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Beatrix Campbell |
Greens’ author goes for Glenda seat
Award-winning writer is surprise candidate as parties square up ahead of next year’s election
THE Green Party has further spiced up the battle over Glenda Jackson’s parliamentary future by fielding an award-winning author to fight the Hampstead and Kilburn constituency.
Beatrix Campbell, a campaigning journalist, confirmed on Tuesday that she has been selected as the Green candidate with a launch at the West Hampstead Women’s Centre.
The calibre of the candidate came as a surprise to her rivals who have already spent months trading blows in a prolonged race to polling day in which Ms Jackson faces a fight of survival.
Both the Lib Dems and Conservatives see the seat as a decent bet at the general election and are anxious that a candidate as respected nationally as Ms Campbell may squeeze their votes.
The Greens have been notably absent from early skirmishes in the constituency but Ms Campbell said her party offered a fresh choice for voters.
She has campaigned on child welfare issues and for equality between the sexes and was recently awarded an OBE.
Voters may have read her work in the Guardian or the Independent, or seen her appearances on Question Time. She has also written for Marxism Today and is said to have described herself in the past as a “communist feminist”.
Ms Campbell said on Tuesday: “We put at the absolute centre of our policies, the sustainability of social relationships and the need for a fundamentally fair society. We stand for social justice, respect and equality between the genders and the generations. And we don’t think that slicing public services to ribbons can be the way forward for British society.”
She added: “I’ve spent my life campaigning for the disadvantaged women and men who need services and support in their lives, as do we all at some time or another.
“Taking that away will cause irreparable damage to our society.”
The Greens have not made an impact in the constituency before, but made a breakthrough in recent years by getting three councillors elected at the Town Hall.
Yesterday, the two candidates who have previously tried to position themselves as the best-placed candidate to unseat Ms Jackson insisted their campaigns would not be hindered.
Conservative councillor Chris Philp said: “All the polling around here has shown that Hampstead and Kilburn is between Labour and the Conservatives.”
Lib Dem councillor Ed Fordham added he felt Ms Campbell’s candidacy would only encourage serious debate, which he would ultimately win.
“This shows that this is a trophy, high-profile seat,” he said. “I would welcome Green issues going up the agenda because I think the Lib Dems are the only party taking decisive action.” |
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