Labour’s Vauxhall MP selection longlist revealed

• Ibrahim Dogus – Lambeth mayor and councillor who runs his own local newspaper. He is the founder of CEFTUS, SME4Labour and the British Kebab Awards. Not particularly associated with a faction.
• Katy Clark – Former MP in Scotland and worked as Jeremy Corbyn’s political secretary. Ran unsuccessfully in May’s European elections. Considered to be on the Labour left.
• Lucy Caldicott – Lambeth councillor and founder of social enterprise Change Out. Not particularly associated with a faction.
• Maurice Mcleod – Wandsworth councillor, writer/editor and former director of Media Diversified. Considered to be on the Labour left.
• Florence Eshalomi – Lambeth and Southwark London Assembly member, and City Hall Labour transport spokesperson. Former Lambeth councillor. Considered to be on the Corbynsceptic wing of the party.
• Stephen Beer – Former chair of Vauxhall Labour (2001-2012). Investment expert and officer of Christians on the Left. Labour’s 2001 candidate in Wantage.
• Claire Holland – Deputy leader of Lambeth Council and cabinet member for the environment and clean air. Considered to be on the Corbynsceptic wing of the party.

Ibrahim Dogus is thought to have a good chance of winning. He has already received formal endorsements from Unite, GMB, BFAWU, CWU and USDAW, and has gathered over 40 local member endorsements from all wards.

But he belongs to no particular faction, and there is a chance that he will be squeezed out by candidates with more clearly defined support bases – notably Katy Clark, who has Momentum support, and Flo Eshalomi or Claire Holland from the other side of the party.

There is also the issue of an all-women shortlist, which was requested by the local party but not granted by Labour’s national executive committee. Many local members have expressed anger about this decision, and insist that they want a woman to replace Kate Hoey as the candidate.

It is understood that candidate interviews will be held on Monday 21st October by a panel consisting of two NEC members, the chair of the regional executive committee and a local party representative.

Applicants who have notably been left off the Vauxhall longlist include Lord Andrew Adonis, former CLP chair Emily Wallace, local teacher and activist Belinda Washington, paralysed former war reporter Peter Apps, and Lambeth councillors Sonia Winifred and Philip Normal.

Emily Wallace tweeted: “Really sad not to make it onto the @VauxhallLabour longlist, It is a shame that 20 years of local activism doesn’t even merit an interview, but pleased that we have excellent local candidates still in the running.”