ONE of Labour's longest serving councillors has been dumped by her Woodside ward party.
But despite admitting she was saddened and disappointed by the decision not to select her to fight the seat next year, Councillor Karen Jewitt said she is determined to campaign for the party in the run-up to the elections.
Voted in by ward members in her place was 37-year-old Hamida Ali, who is also one of ten women seeking the nomination for the Croydon Central Parliamentary seat. The two other sitting councillors in the ward, Labour leader Tony Newman and planning spokesman Paul Scott were reselected.
Cllr Jewitt was first elected to the council when Labour took control in 1994 and has been re-elected three times. She told the Advertiser: "To be part of the team which took control of the council in 1994 is a memory that will always be with me.
"I am so proud of the work I have done in the ward and people have been contacting me and being very nice and saying they will miss me."
Cllr Jewitt said she had never had any ambitions to be an MP or rise to great heights locally but always wanted to concentrate on being a good local councillor.
She said: "I wanted people in the ward to know me and know that I was always available to help." Commenting on her de-selection, Cllr Jewitt said: "These things happen.
"I think Hamida was looking for a winnable seat and I was the casualty.
"I am philosophical about what has happened but that doesn't stop me being disappointed."
Cllr Jewitt, who retains her seat until the election, added: "I live in Thornton Heath and I will be working in the area to help ensure our councillors get re-elected next May.
"I may be quieter now but I am not walking away."
Cllr Newman said Cllr Jewitt was a tremendous councillor who should be proud of what she had done for residents in the ward and for the party.
He said: "I am glad she still feels committed to helping us in the election campaign that lies ahead.
"Unlike the Tory party the way selection works for us is for the members to turn up to meetings and vote for the people they want to represent them."
He added: "There is some tough competition out there and there will undoubtedly be one or more very hard decisions made."
TWO more Croydon councillors have joined the list of women seeking to fight Croydon Central for Labour at the next general election.
South Norwood councillor, Jane Avis and Upper Norwood member Alisa Flemming join colleagues Alison Butler and Louisa Woodley on the final list of applicants.
The pair are among five further women (profiled on this page) to throw their hat into the Croydon Central ring.
The other five on the all-women shortlist, who already declared earlier this month, are Councillors Butler and Woodley, Hamida Ali, Catriona Ogilvy, and Sara Jones.
The selection meeting will take place at Croydon Conference Centre, in Surrey Street, from 11am-6pm on July 21.
