Chuka Umunna MP

Chuka Umunna, 29, has won the contest to succeed Keith Hill MP as Labour’s next prospective candidate in the parliamentary constituency of Streatham.

Umunna, who is Vice Chair of Streatham Labour Party, is an employment lawyer by profession and a leading member of the centre-left pressure group Compass, on whose management committee he sits. He is also a regular contributor to the Guardian and edits the online political magazine, TMP.

Commenting on his victory, Umunna said:
“Streatham is my home – I grew up here – so it is a great privilege to have been selected as Labour’s next Prospective Parliamentary Candidate in this constituency.
“Labour has achieved a lot and this country is a far better place to live than it was in 1997 with unemployment in Streatham down from 10.2% then, to 5.2% now, but we still have lots of work to do.
“I am very grateful to Labour Party members for selecting me to succeed Keith Hill, who has been a fantastic MP for Streatham, and I relish the prospect of getting out and about and taking our message to the community with him between now and the next general election.”

Harriet Harman MP, Deputy Leader of the Labour Party, said:
“Chuka is an exceptional young man who will be a great asset to Streatham and to parliament.
“Chuka’s selection highlights Labour as the party of equality.
“Labour has three times more Black and Asian MPs and more Black and Asian councillors than all the other political parties put together.”

To all the members of Streatham Labour Party I just wanted to reiterate my thanks for selecting me to succeed Keith Hill MP as our next Prospective Parliamentary Candidate here in Streatham yesterday.

It is an immense privilege to have been selected to represent my own local party and to succeed someone who has been a fantastic MP for the area. It is all the more humbling to have been selected from such a strong field of candidates, all of whom would make for excellent Members of Parliament in my view.

A very high standard was set during this parliamentary selection contest and the efficient way it was handled by the team of party officers that ran the process is a credit to the party.

I will be writing to members shortly but for now I wanted to say thanks and to let members know that I am very much looking forward to working with all of you going forward.

Chuka