25 defeated parliamentary candidates have endorsed Liz Kendall in an open letter to the New Statesman. The candidates – who stood in seats both inside and outside Labour’s target list and come from across the party – say that they “believe the person best-placed to take Labour forwards and to win in the places where we lost on May 7 is Liz Kendall”.
They highlight that her recent pledge to turn Britain into a “living wage society” shows she has the right ideas, “as well as the energy” to lead Labour. The candidates include Emily Benn, Tony Benn’s granddaughter, Matt Turmaine, the candidate for Kendall’s home seat of Watford, and Vicky Fowler, the candidate for Nuneaton, the seat that has become a symbol for the shock rout within the Labour party.
The full letter is below:
At the recent election, Labour lost seats across the country and failed to win in the areas where this election was decided.
We must now decide how we respond to the challenges we face as a party.
We believe that the person best-placed to take Labour forwards and to win in the places where we lost on May 7 is Liz Kendall.
Her plan for a Living Wage society shows she has the ideas, as well as the energy, to lead our party.
She can win back the trust of the British people and is committed to engaging both the party and local communities about how we shift power away from the centre and put it into the hands of those who need it most.
Liz is the fresh start that our party needs. As we seek to come back from two painful defeats, Liz Kendall is the right person to lead that fight.
Signed
Jess Asato Norwich North
Jack Abbott Central Suffolk and North Ipswich
Gareth Barrett Epping Forest
Emily Benn Croydon South
Nick Bent Warrington South
Michael Borio Ruislip, Northwood and Pinner
John Fisher Aldridge Brownhills
Vicky Fowler Nuneaton
Kate Godfrey Stafford
Vicky Groulef Reading West
Nicola Heaton Mid Derbyshire
Sarah Jones Croydon Central
Naushabah Khan Rochester and Strood
Ollie Middleton Bath
Tristan Osbourne Chatham and Aylesford
Andrew Pakes Milton Keynes South
Jason Pandya-Woods Sleaford
Liam Preston Brentwood and Ongar
Steve Race East Devon
Alex Sanderson Chelsea and Fulham
Michael Taylor Hazel Grove
Nick Thulbourn North West Cambridgeshire
Matt Turmaine Watford
Julian Ware-Lane Southend West
Mary Wimbury Aberconwy
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