Miatta Fahnbulleh has been named as the Labour candidate to challenge to replace Harriet Harman when she stands down in Camberwell & Peckham at the next election.
Local labour party members voted for the left-wing economist and former number 10 advisor at an event at Walworth Ark Academy today, Saturday, November 19.
She ran on a manifesto of economic transformation, which included promises to campaign for a £15 minimum wage and the introduction of wholesale change to childcare provision.
“Times of crisis generate vision”: Miatta Fahnbulleh wants to be the next Camberwell and Peckham MP
Fresh from her victory, Fanhbulleh told the News: “I’m pretty overwhelmed. It was a massive show of support. I’m so proud and honoured to be selected – it’s an amazing community and the community I want to serve.”
Asked what Camberwell and Peckham could expect from her leadership, if she won the seat, she said: “I’m an economist. We need to change the economic system and that’s what I’ll spend the coming months striving to do for the people here.”
The decision concludes a controversial process that saw an entire selection committee dismissed over a row about who should be on the shortlist to replace Harman.
A selection committee member had leaked their chosen three candidates to the News – Miatta Fanhbulleh, Evelyn Akoto and Peter Babudu – only for the Labour hierarchy to dismiss the entire committee over the leak.
Exclusive: Labour Party dismisses entire selection panel in row over Harriet Harman succession
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With the committee dissolved, Labour produced a new shortlist with Johnson Situ on the ballot, whom some claim was Labour leader Keir Starmer’s preferred candidate.
Fahnbulleh said: “There is a big job uniting the local party which is really important.”
Incumbent MP Harriet Harman has served Camberwell and Peckham for forty years, making her the longest-serving MP still in office.
She held cabinet positions in both Tony Blair’s and Gordon Brown’s government, and many consider her to have been a trailblazer for women’s rights.
However, when all the candidates to replace her pledged to set up a constituency office, somewhere where constituents can raise concerns with their MP in-person, some questioned why she didn’t already have one.
It is understood that she held a constituency office for a number of years after being elected, but doesn’t appear to have had one for some time.
