General Election 2024 - candidates to battle it out once again for Wellingborough and Rushden seat
After the circus of the Wellingborough by-election in February, a fresh set of candidates are set to do battle, including some familiar faces.
The newly-named Wellingborough and Rushden constituency has been the topic of much change in recent months after Labour overturned a Conservative majority that stood for almost 20 years this year. Now, just a few months later, here are the men and women who will fight for the seat once again.
Gen Kitchen – Labour
After winning the by-election on February 15 with a majority of 6,436 votes, Gen Kitchen served as the constituency’s MP for 101 days, before the dissolving of Parliament. Gen’s campaign is focusing on the same pledges as the by-election, highlighting the need to improving the town centre, fix potholes and tackle knife crime.
Gen said: “It’s still on those pledges because they still come up all the time on the doors, and it’s a case of ‘look what I’ve started, help me finish.’”
At a hustings event at Glamis Hall on June 27, Gen noted the progress made with regards to setting up two town centre task forces to address the issues surrounding the lack of local amenities and rise in anti-social behaviour, as well as bringing Off the Streets to Parliament to highlight their efforts.
Prior to her short time as an MP, Gen stood against Andrea Leadsom for the South Northamptonshire seat in the 2019 General Election, and has also spent time as a senior councillor in London, and worked for national charities as a fundraising manager.
David Goss – Conservative
David Goss was selected as the Conservative candidate to reclaim the seat that was left vacated by Peter Bone. This is his first time battling for the seat after Helen Harrison, who represented the party at the by-election, was announced as the candidate for East Thanet.
David said: “I am honoured to have the opportunity to represent Wellingborough and Rushden. I understand the challenges and opportunities our community faces, and I am committed to fighting for the issues that matter most to our residents, from healthcare and transportation to supporting local businesses. Together, we can build a brighter future for everyone in our constituency.”
David, who claims to live in Finedon, is currently a councillor on Buckinghamshire Council, serving the market town of Winslow, as well as being on Winslow’s respective town council.
The Northants Telegraph contacted the Conservatives for an interview with David Goss, and is yet to receive a response. He did not attend the hustings at Glamis Hall on June 27.
Ben Habib – Reform UK
Reform UK are sticking with the candidate that saw the party finish the by-election in third place. Ben Habib, deputy leader of the party, finished with 13 per cent of the vote in February, which he calls ‘a good staging post for Reform’.
Ben attended the hustings at Glamis Hall, however left the event before the public questions portion of the evening.
He said: “There is a lot of support that I’ve built up from the by-election, just people who live in and around Wellingborough and Rushden in particular, and they’ve been very keen to come back and help so it’s been very good standing in Wellingborough, twice.
“I think it’s a wide open election, it’s going to be interesting how the votes fall in Wellingborough and Rushden.”
Ben Habib insists there is ‘a lot of commonality’ between constituencies, including ‘the neglect of town centres in favour of out of town development’. He believes that Swansgate centre ‘doesn’t fit modern shopping standards’ and that if it were repurposed into a mixed-use centre with a component of residential use, it would create a ‘gravitational pull’ back towards the Market Square.
One key topic which Ben believes to be a key issue is the state of the town centre – he wishes to ‘take the district council to task’, whom he calls ‘freehold owners of Swansgate’ regarding the health of the High Street, and quiz the council over the increase in council tax by the maximum legal limit over three years.
Note: Swansgate Centre is owned by a third-party. Furthermore, Wellingborough Borough Council was dissolved and amalgamated into North Northamptonshire Council in 2021.
Christopher Townsend – Liberal Democrats
The Liberal Democrats have selected Dacorum Borough Councillor Christopher Townsend as their candidate for Wellingborough and Rushden who, while not present at the Wellingborough hustings at Glamis Hall, aims to be a ‘strong voice’ for the constituency.
Christopher considers himself an ‘old fashioned liberal’, having been a councillor in Hertfordshire for 16 years, and previously the mayor of Tring. The party believes he is the man to deliver on their pledges to address the shortage of NHS dentists and GPs in the area, tackle the environmental crisis, and improve care for vulnerable adults.
Christopher said: “I know all about the challenges of delivering policy in the real world, and I have always been honest with voters about those challenges. We must not promise everything to everyone.
"Difficult choices have to be made, but working together we can come up with good solutions.”
He passed on his apologies for not attending the hustings.
Paul Mannion – Green Party
The Green Party candidate is Paul Mannion, who is hoping to stand out as a candidate who is ‘openly standing in this General Election on not being a professional politician.’
Paul Mannion is ‘a passionate trade unionist’, and has built a campaign that is centered around the collapse of the UK’s small towns, believing it to be a national issue that has affected Wellingborough and Rushden. His campaign is also focused on pushing for more council housing and support initiatives, and expanding the powers of local councils.
Five campaigning priorities have been highlighted by the Green Party in Wellingborough and Rushden, including tackling climate change, a higher focus on public investment, addressing the rental market, ‘reversing the failed privatised model in the natural monopolies and the NHS’, and ‘democratic reform to create a fairer and more representative political system.’
Paul has also stated that, if elected, he would only take the average East Midlands salary of £33,280 rather than the full salary available to MP’s.
He said: “I am openly standing in this General Election on not being a professional politician. Instead, I’ve worked in ordinary blue and white-collar roles for my whole life, but I’ve also run my own small business.”
Jeremy Brittin – Social Democratic Party
Jeremy Brittin also attended the hustings hosted by Wellingborough Eco Group, whereby he said that he has ‘a unique understanding and perspective on just what makes Wellingborough work and tick’ thanks to his close connection to the constituency, having been born at Isebrook hospital and brought up in Higham Ferrers.
He said: “I am honoured to be chosen by the SDP to represent the area I love and know so well. I and my family have been here to witness the changes and been affected by them.
“Our small market town has grown into the large vibrant and ethnically diverse community it is today.
“My heart, soul and mind is shaped by the area I wish to represent. I’m passionate about it, I promise to take that passion to Parliament if elected."
Jeremy prioritises the development of Isebrook hospital. He objects to the proposed Kettering Green Energy Park, and is in favour of ‘making our town centre’s attractive to visit again.’
Polls will be open on Thursday (July 4) from 7am until 10pm, with votes being counted and verified at Kettering Leisure Village. Results are expected to be announced in the early hours of Friday (July 5).
The full hustings hosted by Wellingborough Eco Group can be found here.