Big three parties select their candidates
THE THREE mainstream parties have named their candidates for the Bosworth constituency people in Hinckley will be asked to choose between in the upcoming snap General Election.
Long-standing Bosworth MP, Conservative David Tredinnick, will be defending his seat against Liberal Democrat Michael Mullaney and Labour’s Chris Kealey. All three also stood in the 2015 General Election.
UKIP is not putting forward any parliamentary candidate for Bosworth following the trouncing they received at the recent county elections.
Mr Tredinnick said: “This General Election is first and foremost about giving the Prime Minister the strong mandate she needs to lead us out of the EU.
“It is therefore an election to get the best possible deal for our country and thereby for the future of us all.”
On borough issues the Tory hopeful pledged to continue to fight for fairer education funding for Leicestershire, support business in delivering a strong and dynamic economy, encourage better integration and fairness in health and social care and work with the police and local authorities to tackle issues of concern such as antisocial behaviour and unauthorised traveller sites.
On his re-selection as Labour’s prospective parliamentary candidate for Bosworth, Chris Kealey said: “I’m standing again in my home borough to prove what a local, positive and credible MP can do. Bosworth’s result has never decided the result of the General Election. In effect, we have a free vote.
“June 8 is a job interview to pick the best person to fight for Hinckley and Bosworth in Parliament.
“I will fight for a Brexit that benefits Bosworth. I’ll battle for investment in schools, the NHS and social care.
“I’ll continue to push on big issues that change lives, like opening J2 of the M69 both ways to ease traffic and boost jobs.
“Petty politics leads nowhere. I want to prove what a good MP can do.”
Parliamentary candidate for the Liberal Democrats, Michael Mullaney is also campaigning on the local representative platform.
Freshly re-elected to Leicestershire County Council Mr Mullaney has been the runner-up to Mr Tredinnick in the last two elections.
He is hoping the support which carried him to victory in Hinckley’s De Montfort county division may make a difference this time at the national polls.
He said: “The real issue for local people is - who do you want to represent our area for the next five years? Do people want a new MP who lives locally, who has a track record of campaigning on borough issues or five more years of David Tredinnick, an MP who lives hundreds of miles away and only raises fringe issues like homeopathy and astrology in healthcare?
“In 2010 and 2015 I finished solid second here, this time I hope I can go one better and people will elect an MP who will fight tirelessly for them and their services”.