Chris Nelson was first selected as our PPC for Kettering for the 2010 General Election. He was selected again for the forthcoming election. Sadly he has had to stand down because of the abuse he has received as a stammerer.
He spoke to STAMMA – a charity that supports people with a stammer. Chris says he is used to a certain level of abuse but was shocked at how personal and unpleasant it became once he stepped into public life. Clips of him stammering were circulated by political opponents , and some imitated him “as a joke”. He felt supported by his Lib Dem colleagues, but they probably weren’t aware of the accumulated effect over time of many minor comments made to and about him.
This is pretty shocking. Stammering is a disability and it is astonishing that people seem to be able to get away with bullying. Chris points out that you don’t see stammerers on television, while other forms of disability are being increasingly represented in the media.
My heart goes out to Chris, and I hope he finds other ways of using his undoubted skills in the community. But we really do need people like him in our party and in Parliament.
Two by-election results just in – both saw a reduction in the Conservative vote and increases in the Liberal Democrat vote:
Dacorum BC, Adeyfield West ward:
Con 486 (32.8%; -8.6%)
Lab 429 (29%; -13.3%)
LD Steve Wilson 362 (24.5%; +8.1%)
BNP 203 (13.7% +13.7%)
Turnout 35.8%
Con HOLD
Wellingborough BC, Redwell West ward:
Con 570 (58.2%; -0.8%)
Lab 169 (17.2%; +2.2%)
BNP 84 (8.6%; -7.1%)
LD Penny Wilkins 72 (7.3%; +3.8%)
Eng Dem 62 (6.3%; +6.3%)
Green 23 (2.3%; -0.9%)
Turnout 37.7% (-5.6%)
Con HOLD
Last fought: 2008 by-election
Thanks to Lloyd Harris and Chris Nelson for providing the results, and congratulations to both teams for their hard work and increased vote!
Local Liberal Democrat members have chosen local campaigner Chris Nelson to be the Liberal Democrat parliamentary candidate for the Kettering constituency.
Chris Nelson was born and brought up in Kettering – attending Millbrook Infant & Junior Schools as well as Ise Community College – and has a degree in law from Oxford Brookes University. He contested Ise Division in last June’s county council elections and works as an aide for Northampton Liberal Democrats and Bill Newton Dunn MEP.
He takes over the role from Roger Aron – who contested the constituency in the 1997,
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