Esther Rantzen has confirmed she will be running for Parliament in Luton South at the next election, despite the fact that sitting Labour MP Margaret Moran - who came under fire for her use of housing allowances to fund repairs to a home in Southampton - will not be contesting the next election.
Conservative candidate Nigel Huddleston (pictured) has fired off the following statement
"While I welcome Esther Rantzen's continuing interest in Luton as it widens the choice offered to voters, I hope Lutonians will consider very carefully how to maximise the impact of their vote at the next general election. People will soon have the chance to get rid of this useless, discredited Labour Government. The only way to guarantee change is to vote Conservative and put David Cameron in Downing Street. A vote for any other party or candidate will let Gordon Brown off the hook and risks giving us five more years of Labour.
"That Ms Rantzen continues to be so interested in Luton - where she has no apparent links and even though Margaret Moran is standing down - has surprised many Lutonians. If you're going to stand as an anti-sleaze candidate surely it would make most sense to stand against an actual wrongdoer. They are hardly in short supply! As a high profile marginal seat, close to London, Luton South must be a tempting ‘soft’ target for Independent candidates - but it is disappointing that Ms Rantzen has chosen not to target her celebrity against a sitting abuser - as she originally indicated.
"I myself have played no part in the current shenanigans and am as angry about the abuses as everyone else. I am involved in politics for what I can contribute, not for what I can get out of it. I already spend every spare minute working for the people of Luton and I’ll still be campaigning on their behalf long after the current media frenzy has died down and the TV cameras have disappeared."
Nigel will be writing next week's PPC Diary in order to expand on the positive campaign he is fighting to bring change to Luton South and the country.
Jonathan Isaby
