Green Party announces new candidate in the Makerfield by-election
Sarah Wakefield, a councillor on Manchester City Council, will stand for the party after its initial candidate, Chris Kennedy, withdrew from the race
The Greens have announced their new candidate in the Makerfield by-election.
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Sarah Wakefield, a councillor on Manchester City Council, will stand for the party after its initial candidate, Chris Kennedy, withdrew from the race.
The party said Mr Kennedy had withdrawn for “personal and family reasons”, but it later emerged that he had shared posts on social media claiming an attack on Jewish ambulances in north London had been a “false flag” operation.
A Green spokesperson said Mr Kennedy had deleted and apologised for the posts, but added the party stood by its previous statement about the reasons for his withdrawal.
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On being announced as her party’s candidate, Ms Wakefield said: “I am proud to be representing the Green Party in the Makerfield by-election. It is vital in a democracy that voters are given a choice of who they want to vote for.
“Together we can bring back the hope that politics can create a better life for ourselves and our children. This is what the Green Party represents.
“We showed in Gorton and Denton we can take on and beat Reform, whose backward-looking and divisive politics needs to be challenged head-on with a message that the future can be better and fairer than the failed status quo. Don’t vote in anger, vote in hope."
Andy Burnham, who is viewed as a challenger to Sir Keir Starmer in a potential Labour leadership race, launched his by-election campaign on Friday and promised he was not offering “more of the same”.
Allies of Mr Burnham have suggested he may not launch a bid for the party leadership immediately if he is successful in his attempt to return to Parliament in the June 18 contest.
Mr Burnham faces Reform UK’s Robert Kenyon in the by-election, a plumber who said he is “ready to take on the King of the North” in a reference to Mr Burnham’s moniker.
Mr Kenyon was joined on the campaign trail earlier this week by his party leader, Nigel Farage.
The Liberal Democrats unveiled Stockport councillor Jake Austin as their candidate to contest the seat, who said voters in Makerfield “deserve so much more than the failing Labour Government or the divisive politics of Reform UK”.
The Conservatives have named Michael Winstanley as their candidate.