Shropshire Star

Shrewsbury Labour candidate Laura Davies facing no confidence vote over hospitals call

Labour's parliamentary candidate for Shrewsbury is facing a de-selection attempt, believed to be a result of her public comments on the future of the county's major hospitals.

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Laura Davies at the 2017 general election count

The efforts to remove Laura Davies have been described as "madness" by one local Labour source.

It is understood that Dr Davies will face a no-confidence vote at a meeting of the Shrewsbury & Atcham Constituency Labour Party on Wednesday evening.

Representatives of the party have declined to comment on the matter or how many of its members had called for the vote.

Members of the party have also been instructed not to speak to the press about the issue.

Dr Davies, who has contested the seat at the last two general elections also declined to comment, saying the issue was an internal party matter.

It is understood that the reason given for calling the vote is that Dr Davies's view over the future of the county's major hospitals has deviated from the local party line – that both Princess Royal Hospital Telford and Royal Shrewsbury Hospital should retain their A&E services and receive substantial investment.

Opposed

Dr Davies, who has worked at Royal Shrewsbury Hospital, has suggested building one new super hospital to serve both towns instead.

One party member said the vote was a result of a group who had been opposed to Dr Davies since she was selected.

They said: "It is madness. There is a certain group within the Labour Party locally and nationally who have developed over the last two or three years that have attempted to deselect sitting MPs and candidates up and down the country.

"It is on the record that Dr Davies fought this constituency extremely well on two occasions and that everyone had an expectation that she would be successful on the next occasion. She is very hard working and well known in the constituency and has had a very positive response."

It is understood that any member of of the Shrewsbury & Atcham CLP who attends Wednesday's meeting will be able to vote on the matter, although it would be up to the National Executive Committee to ultimately decide on any de-selection of a candidate.

Dr Davies has lost to the Conservative Daniel Kawczynski at the past two general elections.

In 2015 Mr Kawczynski secured 24,628 votes to Dr Davies' 15,063, although the margin was narrowed in 2017 with the Conservative retaining his seat by 29,073 votes to his Labour opponents' 22,446.