About

Abena Oppong-Asare

Life before Parliament

Hi, I’m Abena Oppong-Asare, your Labour MP for Erith & Thamesmead.

I was once told that the chances of someone like me getting a job in Parliament were very slim, and to not even bother trying. The unfairness I felt about this drove me to challenge the barriers that I faced as a Black woman, and I was honoured and privileged to be elected as your Member of Parliament for Erith and Thamesmead on 13th December 2019.

All my life I’ve fought for local people, speaking truth to power on behalf of some of the most vulnerable in our communities. I represented Erith on Bexley Council, speaking up for our area at the town hall and helping to lead the Labour group of Bexley councillors as deputy leader and spokesperson for education. I worked at the Greater London Authority (GLA), supporting our London Assembly members to effectively represent the people of London. In the aftermath of the Grenfell tragedy, I led community engagement work for the GLA and Mayor Sadiq Khan, making sure that the people of London were heard to stop anything like this from ever happening again. Before I was elected as your MP, I led resident engagement for a local authority, ensuring the voices of residents helped to shape local services.