The Newham councilor will stand as MP for West Ham and Beckton in the general election

An independent Newham councilor has announced his candidacy to become the first MP for the new West Ham and Beckton constituency. Newham Independents’ Sophia Naqvi is currently a councilor for the Plaistow North ward after winning the November 2023 local by-election.

Newham Independents announced on X on May 4 that Cllr Naqvi is their Parliamentary candidate for the West Ham and Beckton constituency. The independent group wrote on X: “We are delighted to announce Sophia Naqvi as Newham Independents’ parliamentary candidate for the West Ham and Beckton constituency.”

Cllr Naqvi told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS): “As a resident of Newham I am very proud of my borough. It’s where I live and where I raised my family and spent most of my life. in the neighborhood I meet and talk to lots of local people, whether it’s shopping or walking in the park, maybe even grabbing a sandwich at the local cafe, I care deeply about my area and it’s the reason I successfully won the Plaistow election North last November and became a local councillor’.

READ MORE: Newham Council warns of ‘impossible problem’ as it goes £25m over temporary accommodation budget

Cllr Naqvi went on to say that her campaign will be “people powered” and that she is looking forward to the challenge over the next few months. She had been a member of the Labor Party but resigned in October 2023 in response to comments made by Labor leader Keir Starmer about the Israel-Hamas war.

The seat of West Ham has been held by Lyn Brown of the Labor Party since 2005, but is due to become West Ham and Beckton due to a change in constituency boundaries. The Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak, has yet to reveal a date for the general election, which he can call anytime up to December 17, 2024. The latest the election can take place is January 28, 2025. It is unclear whether Cllr Naqvi would relinquish her role on the council if she succeeds in being elected as an MP.

Don’t miss the biggest news from East London. Sign up to our MyEastLondon newsletter HERE for all the latest daily news and more.