By Harry Jones
December 13 2019, 10.00
Follow @SW_Londoner
Battersea’s victorious MP Marsha de Cordova completed a Labour whitewash in Wandsworth.
Ms de Cordova won 27,290 votes, 45.6% of the total share, defeating Conservative Kim Caddy, who had 21,622.
She is currently the Shadow Minister for Disabled People and is legally blind, suffering from nystagmus, a condition that makes the eyes move involuntarily.
In the other two Wandsworth constituencies, whose results were announced at the same venue, Tooting’s Dr Rosena Allin-Khan kept her seat while Fleur Anderson represented a solitary labour gain on a night of large-scale misery.
With Ms de Cordova and Mrs Anderson standing side-by-side in the crowd, Dr Allin-Khan said in her victory speech: “I want to congratulate the two fantastic members of parliament that have been elected tonight for Putney and Battersea.
“We have three red ladies in Wandsworth.”
Ms de Cordova, 43, herself dedicated much of her speech to her staff, which she pointed out was centred around women.
She said: “Our brilliant team have coordinated one of the most energetic, organised, dynamic campaigns I have ever seen.
“I am proud to have a team led by women.”
Straight after descending from the stage, she engaged a jumping huddle with her team.
As each of the three seats fell to Labour, Wandsworth Civic Centre played host to an evening unreflective of Labour’s struggles in the wider election picture.
As the night wore on, the crowd near the stage transformed from one with equal party representation to a sea of Labour supporters, each Labour victory drawing a louder cheer than the last.
All three candidates refused to be drawn into questions about Labour’s overall performance.
When asked if it was a disastrous night for Labour, she said: “That may be, but it’s great news for Battersea and great news for Labour.”
Then, when pressed on whether Jeremy Corbyn’s leadership was to blame for Labour’s evening, she said: “I won my seat so I’m just really proud of what we’ve done in Battersea.”
Ms de Cordova is a staunch Remainer in a constituency that voted resoundingly against Brexit, with 77.95% voting to remain.
She said: “Those who want me to continue to fight Brexit, I will fight Brexit.
“Those who want me to help the efforts to save our amazing planet, I will.
“Those tired of our young people being hurt in pointless violence and to those grieving families, I will continue to support you.
“To those living in poverty and using food banks in Battersea we do not accept it and it has to be that we cannot allow that suffering to continue.”
Ms de Cordova won her seat from the Tories in 2017, although she enjoyed a larger majority this time, she received 0.4% less of the total share than two years ago, with Liberal Democrats taking a portion of the Conservative vote.
She said: “I’ve have not had a full term, but I’ve had two and a half years of serving the people of Battersea and they’ve chosen to put their trust in me once again with an increased majority.”
Mrs Caddy, a cabinet member at Wandsworth Council, looked visibly upset from the moment the result announced. After de Cordova’s speech, she declined an interview.
