British-Nigerian ‘Queen Flo’ is selected to take vacant Lambeth and Southwark GLA seat. Councillor Florence Nosegbe has been selected as the Labour candidate to take on the Tories in defending the seat vacated by Valerie Shawcross in the Greater London Assembly. The former Lambeth Cabinet member for Culture, Sport and the Olympic received 1,580 number of the vote, trumping her main rival, Dora Dixon – Fyle as the candidate to represent Lambeth and Southwark, should she win the May 2016 elections. Cllr Florence, a popular Brixton Hill Councillor of Nigerian descent who was first elected in 2006, tweeted her joy at being selected for her “home seat of Lambeth &Southwark.” She has received the support of the Mayoral candidate Sadiq Khan and many others from the party. Using his tweeter handle @SadiqKhan, the Tooting MP said he was “looking forward to joining our new GLA candidate @ FloNosegbe on the campaign trail in Lambeth & Southwark!”
Meanwhile, Prem Goyal OBE has described the selection as another victory for equality at the top. Prem said, “I congratulate Sadiq Khan and Florence Nosegbe on their respective selections as Labour’s London Mayor Candidate and Labour’s Lambeth and Southwark GLA Candidate. It is another victory for equality at the top and cause for quiet celebration among those of us who are fighting for talented minorities to reach the highest levels of UK politics. Labour supporters and members twice put talent first and ensured it triumphed both times. To me it represents the change that is now clearly inevitable: the best people, from whatever backgrounds, cannot be held back from attaining the top positions in politics forever. In a city that is 40% made up of people not born in the UK, this means in time 40% of the top jobs in politics will be held by talented minorities. Southwark however, still languishes behind the curve. Four of Southwark’s council cabinet positions are occupied by yes-men whose credentials are totally in adequate for the responsibilities entrusted to them. Southwark is being let down every day as a result. Do Southwark’s residents not deserve better than this? I hope Labour in Southwark will embrace equality at the top by selecting at least three talented minorities in Southwark’s Council Cabinet and selecting a talented minority candidate to be elected in Parliament by 2020. We would be willing and indeed proud to work with any party to make it happen. Southwark deserves a more representative and talented political leadership at the top. It needs to happen. It will happen. Let’s start now.”
