Wellingborough
A by-election will be held in Wellingborough on 15 February following a recall petition in the Northamptonshire constituency.
The petition was prompted by Peter Bone’s suspension from the House of Commons for six weeks for breaching the code of conduct for MPs.
Meet the candidates
Nick the Flying Brick - Monster Raving Loony Party
Nick the flying Brick, the party’s “shadow minster for abolishing gravity”, has stood elsewhere in the UK in previous general elections and by-elections.
According to the Official Monster Raving Loony Party website, other policies include Wellingborough Golf Club being developed into an intergalactic space port and fishing made a spectator sport by introducing piranha into the River Nene.
Ana-Savage Gunn - Liberal Democrat
The Liberal Democrat candidate was born in Northamptonshire and grew up in the county.
She joined Northamptonshire Police in 1985 and rose to the rank of inspector, serving across the county - including in Wellingborough - and she supervised the tactical firearms team.
Ms Savage Gunn helped run security for the 1996 Atlanta Olympics and later became a law enforcement consultant in the US, before her return to the UK and Northamptonshire.
When Covid-19 broke out she retrained as a health care assistant and worked in her mother’s care home, before becoming a Covid clinic co-ordinator in the county.
She continues to work at the care home, and is a trustee of Northamptonshire Carers, in Wellingborough.
Ben Habib
The candidate for Reform UK is the party’s co-deputy leader and a former Member of the European Parliament (MEP) for the Brexit Party.
Reform UK, previously the Brexit Party, was co-founded by Nigel Farage in 2018.
Mr Habib is a property developer and fund manager, and previously a donor to the Conservatives.
Helen Harrison - Conservative
Ms Harrison represents the Oundle ward on North Northamptonshire Council and is executive member for adults, health and wellbeing on the unitary authority.
Ms Harrison said: "I am delighted to have been selected as the candidate for Wellingborough.
“As the local candidate, I am best suited to deliver for the people of Wellingborough, having already done so on a local authority level.”
She is also the partner of Mr Bone, who was first elected to the seat in 2005.
Ankit Love Jknpp Jay Mala Post-Mortem - Independent
Mr Ankit Love is a musician and film-maker who has stood in previous by-elections.
He said he wanted to use his candidacy to draw attention to the deaths of his parents who founded a political party in India.
Gen Kitchen - Labour
Labour’s candidate grew up in Northamptonshire and went to John Hellins Primary School in Towcester, and Kingsbrook secondary school - now Elizabeth Woodville School - in Roade. She has worked in the charity sector her whole career.
In 2019, she stood as prospective parliamentary candidate for Labour in the South Northamptonshire constituency - losing to the Conservatives’ Andrea Leadsom.
After her selection in November, the Ms Kitchen said: "Residents here are already telling me that they’re fed up with the state of the town centre, anti-social behaviour blighting our high streets and the 8am scramble for a GP appointment.
Alex Merola - Britain First
Britain First registered as a political party after its application was approved by the Electoral Commission in 2021.
The party campaigns on an anti-immigration message and has called for a halt to all further immigration except in specific cases.
On social media, Mr Merola is described as an activist for the party.
Will Morris - Green Party
Mr Morris, lives in Bozeat in the south of the constituency, having previously lived in Wellingborough, and works as an insurance underwriter.
The 55-year-old has been a member of the Green Party for five years and has stood as the party’s candidate for North Northamptonshire Council in Irchester and Rushden South.
He has also served on Bozeat Parish Council for three years.
Marion Turner-Hawes and Kevin Watts are also both standing as independents
The seat has been a safe seat for the Conservatives for over 20 years now, if Labour are able to take the seat from the Conservatives it will be a big win for Labour
This is an interesting story to follow for those studying voting behaviour and British Electoral Politics