Members of the Filton and Bradley Stoke Labour Party have selected a former Chair of South Gloucestershire Council, Cllr Ian Boulton, to be the Labour Party parliamentary candidate at the general election in May 2015.
Cllr Boulton lives in the constituency in Staple Hill, which is the ward he represents on the council. He was also the Labour candidate for Filton and Bradley Stoke in the 2010 general election, when Labour came second.
In a statement, Cllr Boulton said:
“I am so aware that our residents really want an MP who will work for them in Parliament, promote our local interests and deal with our concerns. It would be a privilege to work to ensure all our residents have an MP who is keen to give them a voice in Westminster.”
The constituency of Filton and Bradley Stoke was created at the 2010 general election, when the Conservative candidate Jack Lopresti was elected with a 6,914 vote (14.3%) majority.
Cllr Boulton says he is encouraged by the findings of Election Calculus, an election result prediction website, which is currently showing Filton and Bradley Stoke to be a potential Labour gain (see graphic, right).
Betting odds offered by bookmaker Ladbrokes paint a different picture, however, with the Conservatives currently 1/3, Labour 9/4, Lib Dems 33/1 and UKIP 50/1 to win the seat.
Cllr Boulton added:
“Over the last couple of years I have attended hundreds of events and met thousands of people in our area and it is clear we all just want a Member of Parliament whose first and foremost priority is simply to work hard for each and every resident.”
“My family and I have lived around this constituency for generations and, while we have much to celebrate about this area, there are still plenty of issues on which a good Member of Parliament can provide help and assistance.”
Earlier this year, Bradley Stoke councillor Ben Walker was announced as the UKIP candidate for Filton and Bradley Stoke.
