Abena Oppong-Asare
Abena Oppong-Asare | |
---|---|
![]() Official portrait, 2019 | |
Shadow Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury | |
Assumed office 16 October 2020 | |
Leader | Keir Starmer |
Preceded by | Wes Streeting |
Member of Parliament for Erith and Thamesmead | |
Assumed office 12 December 2019 | |
Preceded by | Teresa Pearce |
Majority | 3,758 (9.1%) |
Personal details | |
Born | Abena Oppong-Asare[1] 8 February 1983 |
Political party | Labour |
Alma mater | University of Kent (BA, MA) |
Occupation | Politician |
Website | Official website |
Abena Oppong-Asare (born 8 February 1983)[1] is a British Labour Party politician. She was elected as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Erith and Thamesmead in the 2019 general election.[2] She and Bell Ribeiro-Addy, both elected in the 2019 general election, are the first female British Ghanaian MPs.[3][4]
She was appointed to the Official Opposition frontbench in 2020, becoming Shadow Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury.[5]
Early life[]
Oppong-Asare is of Ghanaian descent[6] and studied Politics with International Relations at the University of Kent, where she also attained a master's degree in International Law with International Relations.
Political career[]
She is the chair of Labour Women's Network. From 2014 to 2018, she was a Labour Party Councillor for Erith ward on Bexley Council, serving as Deputy Leader of the opposition Labour Group from 2014 to 2016.[7] She has also previously served as a parliamentary assistant and constituency liaison officer, and has advised the shadow minister for Preventing Violence Against Women and Girls, Seema Malhotra.[8] She ran to be the Labour prospective parliamentary candidate in Erith and Thamesmead when the incumbent MP Teresa Pearce announced she would stand down at the next election.
On 14 January 2020 she was announced as the Parliamentary Private Secretary to the new Shadow Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, Luke Pollard.[9]
On 16 April 2020, Oppong-Asare was announced as the Parliamentary Private Secretary to the newly appointed Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer, Anneliese Dodds.[10]
On 16 October 2020, Oppong-Asare was promoted to Shadow Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury, replacing Wes Streeting, who was moved to the position of Shadow Minister for Schools following resignations the previous day relating to the Covert Human Intelligence Sources (Criminal Conduct) Bill.[11]
References[]
- ^ a b Brunskill, Ian (2020). The Times guide to the House of Commons 2019 : the definitive record of Britain's historic 2019 General Election. Glasgow. p. 195. ISBN 978-0-00-839258-1.
- ^ Somerville, Ewan (13 December 2019). "Erith & Thamesmead constituency results 2019: Labour's Abena Oppong-Asare holds seat". Evening Standard. Retrieved 13 December 2019.
- ^ "Ghanaian-British Politician, Abena Oppong-Asare, wins Erith and Thamesmead seat in 2019 UK elections". www.pulse.ng. 13 December 2019. Retrieved 18 December 2019.
- ^ "UK elections: Two Ghanaian women win seats for Labour". The Ghana Report. 13 December 2019. Retrieved 17 December 2019.
- ^ "Ghanaian-British MP promoted to role of Shadow Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury". www.ghanaweb.com. 28 October 2020. Retrieved 18 February 2021.
- ^ "Ghanaian-British Politician, Abena Oppong-Asare, wins Erith and Thamesmead seat in 2019 UK elections". www.pulse.ng. 13 December 2019.
- ^ Chappell, Elliot (2 November 2019). "Abena Oppong-Asare picked to replace Teresa Pearce". LabourList. Retrieved 18 December 2019.
- ^ PoliticsHome.com (16 December 2019). "Class of 2019: Meet the new MPs". PoliticsHome.com. Retrieved 18 December 2019.
- ^ Pollard, Luke [@LukePollard] (14 January 2020). "Delighted to announce the new Shadow DEFRA Team: Shadow Fisheries @RuthNewportWest Shadow Farming @DanielZeichner and shared with Shadow BEIS Shadow Waste & Recycling @alanwhiteheadmp. Whip @ThangamMP and Lords Minister @WhitchurchGirl with new MP @abenaopp as my PPS" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
- ^ Dodds, Anneliese [@AnnelieseDodds] (16 April 2020). "Great to have had our first team meeting this morning with the full complement of the Shadow Treasury Team! Am so pleased that @abenaopp, @FloEshalomi, Denis Tunnicliffe and @SpenceLivermore have also joined us" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
- ^ Rodgers, Sienna (16 October 2020). "Wes Streeting, James Murray, Abena Oppong-Asare given new frontbench roles". LabourList. Retrieved 16 October 2020.
External links[]
- Living people
- UK MPs 2019–present
- 21st-century British women politicians
- Black British women politicians
- Alumni of the University of Kent
- English people of Ghanaian descent
- Labour Party (UK) councillors
- Female members of the Parliament of the United Kingdom for English constituencies
- Labour Party (UK) MPs for English constituencies
- Councillors in the London Borough of Bexley
- 1983 births
- Black British MPs
- Women councillors in England