Tory Party select Westminster insider Kemi Badenoch into ‘comfy’ Saffron Walden Commons Seat

The Saffron Walden Conservative Constituency Association has selected Kemi Badenoch as their new candidate to replace Sir Alan Haselhurst in June’s snap general election. Sir Alan Haselhurst had been the Saffron Walden MP for 40 years and enjoyed a traditional majority.

Tory HQ drew up the 3 person shortlist which they sent to their local branch. The list included Kemi Badenoch, Laura Farris and Stephen Parkinson, who were all looking for safe seats with comfortable Conservative parliamentary majorities. Local Conservative members were forced to choose from this list rather than selecting home grown candidates.

John Lodge, chair of Residents for Uttlesford said “The phrase goes that ‘all politics is local’. Except by overlooking local candidates and parachuting in a Westminster insider looking for a safe seat, yet again a national party has demonstrated they don’t really care about local priorities or people. Over the last few years local independent parties, such Residents for Uttlesford, have seen a groundswell of support as increasingly out-of-touch national political parties continue to believe that the world revolves around them. It doesn’t. Politics has moved on and is local at its heart.”

“R4U is a party with a diverse range of political beliefs who formed because of a stagnant and barricaded system of local government, ruled with the iron fist of traditional Tory practices. R4U is not standing a parliamentary candidate in June and continues to provide a strong and independent local voice for local residents. However with Sir Alan Haselhurst’s retirement there will now be a real parliamentary choice for the local electorate amongst all the candidates that are standing for national office. We welcome Kemi Badenoch to Saffron Walden. And we look forward to meeting with her to discuss the local issues people care about as we’ve experienced them on the doorstep.”