News / Politics
Labour announce candidate for Kingswood by-election
The mayor of Lewisham has quit the role in order to stand for MP in the snap Kingswood by-election following the resignation of Conservative Chris Skidmore.
Damien Egan had already been selected as Labour’s candidate for the new Bristol North East constituency, which will come into existence with the general election this year, but he is kicking off election campaigning earlier than expected.
The Kingswood constituency in which he will stand is due to be abolished in the upcoming general election, when the population will become split between the new Bristol North East constituency and Somerset North East & Hanham, in what is currently Tory Jacob Rees Mogg’s constituency.
is needed now More than ever
But, with the people of Kingswood in need of an MP in the meantime, a by-election is set to go ahead even though the successful candidate will only be in the role for a matter of months before a general election is held.
Damien, who grew up in and around Kingswood, will have to overturn an 11,220 Conservative majority to clinch victory in the seat that Skidmore has held since 2010.
The former Lewisham mayor, who beat mayor Marvin Rees to be selected as Labour’s North East candidate, says: “I’m looking forward to being able to go around the areas I grew up in and give residents a hardworking representative who’s on their side.
“Speaking to residents in Kingswood today, it’s clear that, just like the former MP, people are fed up of this government, and ready for change. In just a few weeks, we’ll have the opportunity to send Rishi Sunak a message that it’s time for that change.
“I’m excited to have the opportunity to work together to finally tackle the real issues we are having locally”.
The news comes as current metro mayor for the West of England Dan Norris announces his intention to run in the new North East Somerset & Hanham constituency at the upcoming general election.
Main photo: Labour Party
Read next:
- Kingswood Tory MP resigns over oil and gas bill
- Damien Egan beats Marvin Rees to become Bristol North East candidate
- Dan Norris to seek selection as Labour parliamentary candidate
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