Momentum reveal slate of candidates for London Assembly selection race

Labour left activist network Momentum has revealed its endorsements for the London Assembly selection race, which has seen campaigns properly begin now that shortlisted candidates have been given access to membership data. Selection ballots are dropping on February 5th.

For the London-wide list, the group is backing the following four candidates:

• Lewisham councillor and environmental activist Sakina Sheikh. She has put out a campaign video and received the backing of Owen Jones and John McDonnell.
• Young left-wing activist and author Liam Young, who also has a whole of trade unions backing him – Unite, CWU, BFAWU, FBU, TSSA and ASLEF. He has set out his pitch on LabourList.
• Haringey councillor, Unite activist and bus driver Preston Tabois.
• National Education Union organiser Elly Baker from Barking. She is a London representative on Labour’s national policy forum, and has strong union backing from GMB London, CWU, Unite, TSSA, Aslef, BFAWU and FBU.

Four others have been shortlisted for London but are not being backed by Momentum: Bromley councillor Marina Ahmad; soft left housing-focussed Assembly Member Tom Copley; Sem Moema from Hackney; Murad Qureshi, who is a former Assembly Member and the current chair of Stop the War Coalition.

There are also contested constituency seats, where there is either no Labour incumbent or the current representative is standing down. Momentum has no recommendations for West Central, South West or Bexley and Bromley.

For Barnet and Camden, Momentum is backing Brent councillor and former teacher Faduma Hassan. She is an activist in Hampstead and Kilburn, which is a mostly Camden seat, and has worked in the leader’s office. Hassan has also released a campaign video. She will be up against Young Labour chair and GMB activist Miriam Mirwitch (video here), Holborn and St Pancras local party chair Sagal Abdi-Wali (LabourList piece here), and Barnet councillor Anne Clarke (video here).

For Brent and Harrow, they’re endorsing NHS worker and Momentum activist Aghileh Djafri Marbini. She has previously stood for Labour’s London regional board and for a safe Tory council seat. She will face Brent councillor and council cabinet member Krupesh Hirani, who is also hoping to replace retiring incumbent Navin Shah.

For Croydon and Sutton, Croydon councillor Patsy Cummings is being recommended. According to her leaflet, she worked in Jeremy Corbyn’s office during the 2017 general election. She is running for selection against well-known journalist and English teacher Rowenna Davis, who authored a book on Blue Labour and has previously stoof as a parliamentary candidate.

For Havering and Redbridge, Momentum is backing Redbridge councillor and council cabinet member Bob Littlewood, who worked on Corbyn’s 2015 and 2016 leadership campaigns. He will be up against four other candidates seeking selection: Barking and Dagenham councillor and cabinet member Andrew Achilleos, fellow Redbridge councillor Judith Garfield (video here), Romford local party chair Angelina Leatherbarrow and 24-year-old Redbridge councillor Vanisha Solanki.

For Lambeth and Southwark, Momentum has endorsed Maurice Mcleod. The former director of online platform Media Diversified is a journalist, social commentator and trustee at Race on the Agenda. He will face Bromley councillor Marina Ahmad, GMB activist Taranjit Chana and Bermondsey and Southwark activist Shahina Jaffer.

For North East London, which comprises Waltham Forest, Islington and Hackney, Momentum is supporting Haringey councillor and cabinet member Emina Ibrahim, who is also a Momentum vice-chair. In this seat, two others are seeking selection: Islington councillor and Fabian Women chair Sara Hyde; and Sem Moema who is a mayoral adviser to Hackney’s Philip Glanville.