Shoppers in Islington are being urged to show their support for their favourite business on social media this weekend.

MP for Islington South and Finsbury, Emily Thornberry, has already pounded the borough’s streets to publicly praise her favourite stores on Twitter in the run up to tomorrow’s first Small Business Saturday – a nationwide initiative aiming to give the country’s estimated five million independent businesses a boost in the run up to Christmas.

Ms Thornberry, who is also the Shadow Attorney General, dropped into Annie’s Vintage, Kimantra Spa and Ruberg Jewellers in Camden Passage, gift shop After Noah in Upper Street,

Coffee Works Project in Islington High Street and Essex Pharmacy and Opticians in Essex Road during her whistestop shopping spree.

At each business, she uploaded a photo on Twitter posing with a poster setting out exactly why she thought each one was so great.

She is now asking residents to do the same – and the posters she used can also be collected from her office in Barnsbury Street, Barnsbury.

Ms Thornberry said: “Essentially what the campaign is about is, during the first week of the Christmas shopping period, to think about local businesses – not just the big national chains. “People love Islington because of its variety of people and there’s such a variety of shops as well, which reflect how different we all are. But if we don’t use them we’ll lose them.

“There are shops selling fantastic things to buy and look at, with a service that just can’t match the big chains.

“I’m asking people to join in the campaign and promote their favourite small business on social media”.

To Tweet and show your support to your favourite local business, use the hashtag #loveislington and include the Twitter handles @SmallBizSatUK, @islingtongztte and @EmilyThornberry.

Visit www.smallbusinesssaturdayuk.com/ for more information on how to get involved.