Kentish Express Ashford & District
Eight candidates line up to fight election
Ex-Ukip leader is surprise late addition to contest seat
Atotal of eight candidates will fight for the Folkestone and Hythe seat in next month’s General Election. Nominations for the ballot on December 12 closed earlier this month and the list of candidates for the constituency have been confirmed.
Although the Brexit Party’s decision to pull out of seats held by the Conservatives in the 2017 election means no one from the party will be standing - their expected candidate had been Matthew Patten - former Ukip leader Henry Bolton has announced his candidacy.
Having stood in Surrey for the Liberal Democrats in 2005, Mr Bolton defected to Ukip in 2014, unsuccessfully running for a Shepway District Council position the following year before becoming party leader in 2017.
He was then ousted as leader at an extraordinary general meeting in February 2018 following the revelation of his relationship with party member Jo Marney.
He subsequently left Ukip and set up his own party, which was registered at the electoral commission in October 2018 as ‘Our Nation’.
It is not currently clear why Mr Bolton chose to stand as an independent candidate rather than represent the party.
Additionally, the formal announcement of three more candidates of varying platforms has ensured that voters will have options spanning the political spectrum.
With the election just two weeks’ away, here is the official list of candidates competing for the Folkestone and Hythe constituency - which takes in a chunk of the Ashford borough, including Hastingleigh:
■ Conservative: Damian Collins
The Conservative candidate and incumbent MP for Folkestone and Hythe since 2010, Damian Collins will be hoping to retain his seat for a third time in less than five years.
■ Labour: Laura Davison
A Folkestone and Hythe District Council (FHDC) ward member for Folkestone Central, this will be the second time that Cllr Davison has stood for the seat in Westminster.
■ Lib Dem: Simon Bishop
Having defected from the Conservative party at the turn of the year, Mr Bishop announced his intention to stand for the seat as a candidate for the Liberal Democrats in October.
■ Green: Georgina Treloar
Cllr Treloar has been FHDC ward member for Hythe since May and will be standing for the parliamentary seat for the first time.
■ Independent: Henry Bolton
Mr Bolton is the head of the recently-founded ‘Our Nation’ party but is standing as an independent.
■ Young People’s Party: Rohen Kapur Dr Kapur first stood for a seat in 2010 as an independent in Hornsey and Wood Green, and most recently stood for the Folkestone and Hythe seat in 2015.
■ Social Democratic Party: Colin Menniss
Mr Menniss served for 30 years with the police in London and Kent, recently joining the SDP and standing as a candidate for the first time.
■ The Socialist Party of Great Britain: Andy Thomas
Mr Thomas has lived in the area for 13 years and is a partner in a local recording studio. He said that he is standing as there were no anti-capitalist parties campaigning for the constituency.
■ Folkestone and Hythe District Council (FHDC) is reminding residents to check where their polling station is ahead of the upcoming election.
It says a number of changes have been made to locations in the district, with some new stations being added, including New Romney Methodist Church Hall and St Mary and St Radegund Church in Postling.
For the full list of polling stations, visit www.folkestone-hythe.gov.uk/elections