An ex-Green candidate will stand for election as a Lib Dem councillor in this year’s local elections in May.
Lina Usma will stand in St George’s ward in Elephant and Castle, where both seats are currently held by the Liberal Democrats.
She previously stood unsuccessfully as a Green Party candidate in Newington ward in the 2022 local elections.
Lina will replace Cllr Maria Linforth-Hall as the Lib Dem candidate, who is retiring as a councillor after 12 years of service, and will represent the ward along with Cllr Graham Neale if they are both elected.
The Lib Dems said Lina, who is from Colombia originally, would seek to build on Maria’s work championing the Latin American community in Elephant and Castle, in addition to prioritising crime, housing and the cost of living.
Lina said she was “delighted” to stand for the Lib Dems, adding: “I joined the party understanding that they share my values on internationalism, the environment, and social justice, but also knowing that they are the only ones able to meaningfully challenge a Labour council that has been letting us down.
“I’m looking forward to getting stuck in and talking to as many people across the ward as possible, and being a voice for them on the council.”
Maria Linforth-Hall said Lina had her “wholehearted support” adding that she would make a ” fantastic champion for the Latin American community here in Southwark and for all residents in St George’s Ward.”
Southwark Liberal Democrat Group Leader Cllr Victor Chamberlain added: “It’s really exciting to have Lina join the team in St George’s ward, and shows there’s real momentum behind us for May. I know she’s going to be a real asset on the council group and will be a champion for residents in St George’s Ward.
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“Across Southwark we’re speaking to more and more people like Lina who are coming to us from the Green Party and Labour Party, because they know we share some of their core values and are the only ones who are able to kick Labour out in May.”
Claire Sheppard, a senior figure within the Southwark Green Party, said: “I have been an active member of the Green Party for 7 years in Southwark and haven’t met Lina Usma, but I wish her all the best.
“The Green Party is the leading party in the polls and the main challenger to Labour in Southwark in the upcoming May elections.”
Lina first moved to the UK in 1996 with her husband, and runs Extra International, the largest newspaper in London for the Spanish-speaking Latin American community.
