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Corbyn's choice to fight Copeland byelection rejected by local party Corbyn's choice to fight Copeland byelection rejected by local party
(about 1 hour later)
Jeremy Corbyn’s preferred choice as Labour candidate for the Copeland byelection has been rejected by local party members, who instead chose a former doctor who backed the failed leadership challenger Owen Smith last summer. Labour has said it will hold both the Stoke Central and Copeland byelections on 23 February. The announcement came shortly after it was revealed that local Labour party members had rejected Jeremy Corbyn’s preferred choice as candidate for Copeland.
Gillian Troughton’s selection will be seen as a victory for Labour moderates. The leadership is understood to have preferred Rachel Holliday, a homelessness campaigner and vocal Corbyn supporter who had only recently joined the party. Local activists instead chose former doctor Gillian Troughton, who backed the failed leadership challenger Owen Smith last summer, which will be seen as a victory for Labour moderates.
The leadership is understood to have preferred Rachel Holliday, a homelessness campaigner and vocal Corbyn supporter who had only recently joined the party.
Troughton faces a tough battle in the west Cumbrian seat, where Labour’s majority over the Conservatives was cut to 2,564 at the last general election. Jamie Reed, the constituency’s current MP, announced last month that he was standing down to take up a position at the Sellafield nuclear plant in the constituency.Troughton faces a tough battle in the west Cumbrian seat, where Labour’s majority over the Conservatives was cut to 2,564 at the last general election. Jamie Reed, the constituency’s current MP, announced last month that he was standing down to take up a position at the Sellafield nuclear plant in the constituency.
Labour’s national executive committee (NEC) is preparing for byelections in Copeland and Stoke Central on 23 February, the latter triggered by the resignation of Tristram Hunt in order to take up a post as director of the V&A. Reed and the Stoke Central MP Tristram Hunt, who will leave to become director of the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, will formally resign as MPs on Friday. Labour intends to move the writ on Monday for both byelections on Monday, with polling day within a month.
The NEC picked an all-women shortlist ahead of the hustings on Thursday night, which meant the former Labour MP Thomas Docherty and Tim Knowles, a well-known Cumbria county councillor, were not on the list. Labour sources said they were keen for a short campaign, particularly in Stoke-on-Trent, where the Ukip leader, Paul Nuttall, has been tipped to stand in the seat. The constituency voted strongly to leave the EU in last June’s referendum.
The NEC picked an all-female shortlist ahead of the Copeland hustings on Thursday night, which meant the former Labour MP Thomas Docherty and Tim Knowles, a well-known Cumbria county councillor, were not on the list.
Troughton was one of 1,000 councillors who signed a declaration of support for Smith over the summer during his failed leadership campaign.Troughton was one of 1,000 councillors who signed a declaration of support for Smith over the summer during his failed leadership campaign.
Holliday, a local Unite activist, was named Cumbria’s woman of the year in 2015. She founded Time to Change in west Cumbria, a social enterprise that tackles homelessness, and Calderwood House hostel for the homeless.Holliday, a local Unite activist, was named Cumbria’s woman of the year in 2015. She founded Time to Change in west Cumbria, a social enterprise that tackles homelessness, and Calderwood House hostel for the homeless.
However, local members are understood to have been uneasy about her lack of political experience, having only joined the party in 2015. “A lot of local members felt that although she seems like a nice person, they resented her being pushed at the expense of an experience local councillor,” one senior Labour source said. Local members, however, are understood to have been uneasy about her lack of political experience, having only joined the party in 2015. “A lot of local members felt that although she seems like a nice person, they resented her being pushed at the expense of an experience local councillor,” one senior Labour source said.
“It was a local member rebellion. People felt like a certain person was being pushed by someone in London. They didn’t want to be told what to do. I think we have a far better chance of holding the seat now.”“It was a local member rebellion. People felt like a certain person was being pushed by someone in London. They didn’t want to be told what to do. I think we have a far better chance of holding the seat now.”
Troughton said: “It is an honour to have been selected as the Labour candidate for this crucial byelection in my home seat. This election is a choice between allowing the Tories to strip NHS services away from Copeland and sending them a message that it’s unacceptable.” Support for the nuclear industry is seen as key to holding the seat, with Troughton keen to stress her pro-nuclear and NHS campaigning credentials in her victory statement. “This is my home. I have been part of the campaign against the proposed cuts to A&E and the maternity wing because I know that our community needs this service,” she said.
“This is where my family make their living. My husband works in the nuclear supply chain, so I know how important the industry is to thousands of Cumbrians. I’m pro-nuclear. No ifs, no buts.”
In a statement welcoming her selection, Corbyn said: “Gillian is a local councillor with a strong track record of getting things done for her community. She has campaigned tirelessly to maintain local hospital services. As a St John blue light ambulance driver, Gillian has seen first-hand the extent of the crisis caused by this Conservative government, which has chosen to fund tax cuts for the wealthiest instead of our health service.”In a statement welcoming her selection, Corbyn said: “Gillian is a local councillor with a strong track record of getting things done for her community. She has campaigned tirelessly to maintain local hospital services. As a St John blue light ambulance driver, Gillian has seen first-hand the extent of the crisis caused by this Conservative government, which has chosen to fund tax cuts for the wealthiest instead of our health service.”
A Conservative spokesman said the selection was a “victory for the hard left”, adding: “It is clear Gillian Troughton is nothing more than a Corbyn puppet in a Labour party that is too divided and incompetent to stand up and secure the future of Cumbria’s industry and jobs.”A Conservative spokesman said the selection was a “victory for the hard left”, adding: “It is clear Gillian Troughton is nothing more than a Corbyn puppet in a Labour party that is too divided and incompetent to stand up and secure the future of Cumbria’s industry and jobs.”
The Tories have not yet chosen their candidate for the constituency, but local activists say they are planning “the biggest campaigning day the party has ever held in Cumbria” on Saturday. West Cumbrian councillor Rebecca Hanson has been selected to stand for the Lib Dems. The Tories have not yet chosen their candidate for the constituency, but local activists say they were planning “the biggest campaigning day the party has ever held in Cumbria” on Saturday. The Lib Dems have chosen the west Cumbrian councillor Rebecca Hanson to stand.
Labour has imposed a tight timetable for the selection for the Stoke byelection, with candidates shortlisted by Tuesday by an NEC panel including the chair, Glenis Willmott, MP Keith Vaz, Unison’s Keith Birch and constituency rep and Momentum activist Rhea Wolfson. Labour has imposed a tight timetable for the selection for the Stoke byelection, with candidates shortlisted by Tuesday by an NEC panel including the chair, Glenis Willmott, the MP Keith Vaz, Unison’s Keith Birch and the constituency rep and Momentum activist Rhea Wolfson. The final candidate will be selected at a hustings on Wednesday.
The final candidate will be selected at a hustings on Wednesday. Ukip’s leader, Paul Nuttall, has been tipped to stand in the constituency, which recorded a high leave vote in last year’s EU referendum. Several local candidates have already publicly expressed their intention to run, including the Royal Stoke A&E doctor and army reservist Stephen Hitchin, the former Newcastle-under-Lyme council leader Mike Stubbs, the councillor and local shopkeeper Chris Spence, and the former Labour candidate for Staffordshire Moorlands, Trudie McGuinness.
Several local candidates have already publicly expressed their intention to run, including Royal Stoke A&E doctor and army reservist Stephen Hitchin, former Newcastle-under-Lyme council leader Mike Stubbs, councillor and local shopkeeper Chris Spence, and Trudie McGuinness, the former Labour candidate for Staffordshire Moorlands.