Karen Allen chosen as Conservative candidate for South Shields byelection

By Harry Phibbs
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Congratulations to Karen Allen who has been chosen as the Conservative candidate in the South Shields byelection.

The Shields Gazette reports:

At the General Election in May 2010, she finished second to Labour’s David Miliband – whose resignation has triggered the latest by-election –polling 7,886 votes, or 21.6 per cent of the total vote.

Born and raised in South Shields, she attended the town’s Harton Comprehensive School and studied A-levels at Central Newcastle High School in Jesmond. Before taking up a place at university, she spent six months teaching in Moscow and then three months as a farmhand in
Norway.

She gained a BA (Hons) in English Literature at Queen Mary University of London and upon graduation went to the City and worked at Lloyd’s Insurance brokerage.

Ms Allen has been involved in the Conservative Party on a local level for a number of years, and previously served on the executive of the pressure group Conservative Way Forward (CWF).

She also served nationally on the Conservative Future Executive – the youth wing of the party.

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