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Cardiff, Wales, July 15, 2012 – Labour has elected the 32-year-old head
of Oxfam Cym r u as its parliamentary candidate for a by-election in a
seat it has always controlled.
Stephen Doughty was declared the candidate for Cardiff South and Penarth
after winning more than 50% of backing in the first round of a vote at
the selection meeting today.
Cardiff South and Penarth has been a Labour stronghold since the
constituency was first created in 1983.
The seat will be contested later this year after Alun Michael – the MP
since 1987 – announced he was resigning to stand as a candidate for
South Wales’ first ever elected Police and Crime Commissioner.
Mr Michael had denied he had interfered in the selection process on the
eve of the vote after one party insider accused him of speaking party
officials from Ed Miliband down in a bid to see Mr Doughty shortlisted.
Five candidates shortlisted by Labour’s National Executive Committee
(NEC) were put to a vote by the local party and Mr Doughty came out as
the convincing winner.
He said he was delighted to have the opportunity to fight for the issues
concerning voters in the 75,000-strong constituency.
He said: “It’s fantastic. I’m really humbled by the depth and breadth of
support all across the constituency.
“I have been really privileged to have people backing me from every
community across the constituency.”
Mr Doughty, who has been involved in politics since the age of 15, was
born in Cardiff and grew up in Llantwit Major.
He spent time studying in Canada and living in Denmark and worked as an
adviser to Labour Minister Douglas Alexander before becoming the head of
Oxfam Cymru.
Despite Labour’s historical dominance of the seat, and being strong
favorites to retain it, Mr Doughty said he wasn’t taking any votes for
granted.
“I don’t think you can take anything for granted,” he said.
“People round here want to be convinced by the offer Labour have on the
table and by me as a candidate and an individual and what I will do in
the community to represent the concerns of people in one of the most
diverse constituencies in Wales.
“I want to get out to every single community over the next few months
before the by-election.
“The first challenge is the situation over the economy. Jobs and
opportunities is what’s pressing in peoples’ minds at the moment, and
rising prices.
“People are working hard to make ends meet and I think we’ve seen just
the tip of the iceberg with the spending cuts of the Tory and Lib Dem
coalition which is putting massive pressure on families.”
Outgoing MP Alun Michael said Mr Doughty’s experience of the links
between local, national and international issues stood him in good stead
and said he thought he would make an “outstanding MP” if elected.
“I thought Stephen showed a sense of real understanding of the
constituency when he spoke at the selection meeting,” he said.
“Obviously he lives in Splott and he is born and bred in Cardiff.
“I think those local links give him a real edge and he was connecting
that to national and international issues when he spoke to the
membership.
“I think he will be an outstanding member of parliament and, yes, I’m
pleased to work closely with him in the by-election and of course
afterwards.
“Stephen has very clearly got an interest in economic issues and social
issues that affect the constituency and he’s also got a profile on
international aid which is the one issue I have had most correspondence
on in my 25 years as an MP.
“That’s the sort of message coming from the Splott area of Cardiff
“There is an understanding we have a place in the wider world and
Stephen has a real opportunity to make those connections and that’s one
of the things working in Oxfam Wales will have given him a very good
grounding in.”
Mr Doughty won the nomination after being shortlisted alongside Kate
Groucott, Jeremy Miles, Nick Thomas-Symonds and Karen Wilkie.
No date is yet set for the by-election for which the Liberal Democrats
have also announced researcher and mother-of-two Bablin Molik, who also
lives in Splott, as their candidate.
Meanwhile, Mr. Doughty is expected to continue his support for
Somaliland and will work with Wales Somaliland community.
Source: Wales Online
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