Georgia Gould

CAMDEN Council’s leader is campaigning in Westminster after being selected as the Labour candidate for Queen’s Park and Maida Vale constituency.

The selection, announced on Wednesday, follows that by the long-standing Labour MP Karen Buck that she would not be seeking re-election at the general election.

After prime minister Rishi Sunak called a snap election last week the NEC, national executive committee, of the Labour Party took the selection decision that would normally have been taken by party members in the constituency.

Ms Gould, who lives in Kentish Town, has led Camden for seven years and is also the chair of the cross-party body, London Councils.

She told Extra: “It is an honour to be selected to be the Labour Party candidate for Queen’s Park and Maida Vale. I was born in St Mary’s hospital and spent my early years on Westbourne Park Road and I will work every day to give back to the community that gave my family and me so many opportunities.

“As chair of London Councils I have seen the devastation wrought by this Tory government. It is everywhere, from the hours I spent with my grandparents at St Mary’s hospital, where severely overwhelmed staff showed huge kindness and commitment in the toughest of circumstances, to the parents I meet forced to skip meals to feed their children.

“Westminster and Brent are brilliant Labour councils working hard to protect people but we need national change.

Karen Buck

“I have a track record of delivery as leader of Camden Council and chair of London Councils, leading London’s boroughs through the Covid crisis and winning new investment for communities across London.

“If elected I will be a community MP, following the brilliant example set by Karen Buck, who works tirelessly to improve housing standards and stand up for Westminster residents. I will work every day to make sure the residents of Queen’s Park and Maida Vale are seeing change; more teachers in schools, more opportunities for young people, more council homes and reduced NHS waiting times.”

The leader of Westminster City Council Adam Hug immediately offered his “big congratulations” to Ms Gould, tweeting that she was “a major star in the Labour firmament and the newest member of the Queen’s Park and Maida Vale and Westminster Labour families”.

He said: “We’ll be fighting hard with her for Westminster to win a record three Labour MPs on July 4”.

Cllr Hug had been tipped to be selected himself for what is considered a safe seat and a career in the House of Commons.

Last week Westminster Labour group was said to be in meltdown over whether an “outsider” would be imposed on them by the NEC.

Had it not been for the prime minister’s surprise election announcement last Wednesday, party members would have had the final say on who was picked to represent them.

Ms Buck, who is stepping down after 27 years as an MP for the constituency, tweeted to Ms Gould that she was “looking forward to you becoming the next MP”, adding that with the Labour Party favourite to win in Cities of London and Westminster, and the Kensington and Bayswater constituency, the political map in Westminster was being “remade” with three new inner-London constituencies.

Ms Gould, the daughter of the late Labour pollster Philip, Lord Gould, and publishing powerhouse Baroness Dame Gail Rebuck, was urged to run to be an MP in Erith and Thamesmead early in life but instead put herself forward to be a councillor.