4:01pm Friday 19th March 2010
By Carl Brown
FORMER Waltham Forest Council leader Clyde Loakes says he will fight for the Northampton South parliamentary seat, despite previously saying he was merely a “paper candidate.”
Cllr Loakes, who quit as council leader last year to concentrate on winning the midlands seat for Labour, told the Guardian on Wednesday that he was merely standing for the “experience” and had little prospect of winning.
His political opponents in Northampton have been reportedly shocked by Cllr Loakes' comments.
But he has now been quoted in the Northampton Chronicle as saying: “I'm fully committed to Labour's general election campaign.
“We may be seen as the underdogs in this coming election, but we haven't given up.
“I, along with other Labour members, am taking the fight to the Tories and although we'll not win every seat we'll continue to campaign and fight for a fair future for all."
Although the seat is held by the Conservatives with a majority of 4,419, the notional majority is smaller due to boundary changes and is considered winnable by political commentators.
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