When the next General Election is called some time before May 2010, each of the political parties will be putting forward candidates to represent Streatham in Parliament. In March 2008 Chuka Umunna was selected by the Streatham Labour Party as its parliamentary candidate at the next General Election. He succeeds Keith Hill, the current Labour Member of Parliament who has held the seat since April 1992  and is to retire.

If elected, Chuka will be the first MP for Streatham to be from and who grew up in the area, a parliamentary consituency which covers Streatham and parts of Clapham, Balham, Tulse Hill and Brixton.  He has lived in the Streatham parliamentary constituency all his life (save for a short stint away studying). In his formative years Chuka attended Christ Church Primary School in the Brixton Hill part of the constituency and he is presently a School Governor of Sunnyhill Primary School and sits on the Board of Sunnyhill Children’s Centre, both in Streatham Wells.  He lives on Streatham High Road.

Chuka is a specialist employment law solicitor by profession and works at a Central London law firm where he primarily acts for employees but also employers. In addition, he sits on the Board of Generation Next, a not for profit social enterprise which provides activities for young people in London, and has been involved charitable youth work in Lambeth too.

Prior to becoming Labour’s parliamentary candidate in Streatham, Chuka was Vice Chair of Streatham Labour Party from 2004 to 2008 and had held a variety of positions throughout the local party.  He is a member of the GMB and Unite trade unions and sits on the Management Committee of progressive pressure group, Compass.

As a person of mixed Nigerian, Irish and English descent, Chuka would become the first person of Black parentage to represent one of the three parliamentary constituencies covering the Brixton area. Aged 30, if elected Chuka would also become one of the youngest MPs in the country.

Commenting in March 2008 on his selection as Labour’s parliamentary candidate in Streatham, Chuka (pictured left with Keith Hill MP and Minister for London, Tessa Jowell MP) 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.”

Local residents welcomed Chuka’s selection as Labour’s parliamentary candidate. The Rev. Lisa Wright, retired curate at St Leonard’s Church, Streatham, said:

“Myself and Chuka’s family were members of St Margaret’s Church in Streatham for many years. I think he would make a wonderful MP for the area and the fact that he is a local boy will definitely appeal to the people here. He is part of the new generation in this new political era!”

Richard Guy, a local firefighter from Streatham said:
“Chuka is a childhood friend – we both grew up in Streatham together. I remember how proud he was of me when I became a firefighter – his admiration for those (like me) working in our public services to keep this country functioning is unswerving.”

To find out more, contact Chuka here.