Brockley ward is set to elect a new council representative next month, after councillor Alicia Kennedy resigned from her post.

Former Labour councillor Kennedy was elected in May 2014 and her resignation earlier this month has sparked a by-election.

Brockley Labour Party has selected part time communications manager Sophie McGeevor to fight for the role.

Born and bred in Brockley, Ms McGeevor said she is looking forward to the campaign before voters go to the polls on October 13.

She said: “If elected as councillor I would resist any attempts to academise Lewisham schools, find innovative ways to improve recycling rates in our borough, fight for genuinely affordable homes to buy and rent and raise awareness of the devastating impact of austerity on social care provision.”

Labour MP Vicky Foxcroft supported her nomination, adding: “Sophie is a fantastic local activist in Brockley.

“She grew up here, knows the area, and would be a great local councillors who will get things done.”

The Labour party has also chosen Joyce Jacca to fight the Evelyn ward by-election, after the death of Councillor Crada Onuegbu who served for 14 years and passed away following a long illness.

Ms Jacca, who has been a Deptford resident for 13 years, said: “'I live in Evelyn and I care deeply about our community.

“I'd fight for local people and local services. I'd work hard for Evelyn as your councillor.”

News Shopper:

Sophie McGeevor (in yellow) and Brockley Labour.

The Green Party has chosen disability activist Clare Phipps, 27, in a bid to shake up the Labour hold in Lewisham.

As chair of the national Green Party, Ms Phipps, who suffers from a rare disorder known as idiopathic hypersomnia, has dedicated much of her time to fighting for improve support for disabled people.

She said: “Residents can guarantee that I will do all I can to provide decent housing in Brockley, to clean up our air and local area, and reverse the cuts that have damaged so many of our local services: because I experience the same problems they do.

“Since moving to the borough where my family are from, and experiencing what it is like to feel like the council is just ignoring us, I have been waiting for an opportunity like this to come up.”

Current Green Party Councillor for Brockley John Coughlin added: “I am absolutely delighted to be working with Clare once again.

“She is a passionate, forceful, and persuasive voice in the Green Party and she will be a real asset to the people of Brockley.”

The Liberal Democrats have announced Bobby Dean as their representative for Brockley and Lucy Salek who will bid for the position of Evelyn ward councillor.

Mr Dean, a former Goldsmiths student who has lived in the area since he joined the university, said he is determined to stand up for “Generation Rent”.

Mr Dean added: “One more Labour councillor is not going to make a difference to this council. We need to form a substantial opposition to them once again, so that they can be properly held to account.”

And Ms Salek, a campaigner for women’s equality who has lived in Lewisham for 10 years, said the borough has been poorly represented with only one opposition councillor.

She said: “If elected I plan to focus on making ‘consultation’ more than a tickbox exercise, the importance of social and co-operative housing and tackling the deteriorating air quality and pollution affecting the whole borough.”