Stoke Newington Goes To The Polls: Nominations Please

Stroppyblog's favourite London neighbourhood - ooh, it has such a villagey feel - has been thrown into political turmoil as Stoke Newington Labour Councillor Jamie Carswell (he in the picture) has resigned.

More than a mere Councillor, Jamie was indeed the Deputy Mayor, responsible for such hideous and unpopular policies as 'Estates Plus', under which the Council plans to flog off patches of estates to housing associations at a fraction of their worth, allowing them to build new homes to squeeze in ever more people into already-crowded estates, covering up green spaces and blocking your view of the sky. Such policies have so impressed Tower Hamlets Homes - the Arms-Length Management Organisation (ALMO) that runs housing in our neighbouring borough - that it has lured Jamie away from his £48k post in Hackney's Town Hall for one which we can only assume pays a little more.

So, Stokey residents will soon being voting in the consequent by-election, and Stroppyblog's readers are hereby invited to suggest candidates. Will Dave Osler volunteer himself for the Labour nomination? Will Paddy the Puritan stand, attracted by the prospect of creating more non-drinking zones in N16's streets? Or perhaps Mark Fischer, determined to fight off such reactionary moves and defend his right to lurch around Stokey High Street? Does Stroppybird spend enough time in Stokey to qualify as a resident and stand as a 'We hate Stokey' candidate? And will Clive write a really gripping TV series about the whole affair?

Over to you ...