Lewisham Deptford’s constituency Labour Party has selected Vicky Foxcroft to succeed the veteran MP Joan Ruddock as the prospective parliamentary candidate in the next General Election expected to take place in 2015, according to a Labour Party activists’ website.
She was selected from a shortlist of six women on Saturday afternoon May 18 and the LabourList blog released the news at 3.08 pm.
The site describes itself as Labour’s “biggest independent grassroots e-network” and expressed “congratulations to Vicky, and commiserations to the other shortlisted candidates” who were Janet Daby, Paula Hirst, Florence Nosegbe, Catherine McDonald and Mendora Ogbogbo.
The website indicates that the vote tally among the six candidates was “Foxcroft 169 McDonald 87 Nosegbe 40 Hirst 21 Daby 13 Ogbogbo 6.”
Joan Ruddock has been a constituency MP for the area since 1987. Vicky Foxcroft is described as having grown up “in the North West in a single parent household, and was the first person in her family to go to university.”
Councillor Vicky Foxcroft represents high street bank workers for Unite the Union. She is a Local Councillor for Brockley Ward and Chair of the Labour Group. Before becoming a Councillor, she was Women’s Officer of the constituency, Trade Union Officer and Campaigns Officer.
Foxcroft has lived in the Lewisham Deptford constituency for the last 12 years and is actively involved with campaigns throughout the borough. The key local issues Foxcroft wants to address as a local MP is halting the reduction of services at Lewisham Hospital, and building more homes and schools to address shortages of affordable housing and a lack of primary school places within the borough.
“The reason why I’m standing is because I’m local, I’m passionate about the area, and …lots of local people asked me to stand, because they know that I’m not afraid to stand up for the needs of Lewisham Deptford.”
Before her selection she told East London Lines how she intends to tackle key issues facing the constituency, and her approach to the reduction of services at Lewisham A&E and maternity ward.
Deptford has got the third largest black community in anywhere in London and three talented black woman stand for this seat – even more black woman one was a local councillor – went for this seat, but the white middle-class lady who worked for Unite and is from up North won. Black people keep on voting Labour, but Labour select their friends not people to represent us. Disgraceful!
Vicky Foxcroft is white that is true, everything else Koshi says is rubbish of course. To lable Ms Foxcroft as middle class is a joke and I promise you Koshi Vicky WILL represent you. It is you who is disgraceful, not the people who recognise Ms Foxcroft’s potential, and the hard work she has already put in, and therefore voted for her.