LEICESTER EAST MP Claudia Webbe on Friday (24) said that she will stand for re-election as an independent candidate.
“My independence means I’ll listen to local people and put them first. I’ll place people and planet over profit and vote for humanity and never against. I will work for justice for Leicester East," she said in a statement.
“It has been an honour and privilege to serve the people of Leicester East as their MP, representing all communities with passion and integrity, and I will ask them to re-elect me so that I can continue to serve their interests."
Webbe said that she is committed to addressing the issues facing Leicester East and ensuring that the concerns of its residents are not overlooked. She stressed the importance of standing up against injustice and prioritising the needs of ordinary people over partisan interests or corporate influences, especially in the context of ongoing challenges both domestically and internationally.
Webbe won the seat for Labour in 2019. However, she was ousted from the party following her conviction for harassing Michelle Merritt, a friend of her boyfriend, Lester Thomas.
Subsequently, the Crown Prosecution Service issued an apology to Webbe as an independent investigation revealed that reports alleging she threatened to use acid against Merritt were incorrect.
The lawmaker said that she won't stay silent when the constituency faces division or neglects the people's needs, or when injustice is perpetrated elsewhere in our name.
She added, "After so many years of cuts and cruelty in this country, and wars overseas, the needs of ordinary people in Leicester East have never been greater to have me as their MP, who will genuinely stand up for them and what they care about, and not serve narrow party agendas or corporate donors.
“My track record as MP for Leicester East shows that I understand their concerns and that I will work for the issues they care about, from low pay and exploitation in the garment industry and the closure of local services, to protecting access to NHS doctors, to speaking out for justice in Palestine, calling for a lasting, permanent ceasefire in Gaza."
Webbe pledged to persistently advocate for genuine change, true justice, and the correction of inequalities that have benefited a select few while many others endure hardships, with support from people.
She is the first female and first black female MP for Leicester East.
Damian Talbot
Nirmala Sitharaman speaks at the India-UK Investor Roundtable in London last Wednesday (9). On the panel were India’s department of economic affairs secretary Ajay Seth and Kotak Mahindra Bank founder Uday Kotak
Sitharaman with Sir Keir Starmer and Rachel Reeves
Sitharaman with Jonathan Reynolds 
Sitharaman with Reynolds, Alastair King, India’s high commissioner Vikram Doraiswami and other delegates