The new London Assembly member for Southwark and Lambeth has been confirmed as Labour’s Florence Eshalomi.
From the two boroughs, Florence took 96,946 votes, equalling 51 per cent of the 189,984 votes cast overall.
The Brixton Hill councillor told the News: “I have just about caught up on sleep, but I’m absolutely delighted to become the new assembly member and it’s a real honour.
“It’s important we get more people from diverse backgrounds. Growing up on a council estate, I never thought I would be in this position.
“It’s going to be an interesting few years with Sadiq as mayor. We will be addressing the key issues like housing, pollution and crime. I’m very much looking forward to picking up where [previous assembly member] Val left off.”
Her nearest challenger was Conservative candidate Robert Flint, who had sixteen-point-six per cent.
For the Liberal Democrats, former Rotherhithe councillor, Caroline Pidgeon MBE, who had been running for mayor, held her seat in the London-wide Assembly. She is now the party’s only assembly member.
Commenting on the result, Southwark’s leader of the opposition, Councillor Anood Al-Samerai, said: “It’s great to have Southwark’s Caroline Pidgeon back fighting residents’ corner on the London Assembly again.
“Liberal Democrats will now be working with Caroline for more affordable homes, better childcare, more police and cheaper transport fares in Southwark.”
The Green Party are also celebrating their “best ever” results for Southwark and Lambeth with 25,793 votes, a 13.5 per cent share. Green candidate, Rashid Nix, said: “The vote is also a reflection that the Greens are representing local people against a Labour council that isn’t listening.”
Labour hold seats
Labour held both seats up for grabs in the Newington and College wards by-elections on Thursday as voters chose MPs Neil Coyle’s and Helen Hayes’s replacements.
James Coldwell (pictured below and centre), a Bermondsey campaigner and volunteer for education charities, said: “It is a real privilege to be elected as a councillor in Newington ward.”
Catherine Rose (pictured below and centre) a community campaigner and caseworker, said: “It is an honour to be elected as a College councillor. I am passionate about delivering improvements for local residents and I hope to bring the knowledge and experience I have gained campaigning for school places in my area to support parents and carers of children in College ward.”