CANDICE Johnson-Cole has been selected to represent Labour in Mid Dorset & North Poole at the next general election.
She will be hoping to turn the constituency red for the first time in its 27-year history.
Previously, it has been a two-horse race between the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats.
She said: “Our goals at the Mid-Dorset and North Poole party are to help secure a Labour victory at the upcoming election and work with that Labour government, and the people of Mid- Dorset and North Poole, to bring about the well overdue changes our country needs”.
Born in London, Ms Johnson-Cole made Dorset her home more than 20 years ago.
She has worked in politics throughout her professional life, mainly organising conferences and events.
She even served as an election manager on Labour’s wildly successful campaign in 1997, which saw the party achieve a historic landslide victory.
All this experience will be vitally important, with the latest figures from polling company Electoral Calculus giving her a tiny 2% chance of winning the seat, while Lib Dem candidate Vikki Slade leads the way with a 73% chance.
The BCP Council leader stood unsuccessfully in 2015, 2017 and 2019.
Ms Johnson-Cole added: “As we await the upcoming general election, I will be working hard for my constituency and for my neighbours, on the issues that really matter to us.
“Together, we can turn things around and start building toward everyone’s future again.
“I invite everyone to join us to make this happen, we are ready.”
Incumbent Conservative Michael Tomlinson languishes behind the Lib Dems with a 22% chance of retaining his seat, according to Electoral Calculus.
If accurate, it would see his mammoth majority of 14,898 votes overturned.
Yet another vague description of policies “As we await the upcoming general election, I will be working hard for my constituency and for my neighbours, on the issues that really matter to us.”
Not very inspiring I feel.
And what issues are they as you haven’t said? Every area has issues but some are specific. Poole Hospital losing vital services and those having to travel to Bournemouth is not ideal.
Poole residents have had Poole ripped out of them after the BCP merger (Canford Heath is in Poole, so this issue needs to be part of Mid Dorset North Poole), Poole is losing its identity, roadsigns are being replaced with faceless ones.
When you go online to find an address it says Bournemouth, when it’s clearly in Poole.
We never voted for this change and our democracy of choice was taken away from us.