Shropshire Star

Labour chooses Katrina Gilman to fight for Telford seat at next general election

Labour has announced who will contest the Telford seat in the next general election.

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Katrina Gilman

Sutton Hill native Katrina Gilman will stand for the party against Lucy Allan. She previously went up against Mark Pritchard of the Wrekin constituency in 2015.

Ms Gilman has worked in the public sector for the last 18 years, and is an active trade unionist with Unison.

She said: "I’m delighted to have been chosen by local Labour members to be the parliamentary candidate for Telford. It’s a huge honour to stand for Labour to represent the town I am proud to call my home.

"I've seen first-hand the effect that successive Tory governments have had in this town. Austerity has suppressed wages and damaged living standards for so many people.

"There is a crisis in health care across the county, affecting doctors' surgeries and hospitals; cutting our social care and mental health services. Our council has been starved of resources and despite their best efforts have had to cut services to the public.

"The stakes could not be higher and the hard work starts now. I will be visiting every street, delivering Labour’s message of hope to the people of Telford.

"Only Labour can build a fairer Britain that works for the many, not the few – I'm determined to fight for Telford.”

Telford Labour Party members bet on Sunday, March 18, to choose who would represent them in the next election, and after rigorous questioning of all candidates Katrina Gilman was announced as the winner.

David Wright is an experienced Labour politician, and formerly held the seat Katrina Gilman will now be contesting. In 2015 he contested the Telford seat when she ran for the Wrekin.

David said: "I think Katrina will be a fantastic candidate. She is a local candidate, which I am delighted about, and she will now get the chance to contest her hometown seat.

"She has experience of standing for election in this area, and I thought she was an excellent candidate in 2015."