Karie Murphy applies to stand for Labour in Halifax

http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2015/mar/13/karie-murphy-applies-stand-labour-halifax-falkirik

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Karie Murphy, the former Labour candidate for Falkirk who was caught up in a vote-rigging row last year, has applied to stand for the party in the marginal seat of Halifax.

Murphy was suspended from Labour and reported to police by the party in 2013 after accusations that the Unite union had attempted to manipulate the selection process in her favour.

Murphy, who was later cleared of any wrongdoing and given back her Labour party membership, said she had been contacted by a significant number of party members in Halifax, West Yorkshire, where the incumbent Labour MP, Linda Riordan, is standing down.

Although the accusations were later found to be untrue, the incident led Ed Miliband to reorganise his party’s links with trade unions. The Labour party later refused to apologise to Murphy for reporting her to the police.

Murphy said in a statement: “Given the high level of support and encouragement I have received from local party members and as one of the Labour party’s officially approved candidates, I have decided to apply to be the prospective Labour party candidate for Halifax.

“As a nurse with over 25 years service in the front line of the NHS, I am committed to carrying on Linda Rirodan’s passionate defence of the local NHS and saving the A&E department.”

Riordan, who has represented Halifax for the past 10 years and is standing down at the next election, wrote to Labour earlier this week to warn the party was in “very real danger” of losing the seat unless a candidate was selected soon, given her slim majority of 1,472.

It is thought that an all-female shortlist will be announced next week ahead of a decision on 28 March by the local party, on who should be selected.