Lincoln shortlist – who’s in the running?

Tomorrow Lincoln – one of the seats being selected early ahead of the 2015 selection – will choose its candidate, in an all member selection meeting. We’re expecting to hear the result at around 3pm.

But who are the candidates? Here’s the shortlist.

Rosanne Kirk – A local party member and head of the Kids Cross Safely campaign (and actively involved in the Bite the Ballot, Comprehensive Future and Drop the Bill campaigns), Rosanne Kirk may be better known to some LabourList readers by her Twitter name (@rosiecosy). She has received endorsements from two MPs (Andrew Gwynne  and Barbara Keeley) as well as former MP and Lord Jim Knight. She also has the backing of the National Union of Mineworkers.

Karen Lee – A Nurse and councillor, Karen Lee is a lifelong Lincoln resident and works at the local hospital. She previously worked on the checkout at a local supermarket, where she became a trade union shop steward, eventually putting herself through night school to gain nursing qualifications. She fought off a strong Lib Dem challenge to hold her council seat 2010 – part of a fight back by Lincoln Labour that saw them re-take the council in 2011. She’s backed by Unite, Unison, the GMB, UCATT and ASLEF.

Frances Rehal – A parish councillor, school governor and vice chair of her local party branch, Rehal is also a member of the Co-op Party and has announced her intention to run as a Labour Coop candidate if selected. She has selection process experience (having stood already in Swindon and Ipswich) and has promsied to  “look at the  Obama presidential campaign and see how those who were not engaged in politics were won over as staunch Obama supporters.” She was also recently honoured with an MBE for her contribution to services to children and families.

Lucy Rigby – An Islington Councillor, Rigby was elected in 2010 as part of a landslide council win and is currently the council’s Audit Committee chair. She also has local connections having campaigned in Lincoln when Labour took the City Council back in 2011. A lawyer by profession, she has an impressive CV – a competition lawyer by training with experience in private practice and for the Office of Fair Trading, as well as having worked internationally both in the Hague and practising EU competition law in Brussels. Rigby is said to have strong support both locally and nationally.