Direct descendant of Chamberlain to fight for Edgbaston Great great granddaughter selected by Tories
ADIRECT descendant of Joseph Chamberlain is to stand as Conservative candidate for the marginal Birmingham Edgbaston constituency where the great mayor once lived.
Caroline Squire, Chamberlain’s great, great granddaughter, has been chosen as the Conservative candidate for Edg- baston, in the 2017 general election which the Tories believe they have a chance of winning.
Labour won Edgbaston in 2015 with a majority of 2,706, with the Conservatives coming second.
Chamberlain was mayor of Birmingham in the 1870s, credited with clearing slums and building libraries, schools and swimming pools.
He and his family once lived in Edgbaston’s Augustus Road before moving to the more well known Highbury, in Moseley.
Conservative activists chose Ms Squire over two other candidates. They were Luke Evans, a GP who stood for the Tories in Edgbaston in 2015, and Reena Ranger, a councillor in Hertfordshire who is chair of Women Empowered, a social initiative engaging and encouraging women to make the most of their skills.
Ms Squire wrote about Chamberlain’s influence in an article for Conservative Home in 2016.
She said: “Joe was a late Victorian industrialist ; a modernising Liberal Mayor of Birmingham turned MP; later a coalition Cabinet Minister – and political statesman of his day. He was a champion of democracy, a pioneer of social reform, an orchid lover… and my great-great-grandfather.”
Her great-grandfather was Austen Chamberlain, the MP for Birmingham West who served as Chancellor and Foreign Secretary. Neville Chamberlain, who was Prime Minister, mayor of Birmingham and MP for Edgbaston, was Ms Squire’s great-great uncle.
Ms Squire is a self-employed communications and public affairs consultant and previously worked for Sainsbury’s and in the House of Lords.
She said: “I have a strong family legacy in Birmingham and I am honoured to be chosen as the Conservative candidate for Edgbaston as my great-great uncle was many years ago.
“A special thank you goes to local party members in Birmingham Edgbaston for choosing me as their candidate on Friday evening.
“If elected on June 8 I will work around the clock for all residents in the constituency and ensure their concerns and aspirations are heard at the highest tiers of Government.”
Edgbaston has been represented by a female MP – including Conservative and Labour politicians – since 1953.
It was once seen as a safe Conserva- tive constituency and Labour MP Gisela Stuart’s win for Labour in 1997 came as a surprise. However, Tory attempts to take the seat back have failed, and in 2015 the Conservatives chose to focus on Birmingham Northfield instead.
This time, however, the Conservatives believe they may have a better chance in Edgbaston because opinion polls suggest Labour’s support has fallen significantly. They may also be helped by the fact that Mrs Stuart is standing down.
Labour, meanwhile has selected Sandwell councillor Preet Gill to stand in the seat.
Ms Gill, 44, is Sandwell’s cabinet member for public health and protection. She was born and raised in Edgbaston and is an active member of the Sikh Network, a network of Sikh activists and professionals.
She said: “I am delighted to have been chosen as Labour’s candidate for Birmingham Edgbaston,” she said. “I am from Edgbaston and it would be a huge honour to become the next MP for the place where I was born and
raised.”