Wellingborough by-election - first interview with Peter Bone's girlfriend, Helen Harrison, as she bids to replace him as MP

Helen Harrison, the Conservative candidate who could replace Peter Bone as MP for Wellingborough, has stood by her man ever since allegations concerning his behaviour came to light.

She admitted it had been an ‘unpleasant process’ but has been busy knocking on doors and campaigning after being chosen as the candidate in his former constituency.

With other hopefuls launching their by-election campaigns with placards, buses and town centre offices, Ms Harrison has tried to shake off the baggage brought by her relationship with Mr Bone.

She said: “Obviously it’s been a deeply unpleasant process. Peter has consistently made it clear that the allegations against him are false and unfounded and as his partner I’m one of the small number of people who has actually seen all of the evidence in this case and I believe the allegations to be untrue.”

Ms Harrison disclosed that the parliamentary authorities had insisted she sign a confidentiality agreement preventing her from disclosing further details.

Questioned whether she agreed with Peter Bone’s assessment of the recall petition process as ‘bizarre’, she defended his point of view regarding the rules, legislation that Mr Bone voted for.

She said: “In recall petitions there’s nothing you can do as the sitting MP facing the recall petition to do anything that might create a different effect of that outcome. You just have to sit quietly and wait for it to happen. Around 10,000 people voted for it, 67,000 chose not to. I think what Peter meant was that the rules around the recall are the bizarre part – that a mere 10 per cent of people can make such a decision has in effect ended his career.”

Ms Harrison also addressed the national newspaper report that said Mr Bone threatened to stand as an independent unless Ms Harrison was on the Conservative shortlist for his seat.

She said: “The truth of the issue is that we were contacted by people within the party and it was suggested that Peter could resign before the recall petition started and it was suggested by those people I would be in the final selection to be the candidate. We turned that option down and Peter allowed the recall petition to go ahead.”

Asked if she was an electoral liability for the Conservative Party, Ms Harrison was adamant her close association with Peter Bone would not cost votes.

She said: “No. I’m out on the doorstep every day with Peter and our activists and the issue around the circumstances of Peter no longer being the MP is virtually never raised.

"The issues that are raised are about stopping the small boats, improving our NHS locally – getting the hospital built, getting our urgent care centre in Wellingborough – making sure we get the Isham bypass delivered. It’s issues like that people are talking to me about.”

Ms Harrison, a chartered physiotherapist, emphasised that she shouldn’t be portrayed as just as the partner of the former MP but as a ‘professional woman’ in her own right.

She said: “I think I’ve proved myself politically and locally I’ve absolutely proved myself politically. I’ve been elected to the district council previously and to the new North Northants unitary council.

"I think that I, Helen Harrison, have proved myself both professionally and politically that I’m the right kind of person to stand and ask the people of Wellingborough and Rushden for their votes.”

Ms Harrison’s main promises for the election are ‘stop the boats’, ‘improve our local NHS’ and ‘fix the roads’, focusing on an urgent care centre for Isebrook Hospital in Wellingborough, delivering the Isham bypass and ridding the county’s existing roads of potholes.

Sitting in Rushden Lakes she pointed out that the development was an example of her party ‘getting things done’ but agreed that the town centres in the constituency needed work.

She said: “This has been just the most enormous success. They (town centres) are a huge priority in Wellingborough and Rushden and Higham. There is just so much to do. One of the key issues is the anti-social behaviour in the town centres – that leads to rubbish and graffiti. I believe there is more we can do to spruce up our town centres to make them a nicer place to shop and relax.”