Black Voters in Lambeth make history

Black voters in the borough of Lambeth dealt a crushing blow to the Lib Dem-Tory controlled council by bucking the national trend and voting for a Labour controlled administration.

On a night of high drama, Lambeth went from one of the most unrepresentative councils in the country to one of the most representative- Increasing BME representation from 6% to 36%.

High profile issues such as the sacking of Black worker Alex Owalade, poor housing, local crime in the area and the administrations refusal to undertake further voter registration were all grievances that Black people felt the council refused to tackle.

Simon Woolley, Director of Operation Black Vote stated: In Lambeth and across the country Black people have something to cheer about. This result shows that when Black candidates who represent local people are put forward and when Black people go out and vote dramatic and historical events can happen. This is without doubt a new dawn in Black political participation and political representation, and is something that must be replicated with all the political parties right across the country.

Notes to the editor: The result in Lambeth will send shock waves across the political establishment. On an evening when Labour was experiencing political meltdown Black voters in Lambeth were removing an administration that had badly let them down.