About

Abena Oppong-Asare MP

About Me

Hi, I’m Abena, 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 I faced, and in fact, motivated me to do all I could to make a positive difference in our society.

In 2019 and 2024, I was honoured and privileged to be elected and then re-elected as your Member of Parliament for Erith and Thamesmead. I live right here in our constituency – it’s where my family and friends live and it’s a place I know and understand.

Throughout my time as your MP, I have been determined to work with residents, community groups, businesses, and public services to ensure that Erith and Thamesmead gets the fair deal that it deserves. I have fought for better housing, health services and helped secure better transport links. I’m passionate about our community and want to do all I can to make sure everyone who lives here has the opportunity to succeed.

However, over 14 long years, successive Conservative Governments failed to deliver for our country, holding back communities like ours. When I spoke to residents across Erith and Thamesmead, I lost count of the number of times people exasperatedly said to me that “nothing in this country works anymore”. This needed to change.

That’s why I’m so proud to have campaigned and to have helped elect a Labour Government. Labour was elected on a manifesto of change and to deliver a mission-driven government that will rebuild our economy, our public services and trust in politics. I will continue to work hard to help deliver on these promises and bring these much needed changes to our community.

I am also honoured to have been appointed as Parliamentary Secretary in the Cabinet Office. After 5 years of sitting on the Opposition benches, I am now privileged to have the opportunity to deliver real change as a member of the Government to improve the lives of everyone across the country.

My website is one of the ways to keep constituents updated about my work and priorities. If you’re interested in hearing more about what I’ve been up to then you can sign up to my monthly newsletters here. Or if you need any support and live in the constituency please don’t hesitate to get in touch.

Thank you for reading a bit more about me and what I’ve been doing as your Member of Parliament for Erith and Thamesmead.

Yours Sincerely,

Abena Oppong-Asare MP

Life before Parliament

All my life I’ve fought for local people, speaking truth to power on behalf of some of the most vulnerable in our society.

Before I was elected as your MP, I have striven to improve living standards for people across Erith and Thamesmead as a resident, a campaigner for local causes and as a local councillor.

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 stood up for local people and fought to protect our green spaces from council cuts. I represented the resident’s interests in planning battles to ensure new developments benefitted our community. I also worked closely with residents, the police, and other agencies to address concerns about crime and anti-social behaviour.

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 the Mayor of London making sure that the people of London were heard and to stop anything like Grenfell from ever happening again.

I have always believed that no one should face barriers to public life, which is why I will continue to challenge these obstacles wherever they remain. Therefore, I’m proud to have been Chair of the Labour Women’s Network (LWN) since 2019, who play such a crucial role in getting women elected to political office. Additionally, it was also a privilege to be appointed to the Race Equality Advisory Group‏ to work on race equality policy ideas.

I am also the co-author of ‘Stand Up and Be Counted: Be a Councillor’, a publication encouraging and providing practical advice for women from diverse backgrounds to stand for council.

Now, I am proud to serve as your MP, turning frustration against injustice into action in our community.

My Work in Parliament

In my maiden speech, I spoke about my pride in representing our beautiful and diverse community of Erith and Thamesmead, with its rich history and exciting future.

I also spoke about some of my key priorities for our local area like tackling anti-social behaviour, bringing the DLR to Thamesmead and improving housing conditions for residents. You can watch my maiden speech here or read it here.

Through speeches in Parliament, Written Questions, and local campaigns, I have used and will continue to use every available opportunity to advocate for these priorities and other local concerns that are important to you.

Since my election as your MP, I have also been pleased to serve in several important roles first in Opposition and now in Government.

Shortly after I was elected in 2019, I was first asked to serve as Parliamentary Private Secretary (PPS) to Labour’s Shadow Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA). In that role, I helped to steer legislation on the environment and agriculture through Parliament and hold the Conservative Government to account.

I was then honoured in April 2020 to be asked by Labour’s new Shadow Chancellor to serve as her PPS and later that year to be promoted to the position of Shadow Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury. In these roles, I worked closely with Rachel Reeves MP and the Shadow Treasury Team to help develop our economic policies, determine our spending priorities and to hold the then Government to account on the economy.

Then, in September 2023, I was pleased to be promoted to become Shadow Minister for Women’s Health and Mental Health. In my website post at the time of this announcement, I expressed my excitement to begin working on these important yet often neglected areas of our healthcare system.

Following the 2024 UK Election, I am now delighted to have the opportunity to serve under a Labour Government as Parliamentary Secretary in the Cabinet Office. I will work hard to deliver on our missions and rebuild our country for the better.