Newly elected black MPs set out their plans

Liverpool’s first black MP Kim Johnson, Abena Oppong-Asare and Florence Eshalomi join the re-elected MPs highlighted by The Voice yesterday

MILESTONE: Kim Johnson, Liverpool's first black MP, will join other first time MPs

Three newly elected MPs are getting ready to join those who were re-elected after Thursday’s general election.

Yesterday The Voice highlighted the fact that it had been a successful night for sitting African Caribbean heritage MPs, many of whom were re-elected with comfortable majorities.

But there has also been excitement surrounding three first time MPs who are set to join the re-elected MPs in the House of Commons.

Kim Johnson became Liverpool’s first black MP after Thursday’s poll.

Johnson, 59, will now represent the Liverpool Riverside constituency after receiving a 71 per cent share of the vote with 41,170.

NEW ARRIVAL: Abena Oppong-Asare

She easily beat second placed Conservative candidate Sean Malkeson who received 4,127 votes and Tom Crone of the Greens who received 3,017 votes.

She said she was now looking forward to taking a “socialist voice” to Westminster.

Johnson told the BBC: “Westminster wasn’t designed for people like me, a working-class black woman from Liverpool. It was designed to intimidate, to exclude and keep us out, but the 1 per cent aren’t going to do that and you won’t know what’s hit you when we get there.”

An active member of the Riverside constituency Labour Party she was selected to contest the seat after the sitting MP Louise Ellman quit the party and decided to leave politics altogether.

Another newly elected MP who will be taking her place in Westminster is  Abena Oppong-Asare, who is the new MP for Erith & Thamesmead.

She received 19,882 votes which gave her a  3,758 majority over second placedConservative candidate, Joe Robertson.

NEW IDEAS: Florence Eshalomi

Thanking her supporters on Twitter she wrote: “Thank you very much to everyone who voted for me to become the @E_TLabour MP. Also thank you to everyone that rallied behind me – working their socks off to make this possible. There are soo many unsung heroes who helped me fight to keep this seat red!”

Oppong-Asare also posted a picture of herself with fellow newly elected MP Florence Eshalomi during a visit after the election to the House of Commons.

She wrote: “Me and @FloEshalomi couldn’t wait to get to stuck in. We been in Parliament hitting the ground running! The result for the #LabourParty was disappointing but we have to keep fighting!”

Eshalomi was elected as the new Labour MP for Vauxhall on  December 12.

The former Lambeth councillor has represented Lambeth & Southwark on the London Assembly since 2016.

Writing on Twitter she said: Thank you Vauxhall residents for this honour to represent you&for putting your faith in me. It was time for change. I’m truly gutted for candidates that were not re-elected. The people of Vauxhall need a Labour Government & I will continue fight for a fairer society for us all.”

Comments Form

2 Comments

  1. | Joe Sample

    Why are they all labour politicians ? Sounds like the voice are revealing their true political intentions

    Reply

    • | wez tindian

      …true political intentions.

      what are your political intentions regarding the black diaspora?

      Marley sang – if you know your history, you will know where you’re coming from.

      that was him showing his true political intentions.

      those sistas elected as labour MPs have demonstrated their political intentions regarding the black diaspora intention as an awakening political force.

      Reply

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