Resignation of Alexander, who left Corbyn’s frontbench in 2016, to spark battle for her safe seat

The Labour MP Heidi Alexander will quit the House of Commons to be Sadiq Khan’s deputy mayor for transport, setting in motion what could be a fierce battle for her safe south London seat.

Alexander, the former shadow health secretary who quit Jeremy Corbyn’s frontbench during the string of resignations over his leadership in 2016, will replace the long-serving deputy mayor, Val Shawcross, when she retires in the summer.

The move, revealed by the Guardian last month, was confirmed by City Hall on Tuesday. It said Alexander was a politician and campaigner respected across the political spectrum. She was Khan’s campaign chair during his bid to become Labour’s London mayoral candidate and the move will be a boost for him before his reselection this summer.

Alexander, who was elected in 2010 as the MP for Lewisham East, having previously been deputy mayor of Lewisham, said Shawcross was “a hard act to follow but I can’t wait to get started”.



She added: “London is a fantastic city. I know Sadiq wants its transport system to be the envy of the world and I am looking forward to playing my part in making that happen.”

City Hall said it was not legally possible for Alexander to be both deputy mayor and an MP, so she would leave parliament before taking up her post. This will prompt a summer byelection in her constituency, where she has a 21,000 majority.

Corbyn thanked Alexander for her work as an MP, saying she would “put her talents and knowledge to great use for the people of London”.

Since leaving the shadow cabinet, Alexander has been an outspoken anti-Brexit campaigner on the backbenches, co-chairing the Labour campaign for the single market, aimed at shifting the party leadership’s position on the issue.

Alison McGovern, who co-chairs the group, said Alexander was “smart and brave, and a million percent Labour. I will miss her so very much in Westminster, but cannot begrudge London government her skill.”

Locally, Alexander has come under pressure from the pro-Corbyn campaign group Momentum, including from some activists who are also members of the far-left Alliance for Workers’ Liberty.

The seat is likely to be a battle between Momentum activists, trade unionists and Labour centrists, who control the local party’s executive. Lewisham Momentum is currently rife with internal divisions.

However, Labour’s national executive committee (NEC) will draw up the shortlist for the first byelection since Jennie Formby took over as general secretary, and local members sympathetic to Alexander and her allies fear it will be dominated by leftist candidates.

One local party insider said: “It’s the polar opposite – who the constituency will want, and who the NEC will want. If the NEC keeps all the centrists off the shortlist, it will make an absolute mockery of member-led democracy.”

Labour sources suggested several leftwing names were already in the frame, including the Lewisham councillor Sakina Sheikh, the GMB organiser Nadine Houghton, and Claudia Webbe, the former chair of the Metropolitan police’s Operation Trident and now a Labour NEC member.

Sheikh, who only won her Perry Vale council seat last week, formally announced her bid for the candidacy less than an hour after Alexander declared she would stand down.



In a statement, Sheikh said it was important the seat had ethnic minority representation and emphasised her support for Corbyn, saying she backed a Labour party which “sticks to its principles, opposes neoliberalism and utilises the knowledge and experience of its members”.

The Guardian understands several other sitting Lewisham councillors aligned with the centre-left are likely to put their names forward, including Joe Dromey and Kevin Bonavia. Dromey is the son of the Labour MPs Harriet Harman and Jack Dromey, while Bonavia has been a councillor for the ward of Blackheath, in Alexander’s constituency, since 2010.

Announcing Alexander’s appointment, Khan said she “knows this city inside out, and her work both as shadow health secretary and campaigning over the best Brexit deal has demonstrated the terrific job she will do as part of my team standing up for London”.

He added: “Londoners can be confident she will ensure we deliver our ambitious plans to transform London’s transport network over the coming years.”

He paid tribute to Shawcross’s “deep expertise on transport in London [which] has made life better for millions of Londoners” citing the Crossrail project and improvements to Transport for London.

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Val Shawcross. Photograph: Sarah Lee/The Guardian

Shawcross, who has served the Greater London Authority for 18 years, said she was looking forward to retirement. “I hope I’ve played my part ensuring our city has a high-quality, affordable and accessible transport network that serves the needs of every Londoner, whatever their background,” she said.

“After more than 18 years at the GLA, and having steered through the mayor’s transport strategy and five-year business plan, now is the right time for me to stand down. There’s so much I want to do with my husband and my family, and this will give me the time and space to do so.”

