A hospital pharmacist has been elected as the new Labour MP for the Coventry North West constituency.

Labour candidate Taiwo Owatemi, a 27-year-old pharmacist from Foleshill in Coventry, won the seat by just 208 votes in last week’s general election (12 December).

Senior oncology pharmacist Ms Owatemi gained 20,918 (44%) of the constituency’s votes, while her nearest rival, Conservative candidate Clare Golby, received 20,710 (43%).

Ms Owatemi’s predecessor, Labour MP Geoffrey Robinson, held the seat for almost 45 years after he was first elected in 1976, standing down last month.

The Pharmacists’ Defence Association (PDA) tweeted that it is ‘delighted’ about Ms Owatemi’s election, as she is a member of the organisation.

Congratulations to @TaiwoOwatemi who is now a Member of Parliament. We’re delighted to see a pharmacist, who is one of our members, get elected. https://t.co/6jMhj8wF3D

— The PDA (@the_pda) December 13, 2019

 

‘I promise that I will campaign for our NHS’

 

Ms Owatemi said that she is ‘truly honoured’ to have been elected and pledged to ‘always be a campaigning MP’ in her victory speech after the results were announced.

She said: ‘As a senior cancer pharmacist, I have witnessed the devastating impact of Tory cuts on our NHS.

‘I promise that I will campaign for our NHS, to ensure we have the right amount of doctors and nurses that we need.’

Re-elected prime minister Boris Johnson said last week that the NHS is his ‘top priority’ and that his ‘one nation’ Conservative government will ‘massively increase’ investment in the NHS.

Meanwhile, pharmacy bodies responded to the general election result with calls for Mr Johnson to ‘back’ the sector and make good on his promises to the NHS.

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