In a move that will see him immediately above the sitting Labour MP Iain Wright on the ballot paper, Alan Wright was chosen by Hartlepool Conservatives on Wednesday night to contest the seat formerly held by Peter Mandelson.
62-year-old Alan is not only Hartlepool born-and-bred, but he already has a high local media profile as a former presenter on BBC local radio in the area and as a columnist in the Hartlepool Mail. He now runs his own media consultancy business.
He said on his selection:
"It is an honour and a privilege to be selected to seek the position of MP in my home town... I fervently believe that Hartlepool needs a change to give all of its people the best chances in life.
"There is a bigger Conservative tradition in Hartlepool than many people realise. Our very first MP, Ralph Ward Jackson, was a Conservative and I remember growing up when Commander John Kerans filled the post from 1959 to 1964.
"This will be the first time I have ever stood for political office, though my long years in the media and on public bodies have given me a sharp understanding of what works and what doesn't. I know Hartlepool very well and I'm proud to say that Hartlepool knows me.
"The General Election gives the town a real choice between stagnation and a new start with a Conservative government and a Conservative MP who can make a big difference."
He starts in third place with 11.5% of the vote, with Iain Wright currently enjoying a Labour majority of 7,478 over the Liberal Democrats.
Jonathan Isaby
