South west London MP Marsha De Cordova has been appointed shadow minister for disabilities by Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn.
Ms De Cordova, who was elected MP at this year’s election, replaces Marie Rimmer, who has stepped down.
The Bristol-born politician is registered blind and previously worked at leading sight loss charity Thomas Pocklington Trust, as well as South East London Vision and Action for Blind People.
On her appointment, she said: “It’s an honour to be appointed to this role, an area I have dedicated my professional life to but also deeply personal to me.
“I want to use my position to make sure we have a proper and fair social security system for disabled people, that we reduce the employment gap, and that we make sure Brexit is not used as an excuse to roll back the rights of disabled people.”
Ms De Cordova caused a shock when she ousted the incumbent Conservative MP in the June election, where Jeremy Corbyn’s party significantly outperformed expectations.
Mr Corbyn added: “I am delighted to welcome Marsha to our work and pensions team. She brings a wealth of experience to the role and will help us continue to expose the failings of this Conservative government that has even been found wanting by the UN over its treatment of disabled people.”
