Wakefield

[markgoodair]

I suspect that Labour will select a local councillor like Jack Hemingway or Micheal Graham.

[andrea]

Last month, LabourList mentioned the following names as talked about being interested in applying for the selection: Jack Hemingway (Wakefield Council Deputy Leader), Sam Howarth (who works for Dan Jarvis and worked for Jenny Champman. Chair of Normanton & Wakefield Co-Op), Wakefield West Cllr Michael Graham (who is on the party Future Candidates program), Jakob Williamson, Simon Lightwood (who is on the party regional board).

[swindonlad]

Apr 16, 2022 22:06:01 GMT Adam in Stroud said:

PS I should say I'd be astonished if the local Conservative party were keen on any sort of parachuted candidate, it seems more like something that would seem a good wheeze in a newspaper office.

I wouldn't think many Tory candidates who could be parachuted in would be keen on this as a by-election loss isn't going to look good on the CV, especially after how well a parachuted candidate did in North Shropshire. It will be a local candidate or someone who isn't getting a winnable seat elsewhere & thinks this may be their best/only chance.

[The Bishop]

Apr 16, 2022 21:25:36 GMT Adam in Stroud said:

Have we had this yet?

Tories urge Lord Frost to stand in Red Wall seat (Mail Online)

Nonsense story in every single respect, not least that he could not renounce his (life) peerage by law.

[Ron Swanson]

Apr 17, 2022 8:04:08 GMT swindonlad said:

Apr 16, 2022 22:06:01 GMT Adam in Stroud said:

PS I should say I'd be astonished if the local Conservative party were keen on any sort of parachuted candidate, it seems more like something that would seem a good wheeze in a newspaper office.

I wouldn't think many Tory candidates who could be parachuted in would be keen on this as a by-election loss isn't going to look good on the CV, especially after how well a parachuted candidate did in North Shropshire. It will be a local candidate or someone who isn't getting a winnable seat elsewhere & thinks this may be their best/only chance.

Cllr Samantha Harvey?

[neilm]

Apr 17, 2022 10:28:30 GMT The Bishop said:

Apr 16, 2022 21:25:36 GMT Adam in Stroud said:

Have we had this yet?

Tories urge Lord Frost to stand in Red Wall seat (Mail Online)

Nonsense story in every single respect, not least that he could not renounce his (life) peerage by law.

Life peers can resign. But they can't then get another peerage so it would be curtains, politically.

[Deleted]

Apr 17, 2022 10:51:24 GMT Ron Swanson said:

Apr 17, 2022 8:04:08 GMT swindonlad said:

I wouldn't think many Tory candidates who could be parachuted in would be keen on this as a by-election loss isn't going to look good on the CV, especially after how well a parachuted candidate did in North Shropshire. It will be a local candidate or someone who isn't getting a winnable seat elsewhere & thinks this may be their best/only chance.

Cllr Samantha Harvey?

She would be a good choice.

[LDCaerdydd]

Tory applicants have until 4pm tomorrow to apply.

...it has come to ConservativeHome’s attention that the Party has now written (well, e-mailed) to invite applications for candidature.

The specifics are obvious. CCHQ wants applicants who can display strong links to the constituency or neighbouring areas. The vacancy is intended for those with a Comprehensive or Key Seat Pass, and the Seat CV attached with the e-mail is required to be returned by interested candidates by Monday 18th April at 4pm.

The fight for Wakefield will be a fascinating content for those of us with an eye on the next general election. This is a prime ‘Red Wall’ seat. Before Khan won it in 2019, it had not had a Conservative MP since 1932. It voted to Leave by 62 percent in 2016. Average incomes and the number of degree-holders are below the English average.

Since Labour need a swing of 3.75 percent to re-take Wakefield, it is exactly the sort of seat Sir Keir Starmer must win to reach Downing Street. A Labour victory here, a year on from the remarkable Tory victory in Hartlepool, would cause many to suggest that the Johnson, Brexit, and vaccine factors are losing their hold over the ‘Red Wall’ – and that the opinion polls are bang on target.

The New Statesman team have crunched the numbers and expect a Labour win by 7 points or so. Which is what one might expect, in a marginal with a current majority of 3,358, two and a half years into a Parliament, and with the country hurtling towards a cost-of-living crisis. As such, whilst it will be fun to turn this contest into a barometer for 2024, a Conservative lost here would not be a surprise

www.conservativehome.com/parliament/2022/04/applications-open-for-a-candidate-to-defend-wakefield.html

[Deleted]

Apr 17, 2022 12:36:58 GMT LDCaerdydd said:

Tory applicants have until 4pm tomorrow to apply.

...it has come to ConservativeHome’s attention that the Party has now written (well, e-mailed) to invite applications for candidature.

The specifics are obvious. CCHQ wants applicants who can display strong links to the constituency or neighbouring areas. The vacancy is intended for those with a Comprehensive or Key Seat Pass, and the Seat CV attached with the e-mail is required to be returned by interested candidates by Monday 18th April at 4pm.

The fight for Wakefield will be a fascinating content for those of us with an eye on the next general election. This is a prime ‘Red Wall’ seat. Before Khan won it in 2019, it had not had a Conservative MP since 1932. It voted to Leave by 62 percent in 2016. Average incomes and the number of degree-holders are below the English average.

Since Labour need a swing of 3.75 percent to re-take Wakefield, it is exactly the sort of seat Sir Keir Starmer must win to reach Downing Street. A Labour victory here, a year on from the remarkable Tory victory in Hartlepool, would cause many to suggest that the Johnson, Brexit, and vaccine factors are losing their hold over the ‘Red Wall’ – and that the opinion polls are bang on target.

The New Statesman team have crunched the numbers and expect a Labour win by 7 points or so. Which is what one might expect, in a marginal with a current majority of 3,358, two and a half years into a Parliament, and with the country hurtling towards a cost-of-living crisis. As such, whilst it will be fun to turn this contest into a barometer for 2024, a Conservative lost here would not be a surprise

www.conservativehome.com/parliament/2022/04/applications-open-for-a-candidate-to-defend-wakefield.html

I don’t think the Conservatives would be too disappointed with a result like that indicated in the New Statesman article.

[ArmchairCritic]

The writ is being moved tomorrow.

I have a choice of two dates for the election but I'm not going to say what they are for obvious reasons and for the fact that I haven't discussed it with the Ruturning Officer or the EOR yet

[stb12]

Apr 18, 2022 14:21:01 GMT ArmchairCritic said:

The writ is being moved tomorrow.

I have a choice of two dates for the election but I'm not going to say what they are for obvious reasons and for the fact that I haven't discussed it with the Ruturning Officer or the EOR yet

I imagine the leadership would prefer it to be a later date if possible to allow time for the partygate issues to maybe die down from the news again ?

[Deleted]

Apr 18, 2022 15:02:45 GMT stb12 said:

Apr 18, 2022 14:21:01 GMT ArmchairCritic said:

The writ is being moved tomorrow.

I have a choice of two dates for the election but I'm not going to say what they are for obvious reasons and for the fact that I haven't discussed it with the Ruturning Officer or the EOR yet

I imagine the leadership would prefer it to be a later date if possible to allow time for the partygate issues to maybe die down from the news again ?

My personal inclination would be to get things out of the way. It'll be a loss regardless.

[ArmchairCritic]

Apr 17, 2022 11:19:30 GMT @johnyorks said:

Apr 17, 2022 10:51:24 GMT Ron Swanson said:

Cllr Samantha Harvey?

She would be a good choice.

She is definately putting her name up because she said so the other day in a Zoom meeting I was in.

But then she has to get past the sifting process. It isn't that straight forward

[ArmchairCritic]

Apr 17, 2022 1:39:28 GMT markgoodair said:

I suspect that Labour will select a local councillor like Jack Hemingway or Micheal Graham.

Finger on the pulse again eh?

You think a self-decalred Marxist with a Scouse accent will get the gig?

[batman]

Apr 18, 2022 17:54:30 GMT ArmchairCritic said:

Apr 17, 2022 1:39:28 GMT markgoodair said:

I suspect that Labour will select a local councillor like Jack Hemingway or Micheal Graham.

Finger on the pulse again eh?

You think a self-decalred Marxist with a Scouse accent will get the gig?

ey! calm down!

[Tony Otim]

Apr 18, 2022 15:02:45 GMT stb12 said:

Apr 18, 2022 14:21:01 GMT ArmchairCritic said:

The writ is being moved tomorrow.

I have a choice of two dates for the election but I'm not going to say what they are for obvious reasons and for the fact that I haven't discussed it with the Ruturning Officer or the EOR yet

I imagine the leadership would prefer it to be a later date if possible to allow time for the partygate issues to maybe die down from the news again ?

Or allow more time for the party to have lurched on to the next scandal...

[Deleted]

Apr 18, 2022 18:13:49 GMT batman said:

Apr 18, 2022 17:54:30 GMT ArmchairCritic said:

Finger on the pulse again eh?

You think a self-decalred Marxist with a Scouse accent will get the gig?

ey! calm down!

I think of it more like 'qqqualm down!'
Almost like Manuel in Faulty Towers.

[devolutionist]

Apr 18, 2022 17:54:30 GMT ArmchairCritic said:

Apr 17, 2022 1:39:28 GMT markgoodair said:

I suspect that Labour will select a local councillor like Jack Hemingway or Micheal Graham.

Finger on the pulse again eh?

You think a self-decalred Marxist with a Scouse accent will get the gig?

I'd be surprised if Pontefract South councillor George Ayre isn't in the running to stand in this by-election.

Although I suppose he has to concentrate on securing his council seat for the next four years, victory far from certain in Pontefract South where the Tories have won a couple of times. 

[markgoodair]

Apr 18, 2022 17:54:30 GMT ArmchairCritic said:

Apr 17, 2022 1:39:28 GMT markgoodair said:

I suspect that Labour will select a local councillor like Jack Hemingway or Micheal Graham.

Finger on the pulse again eh?

You think a self-decalred Marxist with a Scouse accent will get the gig?

Well he is on their short list but obviously the final decision is not mine to make.

[Wisconsin]

Apr 18, 2022 14:21:01 GMT ArmchairCritic said:

The writ is being moved tomorrow.

Is there a vacancy yet? No sign of the usual announcement by the Treasury of the appointment to the Chiltern Hundreds.

(It should appear here: www.gov.uk/search/all?organisations%5B%5D=hm-treasury&order=updated-newest&parent=hm-treasury)