without suitable counter argument. Shame. You should not use moderation to censor free speech.
Reply to DoNotRemove. There’s no attempt to censor. You posted 37 minutes ago, I put your post up now. I don’t sit in front of my computer 24/7 waiting for comments to post. There is NO bias towards Labour. The post is about the two boroughs being under the same political control. This site has NO party political affiliations whatsoever.
I am afraid I agree with Mark (and ‘Do Not Remove” if it is not the same person!) This site is generally not party political and all the better for it. The comment of Sarah Hayward is not worthy of replicating here. As a Conservative supporter perhaps a bit of balance would be permitted – it is clearly not fantastic that Labour controls any part of London (let alone anywhere else). All we get is wasteful spending on crackpot politically correct schemes and those of us who can be bothered to work pay ever more in Council Tax. Well done voters of King’s Cross!
Stuart you are saying you agree that this site censors comments. It clearly does not.
The reality is that Camden and Islington are under Labour control. This site will be carrying lots of news about what those councils do. We are not responsible for the fact they are both Labour and that we report straightforward news and comment items does NOT mean we are biased in any way.
To meet you guys halfway I have amended Tobias’s article. Censorship? Well you certainly have it now….
Please, please refrain from further party political comment here, it’s not helping, it’s only blowing this discussion totally out of proportion.
Sophie
Reply to Sophie Talbot. I don’t think anyone is saying the site should be censored. But when the site posts such a one-sided article, there should be a counter balance. What the article is implying without a word in the other direction is really quite a disgrace. The website is a great resource for local information but very sad when one persons political view becomes an official post. Please don’t let in be hijacked by a political view like some of our local press.
The second comment was my own, and sorry being so impatient I had thought that my comment had initially be posted and then removed.
Please keep up the great work with the site and please steer away from siding with a political view (even if you may sympathise with it yourselves). The poor will always vote for the party that promises them so much.
Just to reiterate what Sophie said the idea behind the piece was to write about political and transport dividing lines in Kings Cross not to make any particular party political point. The point of the article would have stood if we happened to have Liberal Democrats controlling both Islington and Camden or indeed if the Conservatives gained the upper hand in both councils.
Tobias
I am not a supporter of any one political party. When I read the article, I was not at all under the impression that it was ‘pro-Labour’. It was very clear to me that the article was highlighting the benefits of political convergence.
To Kings Cross Environment team… keep up the good work!
Oh dear. Storm in a teacup time. Anybody who has read this blog regularly knows that the only politics it cares about are local politics – ie how we can help change the environment we live in. Whatever party is in power is not important, only how they effect us, and how we can lobby them to see some sense. It has done a good job, it is a pity to see a very minor misreading being blown up into silly accusations. I think the people who take the time to put this together deserve a bit of credit, not whining at them. Now, carry on and keep calm.
There appears to be little, if any, communication to residents and stake-holders on what is happening and when to improve the York Way area. This is despite funding being available from Network Rail. The lack of dialogue is bad but worse, is there appears to be no one agency who has accountability to ensure the improvements actually happen while we’re alive to enjoy them!
I believe Camden has the lead on this. If so, there lack of communication is a disgrace.
We are long overdue an update and this forum would be a brilliant place for both LBI and Camden to start…
Whatever happened to Urban Initiatives’ proposals and the ‘public consultation’ in 2009?
http://www.camden.gov.uk/ccm/navigation/environment/planning-and-built-environment/major-developments/king-s-cross/
Camden Planning tel. 7974 4444