Lewisham East by-election: 'Moderate' Janet Daby to stand for Labour

Members of the Labour Party have chosen Janet Daby to fight a by-election in Lewisham East next month.

The deputy mayor of Lewisham council, viewed as a moderate in the party, beat two other candidates after hustings on Saturday to be selected as the candidate for the ultra-safe Labour seat in June.

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn said Ms Daby was a "great campaigner" and he looked forward to working with her.

The selection followed Heidi Alexander's decision to stand down from Parliament after being confirmed as London's deputy mayor for transport.

Ms Daby, who has been a councillor in the area since 2010, is director of The Whitefoot and Downham Community Food Plus Project, which tackles food poverty, and previously worked in social care.

She said: "This is my home and I know the issues that matter to people because they are the same issues that matter to me.

"We want a good hospital, we want decent affordable housing, we want a good education and fair opportunities for all our kids, we want a transport system that is fit for purpose, and we want to live in a safe welcoming borough where everyone can feel at home.

"The Lib Dems/Tory coalition tried to close our hospital.

"I am proud to have been part of the campaign which stopped that, and I'm proud to have campaigned against the punitive Tory cuts that have put all our services under intolerable pressure.

"I'm also proud to have campaigned against this Government's appalling immigration policies which have caused so much heartache to a generation which helped us rebuild our country. "

The Lewisham East constituency in south London is a safe Labour seat, with Ms Alexander securing an overwhelming majority of 21,123 in the 2017 general election.

Mr Corbyn said: "It's a great pleasure to welcome Janet Daby as our candidate in Lewisham East.

"She is a great campaigner and has already been lobbying me about Southeastern's appalling train services.

"She will be a great advocate for the people of Lewisham and I look forward to working with her should she be elected on June 14."

Paul Scully, Conservative party vice chairman for London, said: "It's disappointing to see that Labour have selected someone who for years has failed to deliver for Lewisham.

"Labour are too divided and too incompetent to deliver the investment Lewisham needs, and it is ordinary working people who would pay the price."