ConservativeHome's Seats & Candidates blog

It's another week of campaigning for Nigel Huddleston in Luton South as Esther Rantzen announces her intention to contest the seat

Each week a different PPC provides us with an insight into life as a candidate and gives us a flavour of their own campaign and interests. If you are a candidate and are keen to be featured, please email Jonathan Isaby.

This week’s diary is written by Nigel Huddleston, who has been candidate since November 2007 for Luton South, a seat where he has to overturn a notional Labour majority of 5,698. Nigel says that it is the most reliable bellwether seat in the country, with the winning party going on to form the government in every election since 1951.  Mired in the expenses scandal, sitting Labour MP Margaret Moran has announced she will be standing down at the next election and Labour are in the process of selecting a replacement while Moran remains on sick leave - although rumours persist that she may yet stand down and trigger a by-election. Meanwhile, just last week Esther Rantzen has indicated her intention to stand in the seat as an independent. If you would like to help Nigel's campaign or just want to stay updated on how things are going, please email him or sign up to his mailing list via his website.

Saturday July 25th
The fun part of politics. Attending a local village day with the family (Luton South covers part of rural south Bedfordshire as well as the town).  Bouncy castles, hook a duck, raffles and Pimms!  Local community coming together, having fun and raising £4,000 for good causes.  Sun shone, kids enjoyed it… A good day all round.

Cllr Ruth Gammons informs me of increasing concern about a proposed nearby housing development.  She suggests we begin a campaign similar to the successful one to protect the green belt to the east of Luton from unwanted, central government imposed development.  Our policy of scrapping regional spatial strategies and putting development decisions back in control of local authorities is striking a chord with voters.

Luton South's Conservative candidate says voting for Esther Rantzen would risk letting Labour back in through the back door

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

Nigel Huddleston selected for Luton South

Nigel Huddleston has been adopted for Luton South.  He faces a projected Labour majority of 5,700.