Ealing North Open Primary Already A Hit With Residents |
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Huge response from locals to candidate announcement
They promised people power and those people are exercising it. A posting on Ealing Today's forum announcing the candidates for the Open Primary has generated a fantastic response, making for a lively evening on May 9. For the first time ever, local residents in the key marginal seat of Ealing North will select the Conservative candidate to take on Stephan Pound at a public meeting open to all voters, not just Conservatives. “This is an exciting opportunity for people from across the constituency to help us choose a candidate who will represent the residents of Ealing North after the next general election,” said Councillor John Popham (Con, Cleveland), chairman of Ealing North Conservative Association. "This is people power at its very best." Applicants will be given a grilling by Stephan Shakespeare, co-founder of YouGov and Director of Public Opinion Research on why they should win the right to be selected. Residents will also get a chance to question all the candidates before voting for their favourite. The four candidates chosen to go forward to the Open Primary are: Aidan Burley has lived in West London for the past five years, and is an elected Councillor in nearby Hammersmith and Fulham. His family is from Birmingham, and his parents both own small businesses. Aidan’s sister is a journalist who reads the news on Radio 1. Aidan currently works for Nick Herbert MP, Shadow Minister for Police Reform, as part of David Cameron’s Police Reform Taskforce. This will set the Conservative’s vision for the Police Service and form a key part of our manifesto for the next General Election. He is an experienced, committed and successful campaigner. He battled with Angie Bray against the West London Tram and led the team who organised the biggest ever demonstration against the westward extension of the Congestion Charge. The combination of his local credentials and proven political experience would be a powerful electoral force in Ealing North. Ian Gibb has lived in Ealing for over 20 years and has served as an Ealing North councillor since 1992. As Deputy Leader of Ealing’s new Conservative administration with responsibility for Children’s Services, Ian is proud to have delivered the funding for the rebuilding of Perivale and St John Fisher schools. He is also committed to opening a new High School in Ealing North. Ian has been involved in the campaigns to axe the Northolt bus lanes, oppose the West London Tram and deliver Ealing’s lowest council tax increase for 12 years. Married with two young children in Ealing schools, Ian is a civil engineer with a successful career in the construction industry. As a local resident, he understands the issues that concern local people, and will campaign for improved public services, especially health and education, lower taxes, family friendly policies and police on the beat not filling in forms. Mimi Harker is a wife and mother, who understands the issues that matter to constituents: crime, good schooling, NHS, and taxation. Sheela Mackintosh is a barrister, solicitor and mother of two girls. She runs her unique business informing people about their rights in family law. She previously worked in the City of London and self-started a Litigation practice, building it into a successful business.
May 3, 2007 |