France elects left-wing Parti Socialiste candidate in so-called 'MP for South Kensington' seat

France has elected its first ever MPs for expats, including the so-called “MP for South Kensington”.

The Axelle Lemaire won this weekend’s second round run-off and was elected to the Northern Europe seat. She will represent all French expatriates in ten countries in the UK, Scandinavia and the Baltic; many of whom live in west London’s longstanding Gallic diaspora.

“I am told the floor is mine,” wrote Mme. Lemaire on hearing the news. She posted on the micro-blogging site Twitter: “So, an immense thank you to all who believed in me, to my team and to the electorate. Pride, responsibility.”

She also received the congratulations of former spin doctor Alastair Campbell, a well-known Francophile, who tweeted: “I am very happy about Axelle Lemaire’s victory, I am certain she will be a superb MP.”

In the parliamentary elections, the French handed new President François Hollande a major boost, giving the new chef d’état – who also belongs to the Parti Socialiste – an absolute majority in the Assemblée Nationale, meaning he is less likely to need the support of rival parties’ MPs.