I was once told that the chances of someone like me getting a job in Parliament were very slim, and to not even bother trying.

Full statement

The unfairness I felt about this drove me to challenge the barriers that I faced as a Black woman, and I was honoured and privileged to be elected as the Member of Parliament for Erith and Thamesmead on 13th December 2019.

All my life I've fought for local people, speaking truth to power on behalf of some of the most vulnerable in our communities. I represented Erith on Bexley Council, speaking up for our area at the town hall and helping to lead the Labour group of Bexley councillors as deputy leader and spokesperson for education. I worked at the Greater London Authority (GLA), supporting our London Assembly members to effectively represent the people of London. In the aftermath of the Grenfell tragedy, I led community engagement work for the GLA and Mayor Sadiq Khan, making sure that the people of London were heard to stop anything like this from ever happening again. Before I was elected as an MP, I led resident engagement for a local authority, ensuring the voices of residents helped to shape local services.

After becoming an MP, I was appointed Parliamentary Private Secretary to Labour's then Shadow Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA), Luke Pollard MP, and later Parliamentary Private Secretary to the then Shadow Chancellor, Anneliese Dodds MP. In October 2020 I joined the Shadow Treasury Team as Shadow Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury.

I'm so proud to serve as the MP for Erith and Thamesmead, turning anger against injustice into action, taking our shared issues to Parliament and challenging the Government on the most important issues our community faces including housing, health, transport and climate change. I go to work every day with my constituent's concerns in my mind and I'm already delivering results for local people, on everything from providing help to access benefits to standing up to the Home Office and fighting for local people in immigration cases.

With a Labour Government, I know we can do so much more. I look forward to campaigning for a fairer, greener and more prosperous future for Britain.