Labour gained just one seat – but many more fresh faces

Labour gained just one seat at the 2019 general election – Putney, in London – but we can expect to see many fresh faces in the Commons from the party. Why? Because so many Labour MPs decided to retire at the election, or had defected from the party since the 2017 poll.

The fresh faces include Fleur Anderson in Putney. A councillor in Wandsworth, Bedford ward, the new south London MP was selected as a firm supporter of a fresh EU referendum.

Below is the list of 25 other newcomers, 16 of whom are definitely on the Labour left with only two or three at most thought to be firmly opposed to the current party leadership.

As LabourList analysis revealed in mid-November, the new candidates in retirement, defection and deselection seats were significantly more likely to be female and/or BAME than their predecessors.

In this list of 25 new Labour MPs, 20 are women and 12 are BAME – including the first woman of East Asian origin in the Commons, Sarah Owen. Labour now has a majority female parliamentary party.

• Tahir Ali, Birmingham Hall Green. Replaced Roger Godsiff. A local councillor. (Read about his selection here.)
• Paula Barker, Liverpool Wavertree. Replaced Luciana Berger. UNISON’s North West regional convenor; firmly on the Labour left. (Read about her selection here.)
• Apsana Begum, Poplar and Limehouse. Replaced Jim Fitzpatrick. Member of Labour’s London regional board and Momentum’s national coordinating group; on the Labour left. (Read about her selection here.)
• Olivia Blake, Sheffield Hallam. Replaced Jared O’Mara. A local councillor on the Labour left and a Remain backer.
• Ian Byrne, Liverpool West Derby. Replaced Stephen Twigg. Worked for frontbencher Dan Carden; firmly on the Labour left. (Read about his selection here.)
• Feryal Clark, Enfield North. Replaced Joan Ryan. Hackney councillor; favoured by Corbynsceptics. (Read about her selection here.)
• Alex Davies-Jones, Pontypridd. Replaced Owen Smith. Councillor and former researching in Commons and Welsh Assembly. (Read about her selection here.)
• Florence Eshalomi, Vauxhall. Replaced Kate Hoey. Previously a Lambeth councillor, then London Assembly member. Formerly linked to Progress but won support from anti-Brexit Labour left members in her selection race. (Read about her selection here.)
• Mary Foy, City of Durham. Trade unionist, Gateshead councillor and former assistant to Stephen Hepburn; on the Labour left. (Read about her selection here.)
• Rachel Hopkins, Luton South. Replaced Gavin Shuker. Local councillor; daughter of retired Labour MP Kelvin Hopkins; Leaver on the Labour left. (Read about her selection here.)
• Kim Johnson, Liverpool Riverside. Replaced Louise Ellman. UNISON shop steward and anti-racism campaigner. (Read about her selection here.)
• Nav Mishra, Stockport. Replaced Ann Coffey. Former UNISON organiser and NEC member; on the Labour left. (Read about his selection here.)
• James Murray, Ealing North. Replaced Steve Pound. Deputy mayor of London for housing; soft left, backed by leadership and Unite. (Read about his selection here.)
• Charlotte Nichols, Warrington North. Replaced Helen Jones. GMB national research and policy officer; on the Labour left. (Read about her selection here.)
• Abena Oppong-Asare, Erith and Thamesmead. Replaced Teresa Pearce. Former Bexley councillor and chair of Labour Women’s Network. (Read about her selection here.)
• Kate Osborne, Jarrow. Replaced Stephen Hepburn. A member of Unite’s executive council, former union rep at Royal Mail; on the Labour left. (Read about her selection here.)
• Taiwo Owatemi, Coventry North West. Replaced Geoffrey Robinson. Oncology pharmacist and health campaigner. (Read about her selection here.)
• Sarah Owen, Luton North. GMB political officer and chair of Chinese for Labour; considered to be ‘soft left’. (Read about her selection here.)
• Bell Ribeiro-Addy, Streatham. Replaced Chuka Umunna. Former chief of staff and political advisor to Diane Abbott; on the Labour left. (Read about her selection here.)
• Zarah Sultana, Coventry South. 26-year-old Labour organiser backed by Unite; on the Labour left. (Read about her selection here.)
• Sam Tarry, Ilford South. Replaced Mike Gapes. TSSA officer and president of CLASS think tank; on the Labour left. (Read about his selection here.)
• Claudia Webbe, Leicester East. Islington councillor and member of Labour’s national executive committee; on the Labour left. (Read about her selection here.)
• Mick Whitley, Birkenhead. Replaced Frank Field. Former car plant worker, trade unionist; on the Labour left. (Read about his selection here.)
• Nadia Whittome, Nottingham East. The ‘Baby of the House’ at just 23; on the strongly anti-Brexit Labour left. (Read her selection pitch here and about the contest result here.)
• Bethan Winter, Cynon Valley. Replaced Ann Clwyd. Former UCU Wales policy and comms officer.

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