Former Labour frontbencher Heidi Alexander 'set to quit Commons'
1 min read
A senior Labour MP is preparing to quit the House of Commons, it has emerged.
Heidi Alexander, who quit as Shadow Health Secetary in protest at Jeremy Corbyn’s leadership, could be set to take up a new role working for London mayor Sadiq Khan.
According to The Guardian, Ms Alexander is mulling over the decision to step down from her Lewisham East seat, where she was re-elected last year with a majority of more than 21,000.
She has not yet set a date for her departure, but friends said she had all-but made up her mind to give up her Commons career.
Ms Alexander has been at odds with members of her local Momentum branch since quitting Mr Corbyn’s top team, with many vocally criticising her for opposing the Labour leader.
Ms Alexander, who is also co-chair of Labour's campaign to keep Britain in the single market after Brexit, said at the time: “Jeremy should unequivocally condemn the actions of local Momentum branches who are actively seeking to deselect sitting MPs.”
Her departure from the Commons would trigger a fierce battle in her London constituency as different factions within the Labour party fought to select a new candidate for the safe seat.
PoliticsHome Newsletters
PoliticsHome provides the most comprehensive coverage of UK politics anywhere on the web, offering high quality original reporting and analysis: Subscribe