The first stage of the process to select a candidate to contest Swindon South at the next general election has concluded with the constituency shortlisting three candidates. They are:
Anne Snelgrove, the former MP for Swindon South (2005-2010)
Frances Rehal, a Surestart manager from Kent
Anne Marie Waters, a constituency activist from London
Swindon South was won for Labour in the 1997 landslide by Julia Drown, who served as the MP from 1997 until 2005, when she stood down. Her successor, Anne Snelgrove, lost the seat by 3,544 on a 5.5% swing, to current incumbent Conservative MP Robert Buckland.
As the former MP and the only local candidate on the shortlist, Anne Snelgrove must be considered the favourite to win the nomination. She is a former PPS to Gordon Brown (as Prime Minister) and was one of the two campaign managers of Ed Balls' leadership campaign in 2010.
The selection meeting takes place on 27th July.
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Not a single local candidate. If Labour is to make progress in the south, it has to start developing candidates who have emerged from, worked for and served their local communities. And please don't tell me this was an all-women long list.
ReplyDeleteWhy, oh why, think about selecting a retread who lost in '10 despite shipping in the majority of North's activists once that was lost?
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