Peterborough by-election: Fifteen candidates to fight seat

Aerial shot of Peterborough — Image caption

Peterborough has been represented by Labour and Conservative MPs over the years

Fifteen candidates for the Peterborough seat vacated by Fiona Onasanya have been confirmed.

The by-election on 6 June was triggered when Ms Onasanya was removed following a recall petition, after being jailed for lying about a speeding offence.

She won the seat for Labour in 2017, narrowly beating the Conservatives who had held it since 2005.

But UKIP and the Brexit Party will be hoping to capitalise on the city’s 61% Leave vote in the 2016 EU referendum.

Despite moves by pro-Remain parties to back a joint candidate, the Lib Dems, Greens and Renew have announced separate ones and Change UK – The Independent Group is not standing one at all.

Image copyright
PA

Image caption

The by-election was triggered when Fiona Onasanya was removed following a recall petition

Change UK MP Gavin Shuker said the four parties had agreed to stand aside “in favour of a genuinely independent, pro-People’s Vote and pro-Remain candidate” but blamed “senior Labour figures” for having “made it clear that they would strenuously disrupt the campaign and obstruct an independent candidate”.

But Labour’s Jonathan Reynolds said on BBC One’s Question Time said Change UK’s argument was “strange”.

“Elections are contests between different candidates… so trying to somehow complain that political parties are going to fight against each other – that’s exactly what elections are.”

A Lib Dem spokesman said the parties understood “the need for a collective effort in securing a People’s Vote and stopping Brexit” but moves to back an independent candidate had not been successful.

The candidate they had planned to back, Femi Oluwole, told the BBC he had pulled out over concerns his candidacy could annoy Labour and ultimately harm the campaign for another referendum.

The confirmed candidates are:

Brexit Party – Mike Greene

Christian People’s Alliance – Tom Rogers

Common Good: Remain in the EU – Dick Rodgers

Conservatives – Paul Bristow

English Democrats – Stephen Goldspink

Green Party – Joseph Wells

Independent – John Moore

Independent – Bobby Smith

Labour – Lisa Forbes

Liberal Democrats – Beki Sellick

Official Monster Raving Loony Party – Alan “Howling Laud” Hope