The Conservative Party has selected its candidates for two forthcoming by-elections to replace MPs who resigned in disgrace.
The vacant seat in Wakefield, West Yorkshire, will be contested by Nadeem Ahmed, who has served as a councillor in the area since 2006, while former headteacher Helen Hurford will stand in Tiverton and Honiton, Devon.
Ballot papers are sorted and verified at Erdington Academy during the count for the Erdington by-election. Picture date: Thursday March 3, 2022.
Joe Giddens
Ms Hurford is currently deputy mayor on Honiton’s town council.
Labour also selected its candidate for Tiverton and Honiton on Sunday.
The party picked Liz Pole, a business leader, who ran for the seat on behalf of Labour in 2019.
The Wakefield election follows the resignation of Imran Ahmad Khan after his conviction for sexually assaulting a boy.
Neil Parish quit his Tiverton and Honiton seat after he admitted watching pornography in Parliament.
The Conservative Party officially triggered the contests on Tuesday.
The by-elections have to take place between 21 and 27 working days from the issuing of the writ, suggesting June 23 is the likely date – exactly six years after the Brexit referendum.
On Friday, Lib Dem leader Sir Ed Davey said there were “no pacts” with Labour to defeat the Tories in the two contests.
Asked if any arrangements had been made with Sir Keir Starmer’s party to help secure either seat, he told the PA news agency: “There are no pacts or no deals now or in future.”