LABOUR VICTORY FOR DIVERSITY IN PUTNEY, UK

'Every single day of the next parliament, 
I will fight for a better and more equal country'

By Sian Bayley 

Rosena Allin-Khan, Fleur Anderson and Marsha de Cordova,
who all won their seats for Labour in Wandsworth tonight.
Credit - Wandsworth Labour/Simon Hogg.

It’s been a dark and difficult night for the Labour Party who lost a number of seats in the General Election last night [December 12].

But Putney, on the banks of the Thames in the borough of Wandsworth, bucked the trend with a Labour gain to see three female Labour MPs elected in the borough.

Fleur Anderson took the seat for Putney, storming home with 22,718 votes compared to the Conservatives’ 18,006.

In her victory speech she thanked staff at the count and said her win was a “bright light in a dark night.”

Her victory saw the London borough of Wandsworth turn red after a huge campaigning effort that saw more than 700 volunteers out canvassing one night this week to win the constituency from the Conservatives.

She praised a “people powered campaign,” but acknowledged “Brexit will be damaging for Putney.”

She added: “We want to remain. Brexit will not be done by Boris Johnson, it will take years and years of negotiation.

“The Labour party must not stop in our efforts to block Boris Johnson’s hard Brexit. We could now be facing five more years of austerity, and that’s heartbreaking for all the people who supported us and all the people who voted for Labour.”

Marsha de Cordova was up next for Battersea, praising “one of the most energetic, organised and dynamic campaigns.”

She said: “Every single day of the next parliament, I will fight for a better and more equal country.”

However, she quickly lost her voice from the amount of talking she had been doing on the night.

She croaked to the Local Democracy Reporting Service that it had been a “good campaign,” in Wandsworth.

Dr Rosena Allin-Khan concluded the night by holding on to Tooting for Labour, shouting “we have three red ladies in Wandsworth.”

She applauded the “unprecedented numbers of people of voting,” and said people were voting “with their heads and hearts against the division being stirred up by the Prime Minister.

“Tonight the message was read loud and clear, Tooting went out in the cold and in the rain to reject division and elect a pro-remain member of parliament. I am very grateful to everyone that put their faith in me.”

But acknowledging Labour’s defeats nationally, she said: “Tooting is disgusted with the cuts the NHS have seen, which is why they have voted for their local doctor. Tooting doesn’t want to lose more lives to violent crime, we want proper policing. Tooting needs genuinely affordable homes, not a government in the pocket of developers. The harsh reality is that tomorrow the food banks will be open. Record numbers of parcels will be handed out, and on Christmas Day, 3,000 children in Wandsworth will wake up homeless.

“Apart from Tooting electing the local woman who is willing to fight for them, there is little to celebrate tonight.”

Speaking to the Local Democracy Reporting Service at the end of the evening Ms Anderson said she hoped that having Labour MPs will force through change at Conservative-led Wandsworth council.

“It means something for the council. The Conservative council are being held to account even more now with three Labour MPs,” she said.

“The people of Wandsworth have said they prefer to have Labour.”

She added: “I will do everything to serve and to honour their vote. I will also be looking at the issues on Putney High Street, including air pollution.

“I can’t wait to start being an MP and to tackle some of the inequalities in our area. I will be working very much on Roehampton and opposing some of the worst parts of the regeneration.

Turnout was very high at 77.41 per cent compared to 72.1 per cent in 2017.

Battersea and Tooting also saw a high turnout, with 75.83 per cent and 76 per cent respectively.

Conservative candidates left swiftly after the results were announced. The Local Democracy Service has contacted them for comment.

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