Bell Ribeiro-Addy set to replace Chuka Umunna in Streatham

A key Labour left victory took place on Saturday, as Bell Ribeiro-Addy won the Streatham selection contest and was chosen to replace Chuka Umunna as Labour’s candidate at the next election.

The chief of staff and political advisor to Diane Abbott was backed by Unite, Momentum, ASLEF, TSSA and BFAWU, as well as high-profile left-wing MPs and shadow cabinet members, plus Streatham Labour Left.

Ribeiro-Addy was up against Lambeth councillor Marcia Cameron and Jennifer Brathwaite, Lambeth Council’s deputy leader. The latter was favoured by Corbynsceptics locally, but it was known that she backed Leave in 2016.

Although Brathwaite’s views on Brexit were said to have changed, which the applicant told members at the hustings on Saturday, her previous position is thought to have limited the support she was able to secure.

The candidate that Corbynsceptics were planning to get behind, Windrush generation community activist and BAME officer Maxine James, was not shortlisted by the selection panel.

Votes:

Bell Ribeiro-Addy – 303

Jennifer Brathwaite – 271

Marcia Cameron – 5

Following the result, Ribeiro-Addy tweeted: “I am so humbled and proud… Thank you to the people power campaign which made it possible – we will deliver a Corbyn Labour government to transform the lives of many.”

She will replace Umunna – now a Lib Dem planning to stand in The Cities of London and Westminster – as Labour’s candidate in Streatham, where the incumbent enjoys a huge majority of 26,285 votes.