Councilor Florence Eshalomi (pictured) has been elected to replace Clive Betts, the long-serving chair of the council's housing select committee.
This surprised commentators, as Betts was expected to retain his position due to his strong track record, and Betts himself had hoped to do so. 
Mr Betts has been a thorn in the side of many ministers for some time, but is perhaps best known for his unwavering support for the Renters Reform Bill and the repeal of Section 21 “no-fault” evictions.
Speaker-elect Florence Eshalomi has been the MP for the safe Labor seat of Vauxhall and Camberwell Green since 2019. According to policy.co.uk, she is considered to the left of the Labor Party and is a member of Momentum.
She said of her new role: “I am delighted to have been elected Chair of the Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee.
housing crisis
“Solving the housing crisis and ensuring more homes are built is an important mission for this country, and my committee will review our approach to scrutinizing the government’s progress in these areas. I'm sure you'll consider it.
“Building safety, the rights of social housing tenants and private renters, local government finance, adult social care and community strengthening are also big issues for this council.
“I look forward to working with my colleagues on a bipartisan basis once the commission is established, as I look forward to it holding governments to account and helping to improve the lives of my constituents.”
