Former mayor of Enfield Kate Anolue shortlisted to become next Edmonton MP

                                                                  
FORMER mayor of Enfield Kate Anolue is on course to become the next Member of Parliament for Edmonton after being included in a final shortlisted of three as the Labour Party's prospective parliamentary candidate.

With British elections due on May 7, the political parties have begun selecting candidates for the 650 seats in the House of Commons. Andy Love, the current MP for Edmonton has decided to stand down at the forthcoming elections, thus sparking a succession contest.

Elected mayor of Enfield during the 2012/13 year, Ms Anolue was conferred with an honorary Freedom of the Borough in Enfield in April 2007. This is the highest tribute that can be bestowed upon someone who has rendered eminent services to the community and was awarded in recognition of her services that included being a local councillor for 12 years.

Among other things, she was a member of the Racial Equality Council, Enfield, a panel member of Health Scrutiny and a governor of two schools in Edmonton and the current  women's officer for the Edmonton constituency Labour Party. Ms Anolue is also the vice chairman of the Association of British Nigerian Councillors.

Ms Anolue said: "We started out with a list of over 80 candidates and that has now been whittled down to three and the Edmonton constituency Labour Party members will now select the candidate in this final phase. I shall be putting my case forward, explaining why I think I am qualified for the job, just as all the other candidates will be doing."

Very active with the Nigerian diaspora community in the UK, Ms Anolue has been conferred with the Ada Jere Mba Turu Ugo in her native Nanka community in Anambra State. Translated to mean Our Daughter That Went to a Foreign Land and Brought Glory, the chieftaincy title is generally only reserved for men.

Later tonight, Ms Anolue will be hosting  a Forum for African, Afro-Caribbean and Asian Women in Politics at the House of Commons. Designed to get more ethnic minority women involved in decision making and politics, the forum will be hosted by MPs Meg Hillier and Andy Love, supported by Diane Abbot, Keith Vaz, Virendra Sharma and David Lammy.

There are currently three MPs of Nigerian extraction in the British House of Commons. These include Labour members of parliament Chuka Umunna, Chi Onwurah and Conservative MP Helen Grant.