Selection update: who will be Labour’s candidate in Wimbledon?

Tomorrow Labour members in Wimbledon will decide who their next prospective parliamentary candidate will be. A quick look at the seat…

CONSTITUENCY. Wimbledon.

MP. Stephen Hammond, Conservative. Recently sacked as the Conservative Party Vice-Chair after rebelling against the government to vote for Dominic Grieve’s Brexit amendment.

MAJORITY. 5,622.

JUNE 2017. Labour’s candidate, solicitor Imran Uddin, halved Hammond’s majority despite having his business seized and being investigated for possible misconduct.

HISTORY. Wimbledon has always been held by a Tory except 1945-50 and 1997-2005. Hammond has been elected four times: 2005 (with a majority of 2,301); 2010 (11,408); 2015 (12,619); 2017 (5,622). The south London seat is surrounded by Tories in Richmond Park and Putney, but also a Lib Dem in Kingston & Surbiton and Labour MPs in Mitcham & Morden and Tooting.

HUSTINGS. 15th February.

SHORTLIST. An all-women shortlist was used. Both candidates live in Wimbledon.

Eleanor Harrison @EllieJHarrison

Harrison is CEO of charity Global Giving, having previously worked at the Refugee Council and led a children’s charity in Kenya. She grew up in West Yorkshire and recently moved to Wimbledon. Harrison has received endorsements from Alan Johnson and Tracy Brabin.

Jackie Schneider @jackieschneider

Schneider is a teacher who has run a number of local campaigns, particularly to support refugees. She has the support of Momentum and GMB as well as prominent figures including Owen Jones, Paul Mason and Zoe Williams.

jackieschneider.org

EXTRA.

Last week the third candidate in the running, Ghazal Diani (@ghazaldiani), pulled out and endorsed Eleanor Harrison. In her letter to supporters, Diani wrote “the bigger goal is to win Wimbledon back for Labour. I don’t believe this can be done if votes are divided between Eleanor and I”. The efforts being made to avoid splitting the vote suggest they are worried about their chances.