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Hyndburn Labour successor to Greg Pope announced (From Blackburn Citizen)
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Hyndburn Labour successor to Greg Pope announced
4:50pm Sunday 22nd November 2009
HYNDBURN’S Labour group have announced their candidate in the race to become the borough’s next MP.
The borough council’s Labour Leader Graham Jones has been named as the successor to Greg Pope as Labour’s prospective parliamentary candidate.
Following the announcement, Coun Jones said he felt privileged at the party’s backing and said investment, not cuts, would be his route to a better Hyndburn.
He said: "I am honoured and privileged to have been selected by the members of Hyndburn.
“Greg Pope has served with great pride and passion as Hyndburn MP for more than 17 years and I am determined to stand up and fight as he has for the people in this constituency.
“The next election will be a big choice about the change we want.
"The Tories have admitted that they will be cutting public services across Lancashire and we will fight against this.
“Only a Labour government will continue to make a real difference here in East Lancashire, investing in the economy and jobs, housing and regeneration, health and education.
“I will be fighting for a better future for all in Hyndburn.”
Joan Smith, Chair of Hyndburn Labour Party, said: “I am delighted Graham has been selected to join our hard working councillors and party members.
“We are obviously sad to lose such a good MP in Greg Pope but we believe we now have the best possible candidate to win the fight for Hyndburn’s future.”
Others who had expressed an interest to become Labour’s nominee included Bob Wilkinson, who lost his seat on Lancashire County Council in June.
Damian Talbot, who has worked in Jack Straw’s constituency office for 10 years and sits on Blackburn with Darwen Council, had also been a contender but pulled out of the running weeks ago.
The Conservative Party candidate has not yet been chosen according to party members who say they are yet to have received a shortlist from their central office.
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Your Say YourCitizen
Wikidi, Accrington says...
5:47pm Sun 22 Nov 09
Kevin, Colne, Colne says...
6:05pm Sun 22 Nov 09
I suspect from the comments you have posted in the past that you and I are on different sides of the political spectrum but I have to say I agree with you completely.
One must first look at policies and then candidates, who I believe first and foremost should be drawn from the locality. Someone local who is one of us, not a career politician and not someone who if they are a member of a party is not a slave of the party. The problem with politics today is that it's dominated by mice; and that is because in too many instances it seems that party's select mice. Perhaps that's because only mice join parties, who knows?
What I do know is that regardless of who wins the forthcoming general election there is one thing for sure: the future is bleak indeed.
Come Januray we all face a pay-cut with VAT returning to 17.5%.
All right thinking people should be preparing and arranging their affairs for hard times ahead.
With good wishes
Kevin
Excluded, Darwen says...
8:21pm Sun 22 Nov 09
A local party chooses a well known local person to fight a seat rather than someone who went straight from university to a job at Westminster and then tries to nobble a seat in an area whose name they can barely spell.
Who knows? This sort of thing might catch on.
Lovelancs, Accrington says...
11:03pm Sun 22 Nov 09
Gaius Grossus, Accrington says...
3:26pm Mon 23 Nov 09
TAKING OVER: Graham Jones, left, has been chosen to succeed Greg Pope
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pendlelad, Nelson says...
5:33pm Sun 22 Nov 09