Wellingborough by-election date announced

Voters will be going to the polls in the Wellingborough constituency by-election on Thursday, February 15, this newspaper can reveal.

The by-election after enough of the electorate – 10,505 – signed a recall petition.

At least six candidates will battle to replace Peter Bone as MP with Gen Kitchen trying to win back the seat for Labour and Helen Harrison – Mr Bone’s girlfriend – standing for the Conservatives.

Last October the Independent Expert Panel (IEP) published a report on Peter Bone. A complaint was made about Mr Bone under Parliament’s Independent Complaints and Grievance Scheme (ICGS).

Following an investigation by an independent investigator, the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards upheld five allegations of bullying and one of sexual misconduct. Mr Bone appealed this decision to the IEP. That appeal was dismissed by the IEP sub-panel appointed to consider that case.

Mr Bone denied the incidents took place and repeatedly criticised the investigation.

The IEP recommended Mr Bone should be suspended for six weeks. The House approved the suspension on October 25, 2023.

After the six-week window was closed on Tuesday, December 19, 2023, the number of signatures counted – 10,505 – exceeded the tipping point of 7,940.

The writ being moved in Parliament starts the by-election process with the vote having to take place between 27 working days from today – confirmed to be February 15.

Helen Harrison, who sits on North Northants Council, has resigned from her role as on the ruling executive but will remain as a councillor.

The candidates in order they were announced are:

Gen Kitchen (Labour) pledges to put more money back in people’s pockets, help ‘fix’ the NHS, sort the potholes, ‘bang the drum’ for town centres and work to get knives off the streets

Ana Savage Gunn (Liberal Democrat) has promised a ‘fresh start, new ideas, and a path to restore pride in the area’

Will Morris (Green) believes the constituency needs an MP ‘who knows and cares about local issues’

Ben Habib (Reform UK) says he’s standing in Wellingborough because ‘it’s not sufficient anymore simply to defeat the Tories, Reform UK has to lead the way and get seats in Parliament’

Kevin Watts (Ind) says the main reason for standing is that he is a local candidate and has views on housing and Gaza

Helen Harrison (Conservative) wants to focus on ‘halving inflation, growing the economy, reducing debt, cutting waiting lists and stopping the boats’