Favourite emerges from MP hopefuls

Sep 4 2007 by Larry Neild, Liverpool Daily Post

LIVERPOOL councillor Roz Gladden has emerged as a key contender to win Bob Wareing’s West Derby Parliamentary seat.

She was the only one of a list of hopefuls to win nominations from all five wards that make up the constituency party.

Her main opponent in the fight for the Westminster seat will be former Labour MP and ex-education minister Stephen Twigg.

Mr Wareing, the city’s longest serving MP has also made a shortlist of six, with the final choice being made at a constituency ballot on September 16.

Mr Wareing has serv- ed as MP for 24 years and is facing a struggle to hold on to his seat.

Cllr Gladden, Labour’s spokeswoman on social care and communities on the council, has been a party member for 30 years.

Party insiders are thought to favour Mrs Gladden, rather than a London candidate.

Mr Twigg beat Conservative Michael Portillo in the 1997 Labour landslide, but lost the seat in 2005.

Dave Rowntree, drummer with 1990s Britpop band Blur, did not make the shortlist. Nor did former city councillor Oliver Martins and ex-Broad- green chairman Ged Taylor. Historian Trist- ram Hunt and West- minster blogger Alex Hilton also missed out.

Mr Wareing, 76, who is fighting deselection, was guaranteed a place in the shortlist.

Other candidates are ex-councillor Martin Cummins from Norris Green, Cherie Hill, from Ellesmere Port, and Floyd Millen, who is from the Midlands.