Florence Eshalomi facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Florence Eshalomi MP
Official portrait, 2024
Chair of the Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee
Incumbent
Assumed office 11 September 2024
Preceded by	Clive Betts
Member of Parliament for Vauxhall and Camberwell Green Vauxhall (2019–2024)
Incumbent
Assumed office 12 December 2019
Preceded by	Kate Hoey
Majority	15,112 (40.3%)
Shadow portfolios 2023–2024 Democracy 2022–2023 Cabinet Office 2020–2020 Whip
Member of the London Assembly for Lambeth and Southwark
In office 5 May 2016 – 6 May 2021
Preceded by	Valerie Shawcross
Succeeded by	Marina Ahmad
Member of Lambeth Council for Brixton Hill
In office 4 May 2006 – 3 May 2018
Personal details
Born	Florence Dauta Nosegbe (1980-09-18) 18 September 1980 (age 44) Birmingham, England
Political party	Labour Co-op
Children	2
Alma mater	Middlesex University (BA)

Florence Eshalomi, born on September 18, 1980, is a British politician. She has been a Member of Parliament (MP) for Vauxhall and Camberwell Green since 2019. Before becoming an MP, she was a member of the London Assembly for Lambeth and Southwark from 2016 to 2021. She is part of the Labour Co-op political group.

Early Life and Education

Florence Eshalomi was born Florence Nosegbe in Birmingham, England. Her family is of Nigerian descent. She grew up in Brixton and is the oldest of three sisters. Her mother, Maria Da-Silva, was a school teacher. Florence helped care for her mother, who had sickle cell anaemia and kidney problems.

Florence went to local schools in Lambeth, including Durand Primary and St Helen's RC Primary. She also attended Bishop Thomas Grant Secondary School and St Francis Xavier Sixth Form College. She was the first person in her family to go to university. She earned a degree in Political & International Studies with Law from Middlesex University. She also studied for a semester at Utrecht University in the Netherlands through a student exchange program.

Before her political career, Florence started working at a Sainsbury's supermarket when she was 16.

Political Career

Before joining the London Assembly, Florence Eshalomi worked in public relations. She also served as a local councillor for Brixton Hill on Lambeth London Borough Council. A councillor is someone elected to represent a local area in a city or town council.

London Assembly Member

In 2016, Florence Eshalomi was elected to the London Assembly. The London Assembly checks the work of the Mayor of London and helps make decisions for the city. As an Assembly Member, she was a main spokesperson for the Labour group on transport issues. She also became the Chair of the London Assembly Transport Committee.

During her time in the Assembly, she worked on important issues like reducing gang crime and trying to keep Kennington Police Station open.

Member of Parliament

In October 2019, Florence Eshalomi was chosen to be the Labour candidate for the Vauxhall parliamentary constituency. She won the election in December 2019, becoming a Member of Parliament (MP). An MP represents their local area in the House of Commons, which is where laws are made for the whole country.

She gave her first speech in the House of Commons in January 2020. In her speech, she talked about the importance of funding for the NHS (the UK's healthcare system) and the Police. She also spoke about tackling youth violence and protecting young women from exploitation.

In April 2020, she became a whip for the opposition party. A whip helps make sure that members of their party vote in a certain way. She later stepped down from this role in December 2020.

In May 2021, she returned to a front-bench role as a Parliamentary Private Secretary (PPS) to Angela Rayner, who is a senior leader in the Labour Party. In November 2023, she became the Shadow Minister for Democracy.

In September 2024, Florence Eshalomi became the Chair of the Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee. This committee looks closely at how the government handles housing, local communities, and local councils.

Important Issues and Recognition

Florence Eshalomi has spoken out about being mistaken for other black female MPs. She explained that this happens often and highlights the importance of recognizing each politician as an individual. She believes that all elected women, regardless of their background, deserve to be recognized for their own achievements.

In November 2023, she voted on a motion about a ceasefire in Gaza. She later clarified that she supports a humanitarian ceasefire and has called for one in Parliament many times.

Personal Life

Florence Eshalomi married Matthew in 2014. They have two children. She is a Christian and attends Our Lady Of The Rosary Roman Catholic church in Brixton.

Electoral History

2024 general election

General election 2024: Vauxhall and Camberwell Green
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour and Co-operative Party	Florence Eshalomi	21,528	57.4	–3.1
	Green	Catherine Dawkins	6,416	17.1	+13.0
	Liberal Democrats	Chris French	4,549	12.1	–7.0
	Conservative	Aarti Joshi	2,809	7.5	–7.0
	Reform UK	Mike King	2,033	5.4	+3.8
	SDP	Andrew McRobbie	201	0.5	N/A
Majority			15,112	40.3	–1.1
Turnout			37,536	53.9	–12.4
Registered electors			69,658
	Labour hold		Swing	8.1

2019 general election

General election 2019: Vauxhall
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labour	Florence Eshalomi	31,615	56.1	1.2
	Liberal Democrats	Sarah Lewis	12,003	21.3	0.8
	Conservative	Sarah Bool	9,422	16.7	1.9
	Green	Jacqueline Bond	2,516	4.5	2.4
	Brexit Party	Andrew McGuinness	641	1.1	N/A
	Independent	Salah Faissal	136	0.2	N/A
Majority			19,612	34.8	1.9
Turnout			56,333	63.5	3.6
Registered electors			88,659
	Labour hold		Swing	1.0