Andrew Gilbert was selected last night to unseat Frank Field, probably most Conservative members' favourite Labour MP. Mr Field has a projected majority of over 14,000 with the Liberal Democrats and Tories similarly well-placed challengers.
Birkenhead Conservatives released this statement:
"Generations of Andrew’s family have lived in Birkenhead, although many of the older generation were ardent socialists. (One of his earliest memories is of his great-grandmother covering the television with a cloth whenever Margaret Thatcher appeared.) His parents and much of his extended family still live in the constituency.
Andrew studied law at the University of East Anglia before practising as a family law solicitor for a few years. He now lectures in constitutional and family law at Anglia Ruskin University in Cambridge. He has a particular interest in tackling human trafficking and has written on the subject for the Centre for Social Justice and conservativehome. He has been a member of Liverpool City Seats Initiative and is currently a district councillor in Huntingdonshire.
Andrew said on his selection:
“I am hugely honoured to be representing the Conservatives in Birkenhead. My roots go down very deep into this area and what matters to Birkenhead really matters to me. Our campaign will be about offering voters a different approach to tackling many of the issues facing the area, such as crime, education and getting people back into work. Frank Field’s integrity and independence of mind are well known but he nevertheless represents a failed and incompetent government. I know that a lot of voters, who may have supported Frank for personal reasons in the past, will be unwilling to cast a vote for Labour next time. We now have a fantastic opportunity to show people that we are the only party which can be trusted with the future of Birkenhead.”"
