Jill Hope has been selected to run in Milton Keynes North, which presumably ends a long-running and at times extraordinary selection contest in Harborough.
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On principle, I am pleased to have a woman candidate succeeding Jane Carr in northern Milton Keynes.
The vacancy here came about because Jane has severe health problems in her immediate family and needs to put them first. So I want personally to take this opportunity of thanking Jane for her extraordinary contribution to the political life of Milton Keynes and especially of the LibDems in our two constituencies. She will be a really hard act to follow.
Jill Hope actually lives a few miles over the MK border in south Northants and is near enough a local as makes no difference. I look forwards to getting to know her better even though the Boundary Commission has unkindly moved my ward into MK South.
I can only say she was very nice to me one year when I was doing conference registration – most people were normal, some were ghastly, but she all-but lit up the registration desk, so hopefully you’re on to a winner.
I’ve come across Jill in my goings-on in Northamptonshire and I have been impressed with what I have seen. MK North have just got themselves a good PPC.
Why is Jill not standing again in Harborough? Surely, that was the more winnable seat?
I have to echo Edis’s words. Its a real shame Hane could not stand again, she has been and will continue to be a great campainer here in Milton Keynes. I have not met Jill but am sure that MK membership have got us a good PPC for the North.
We still have the South seat to fill and I am one of the few considering taking that on…although I can be persuaded otherwise!
As Jill’s Agent in 2001 I can tell you that you are getting an excellent, hard working candidate. In my view she is a loss to Harborough, although I entirely understand why she would want to contest a constituency just over the border from where she lives. I dread to think how much time Jill has spent travelling along the M1 in the last 6 years!
Harborough owes Jill a huge debt of thanks. In 2001 with Jill as out candidate, we were able to bounce back from the disappointing 1997 result and re-establish the Lib Dems as the only challengers to the Tory MP. In 2005 Jill cut his majority to its lowest for 50 years – even with the extra focus in Leics to try and hold the by-election gain in neighbouring Leicester South.
I see Labour have selected Andrew Pakes – what could Parliament possibly need more than another former NUS president? He says he’ll be moving to the constituency, so presumably will be standing down from Southwark Council soon.