Labour has announced its new parliamentary candidate for Chingford and Woodford Green.

Faiza Shaheen will go head to head with the area’s current and long-serving MP, Iain Duncan Smith, at the next general election.

Ms Shaheen grew up in Chingford, is the director of a think-tank and has a PhD and MSc from the University of Manchester.

Ms Shaheen said: “It is a great honour to be selected to fight the seat of Chingford and Woodford Green for Labour. I grew up in the constituency which makes me doubly humbled to be selected by local members.

“The Tories do not represent the views of the people I know in Chingford: the parents who have seen funding for their schools slashed; the people who are worried about crime but have seen police numbers decimated; and the people who want to see Brexit delivered in a way which will protect our economy and secure workers’ rights.

“We have a real chance at the next election to unseat Iain Duncan-Smith, put Jeremy Corbyn in Downing Street and show the Tories that they can no longer take us for granted.”