Labour party hopefuls queue up in Reading West

Adam Hewitt • Published 22 Apr 2009 13:00 0 Comments

THE race to replace Martin Salter is hotting up.

Cllr Paul Gittings, Reading's environment leader, is one of the hopefuls seeking the nomination to be Labour's candidate in Reading West.

The Minster ward councillor told the Chronicle: "I can confirm that I'm a candidate. I want to best serve the people of Reading. I understand their needs and priorities and have a good track record as a local councillor."

Tilehurst maths teacher Naz Sarkar - a councillor in Waltham Forest, north-east London - has also joined the fray, launching a website to declare his intentions.

It is his fourth attempt to become a parliamentary candidate, after trying for Streatham last year and Walthamstow in 2007. He also had a biography up on the party's Wolverhampton North East candidate selection website last year.

Mr Sarkar, who teaches at Denefield School in Long Lane, says he has been nominated by the Labour Party faithful in three Reading West wards - Tilehurst, Southcote and Minster.

He added: "I've knocked on hundreds of doors within the constituency over the past several months."

Lambeth councillor Mark Bennett has also thrown his hat into the ring, but Reading's deputy Labour council leader Cllr Tony Page - who fought and lost Reading East to Rob Wilson MP in 2005 - has denied reports that he wanted the nomination, saying he has decided against standing despite pressure to do so.

Cllr John Ennis also ruled himself out.

Other councillors from Reading, Oxford, London and Bolton have been linked with the nomination but not yet publicly launched their bids. The hustings for party members to hear from the candidates is on Saturday, June 13.

Independent Battle ward councillor Tony Jones has hinted he will fight the election as an independent.

Cllr Jones said yesterday that he was "keeping his options open" and added: "Looking at the recent performance of our MPs and would-be candidates, I'm probably about as well placed as anyone. Many, many people are becoming disillusioned with the big parties, I think there's room for an independent and having been a councillor in west Reading since '99 I know there would be loads of issues to get my teeth into."

National polls suggest Tory candidate Alok Sharma could overturn Labour's near-5,000 majority to retake the seat lost in the 1997 landslide. The Lib Dems are running Oxford councillor Patrick Murray, the Greens have gone for Adrian Windisch and UKIP has chosen Duncan Black.

Links:

Naz Sarkar's campaign site - www.readingwest.com

Paul Gittings' site - www.readinglabour.org.uk/minster.html

Mark Bennett's campaign site - www.markbennett.org.uk

Alok Sharma's campaign site - www.readingwestconservatives.com/index.php?sectionid=2&;pagenumber=21

Patrick Murray's campaign site - www.patrickmurray.info

Adrian Windisch's campaign site - www.readinggreenparty.org.uk/user/3

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