She came the closest to beating Sir IDS of anyone in the last 20 years By Waltham Forest Echo
Faiza Shaheen
Faiza Shaheen is officially Labour’s pick to challenge Sir Iain Duncan Smith in the next general election.
Faiza last took on the Chingford and Woodford Green MP for his spot in parliament in 2019, when she came second by a margin of around 1,200 votes.
Sir IDS, who has represented the area since 1992, received 23,481 votes, while Faiza received 22,219 votes – the smallest margin and the best turnout the race has seen in two decades.
Faiza’s success in winning the Labour candidacy has upset supporters of Bilal Mahmood, who ran against IDS in 2015 and 2017 and is seen as more moderate within the party.
Speaking after her candidacy was confirmed, Faiza Shaheen told the Echo: “It’s an honour to have been selected… Chingford and Woodford Green means so much to me because I grew up here, this community made me who I am.
“I want to thank local members for their support. I’ll be standing up for everyone in Chingford and Woodford Green – my key priorities will be listening to local people and their concerns, and addressing their worries about affordable housing and air pollution.
This story is published by Waltham Forest Echo, Waltham Forest's free monthly newspaper and free news website. We are a not-for-profit publication, published by a small social enterprise. We have no rich backers and rely on the support of our readers. Donate or become a supporter.
“We need to win here to get a Labour government and only Labour can deliver a fresh start for Britain. We need to reboot our economy and end the cost of living crisis. We need to revitalise our public services and re-energise our communities. And we need to unite the country and clean-up politics.
“Labour will be fighting the next election on economic growth to end the cost of living crisis. This will include our plan to buy, make and sell more in Britain. We’ll make Brexit work and reform the Northern Ireland protocol. And we’ll invest £28 billion a year to tackle the climate crisis and create the next generation of jobs.
“I’m excited to take on this challenge and will be fighting for every vote.”
Though born in Leytonstone according to a 2017 profile in The Observer, Faiza grew up in Chingford. She became a Labour member in 2015 when Jeremy Corbyn became leader.
The Echo needs you. No matter how small, your support makes a difference
Waltham Forest Echo is a community newspaper that holds authority to account, highlights inequality, promotes good causes, and provides a platform for local people. We do real local news with no paywalls, free to read for all. We can only do this with the continued support of our readers. If you can afford to, please consider supporting us with a small monthly, yearly or one-off contribution.
Monthly direct debit
Annual direct debit
£5 per month supporters get a digital copy of each month’s paper before anyone else, £10 per month supporters get a digital copy of each month’s paper before anyone else and a print copy posted to them each month. £50 annual supporters get a digital copy of each month's paper before anyone else.
