Abena Oppong-Asare picked to replace Teresa Pearce

Corbynsceptics secured another selection win on Friday, when Abena Oppong-Asare was chosen to be Labour’s parliamentary candidate for Erith and Thamesmead.

The chair of Labour Women’s Network won against Greenwich Council cabinet member Denise Scott-McDonald and GMB union rep Nadine Houghton.

Houghton, on the Labour left, had been backed by the leadership, with endorsements from John McDonnell, Momentum, Unite, GMB, CWU, ASLEF, BFAWU.

Following the result, Oppong-Asare tweeted: “I’m very touched to be selected as the @E_TLabour parliamentary candidate. Thanks to everyone that helped me get selected. I’m ready to be the strong local voice for all residents.”

Oppong-Asare, a former Bexley councillor who has worked as a researcher in City Hall, will replace retiring incumbent Teresa Pearce as the Labour candidate.

Pearce has represented the constituency since 2010, and won the south east London seat in 2017 with a substantial majority of 10,014 votes. Erith and Thamesmead has been red since its creation in 1997.