Community Group to stand in general election

Party to contest Brentford & Isleworth seat in forthcoming poll

Phil Andrews will be the ICG's parliamentary candidate at the next General Election, expected in May. Andrews is one of three ICG councillors in Isleworth ward, seats formerly held by Labour. They have never stood in national elections.

The seat is currently held by Ann Keen MP, who first won the seat for the Labour party in 1997. However the MP has been criticised recently over expenses paid for a second home.

In a statement, the ICG said it would be "failing in its duty" if it did not seek her removal.

Prospective Tory candidate, Alexander Northcote said, : “I am not surprised at the decision, but I do wonder why. Like me, the ICG want to see Ann Keen lose her seat. But I am the only serious challenger: a vote for the ICG is as good as a vote for Mrs Keen herself. They would be better off urging their supporters to vote Conservative. We are the party with clear policies on controlled immigration, cleaner hospitals, school discipline, lower taxes and more police. I imagine their only support will be from the many disaffected old Labour voters who can’t bring themselves to vote for a member of Tony Blair’s rotten Government. “

Feb 14th 2005