Candidate urgently required...

By Liam Murphy on Feb 19, 10 11:53 AM

NO names have yet surfaced locally for a Labour candidate in Wirral West.

It appears increasingly likely that Labour NEC's subcommittee will provide a list of five or six candidates for the local constituency party to choose from.

But so far - according to former Wirral West CLP chairman Brian Kenny - no one locally has come forward. He said: "Within the constituency if people were interested I would have thought they would have put their names forward by now."

My colleague David Bartlett quotes a Labour Party spokesman who says despite the constituency party saying they want an all-women shortlist, they will be having an open selection. One can only guess at the reasons behind this mismatch between local and national party intentions.

Cllr Kenny, who is standing for re-election in Birkenhead as a councillor firmly ruled himself out, but said he was surprised no one on the local political scene had come forward.

Despite the narrow majority Stephen Hesford had in 2005, and boundary changes favouring the Conservatives, the seat has been in Labour hands since 1997. Maybe any prospective Labour MP there feesl they will not have much campaigning time to have the necessary impact to win.

Cllr Kenny said whatever ultimately happens, he would not be disappointed with an open shortlist "as long as the constituency have the right to make a final choice". With no names out there yet, hustings to be arranged, and a tough campaign to fight, Labour are leaving themselves little time.