Claudia Webbe: Islington transport chief announces bid to be Labour candidate for Lewisham East by-election

Claudia Webbe: Islington transportation chief reveals bid to be Labour prospect for Lewisham East by-election

PUBLISHED: 16:39 10 May 2018|UPGRADED: 16:48 10 May 2018

Cllr Claudia Webbe. Photo: Islington Council

Islington’s transport chief Claudia Webbe has actually announced her bid to be the Labour prospect in the Lewisham East by-election.

The seat has been abandoned by Heidi Alexander, who has actually left to end up being Sadiq Khan’s deputy mayor for transport.Rumours of Cllr Webbe standing emerged on Wednesday, and she is noted as third preferred at 5/1 on Ladbrokes, behind Phyll Opoku-Gyimah and Kevin Bonavia.And this afternoon Cllr Webbe, who functioned as consultant to Ken Livingstone throughout his time as mayor and rests on Labour’s National Executive Committee(NEC), confirmed the news.The staunch Jeremy Corbyn fan, whose nephew is ex-Blue musician Simon Webbe, composed on her Twitter account:”I am standing to be the next Labour candidate for Lewisham East.” I have recused myself from the NEC process. I have not been involved. Lewisham East is a lively and varied constituency and I would be proud to be its next Labour MP. “Cllr Webbe’s statement comes less than a week after she was voted back in for a third term by 1,704 of her Bunhill constituents at the regional

elections.It is unknowned whether Cllr Webbe would step down from her Islington cabinet position must she be elected on June 14. No changes to the Islington executive have actually been revealed because

Labour’s landslide council win last week, meaning Cllr Webbe maintains the environment and transportation portfolio she has held considering that 2014. If Richard Watts prepares to make any changes, they would likely be revealed at the yearly council meeting on Might 24. Prior to becoming a councillor Cllr Webbe helped discovered Operation Trident in 1998 to take on gun and violent criminal offense in London’s black communities.She has actually also worked for anti-racist organisations and campaigns consisting of the Anti-Racist Alliance and the National Assembly Against Racism.In a prolonged declaration announcing her decision, she included:”Over the previous few months, Britain has actually changed. You can feel the change

in the air as an outdated, unfair political model has been discredited. Jeremy Corbyn’s Labour Celebration is setting the program while the Tories go to pieces, holding office but no power. “This version of Labour, with an honest and simple left-wing leadership, is now the most significant political party in Europe, with the Might 2017 General Election showing beyond doubt that Britain is sick of business-as-usual, and the electorate desiring an alternative direction for

our nation.”Jeremy has actually inspired a movement for change, I have actually belonged to that from day one and having understood and campaigned with him from way back and much longer, I am happy to call him a pal.”Islington Council has a history of producing MPs-in-waiting. Previous leaders Margaret Hodge and Catherine West went on

to win Parliamentary seats in 1994 and 2015 respectively– in Ms West’s case, less than a year after leaving the council.Islington South MP Emily Thornberry, who was chosen in 2005, had actually stood unsuccessfully for a town hall seat 3 years earlier.Cllr Webbe might not right away be reached for comment.

Source

http://www.islingtongazette.co.uk/claudia-webbe-islington-transport-chief-announces-bid-to-be-labour-candidate-for-lewisham-east-by-election-1-5513069

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