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 Labour's Rev Sam Bratney |
Labour polls hopes rest on a swing and a prayer
Chaplain chosen as candidate as rivals ditch pact for by-election
LABOUR has turned to a man of the cloth to fight a knife-edge by-election.
The Reverend Sam McBratney, 34, a university chaplain, has the job of defending Labour’s last remaining seat in Kentish Town ward.
He was selected in a vote of members on Monday night, beating off competition from ex-councillor Deirdre Krymer and tenants’ leader Meric Apak.
The tricky task ahead of him is to hold a Labour seat won by just 15 votes in May’s council elections. The other two seats in the ward were taken by Liberal Democrats – victories which played a key part in the change of power at the Town Hall.
Mr McBratney said: “I want to hear what local people have to say and I pledge to listen to them and be their voice at the Town Hall.”
The by-election, likely to be on December 7, was caused by the exit of Labour councillor Lucy Anderson, the party’s highly-regarded deputy leader and former education chief. She is quitting the Town Hall next month to take up a job advising Mayor of London Ken Livingstone, a position that bars her from holding political office in Camden.
Mr McBratney was a losing candidate in Bunhill ward in Islington council elections in May.
He said: “More should be done to support local shops and improve Kentish Town Road. We want action, not words.”
His selection came as Lib Dem and Conservative candidates kicked off their campaigns by saying voters should ignore the overall power-sharing pact agreed by the two parties at the Town Hall.
Richard Merrin, the Tory candidate, said: “The partnership does not extend to by-elections. In the past, Kentish Town has not been one of our top targets but we mean business this time.”
He said the Lib Dems could not bask in the glory of saving Prince of Wales Baths – a £23 million rescue package was agreed earlier this month – because it was only achieved with Conservative support.
Mr Merrin said that his party was taking heart from its sweeping success in all three seats in neighbouring Gospel Oak in May.
He added: “One of the major issues I will be concentrating on is action on crime and anti-social behaviour. Labour has lost its way on this issue and the Lib Dems have been soft on it. Kentish Town isn’t just somewhere you drive through to get to Highgate.”
Ralph Scott, the Lib Dem candidate, was just pipped by Cllr Anderson in May. He said: “I don’t think the partnership is an issue. This is an election about Kentish Town. If you look at the last results, the Conservatives are clearly fourth and this by-election isn’t about them.”
He added that he would be looking at the provision of youth centres in the area during his campaign. Mr Scott said: “We should be tough on crime and anti-social behaviour but we have to look at how we can divert youth away from getting into trouble.”
The Greens will be represented by Sian Berry, the party’s national principal speaker, who came within 157 votes of winning in the ward in May.
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