Excl: Liverpool West Derby, Wavertree, Bury South shortlists

LabourList can exclusively reveal the Labour parliamentary candidate selection shortlists that have been drawn up for Liverpool West Derby, Liverpool Wavertree and Bury South.

Liverpool West Derby

• Emily Brothers – Labour’s 2015 candidate in Sutton and Cheam
• Ian Byrne – Liverpool councillor, Dan Carden MP’s office manager
• Angela Coleman – Liverpool councillor, former nurse
• Troy Gallagher – Islington councillor
• Olwen Hamer – Works for a homelessness organisation and an international policy journal, previously for UNISON

One of these candidates will replace Stephen Twigg. Controversially, local councillor Nick Crofts was not longlisted for the seat despite having strong union backing. Barry Kushner is now also out of the contest.

Ian Byrne is the favourite to win the selection, though his critics could get behind Angela Coleman who is also on the Labour left. Momentum has not backed a candidate in West Derby. The hustings will take place on November 1st.

Liverpool Wavertree

• Paula Barker – Regional convenor of North West UNISON; backed heavily by trade unions, as well as Momentum and shadow cabinet members
• Elizabeth Grey – Wirral councillor and council cabinet member for the environment
• Kat Sumner – Southport Labour’s political education officer

One of the shortlisted applicants above will replace Luciana Berger, who is now a Lib Dem MP planning to challenge the Tories in her London home seat of Finchley and Golders Green. Paula Barker is the firm favourite to win.

Bury South

• Lucy Burke – Local party secretary, backed by Bury Momentum, Unison North West, GMB, FBU, BFAWU and ASLEF
• Fatima Mahmood – Works as a Labour organiser in the North West
• Gillian Oliver – Lancashire councillor

The contest in Bury South will see someone replace Ivan Lewis, who left the party last year after being suspended over a sexual harassment complaint, as the Labour candidate.

Lucy Smith, a local councillor with strong support among members, was not shortlisted. As the last prominent local candidate standing, Lucy Burke is now expected to win comfortably. She has the informal support of Bury Momentum, plus the endorsements of Open Labour and Unite.

The hustings is due to take place on October 24th.