Ex- Labour MP Luciana Berger to contest London seat for Lib Dems at next election
Former Labour MP Luciana Berger has said she will contest the north London seat of Finchley and Golders Green in the next general election.
The former MP of Liverpool Wavertree will stand for the Liberal Democrats in north London seat, which is currently held by Tory MP Mike Freer.
Read more: Ex-Labour MP Luciana Berger joins the Liberal Democrats
Berger joined the Lib Dems earlier this month after originally setting up the Independent Group for Change with a handful of disaffected Labour and Tory MPs.
In a letter to her Liverpool constituents, Berger wrote: ” It has been an enormous privilege to have served as the MP for Liverpool Wavertree for almost ten years.
“Balancing personal and professional responsibilities is complicated for everyone. As a family, we have had to make a decision about how best to navigate work and raising our young children. After a great deal of thought, we have decided that after the next election – whenever that will be – we will relocate full time to London. I will be standing as the Liberal Democrat prospective parliamentary candidate for Finchley and Golders Green.”
Her decision was welcomed by a number of Lib Dem colleagues, including former Labour MP Chuka Umunna, who tweeted:
Read more: Jewish Labour MP Luciana Berger faces no confidence vote as anti-semitism row drags on
Berger, who is Jewish, quit Labour in February, and cited a culture of bullying and anti-semitism as her reason for leaving the party.
Finchley and Golders Green is a constituency that was created in 1997 and has fluctuated between Labour and the Conservatives.