Prince's ward by-election: the runners

Nominations closed yesterday at 12 noon. There are 6 candidates: Labour, Green, LibDem, Tory, us and "Left Unity -- Trade Unionists and Socialists". No UKIP (no Elizabeth Jones, presumably she's busy trying to get elected MP for Dartford). It's a bit surprising that the Electoral Commission have allowed a candidate to stand as "Trade Unionists and Socialists" as they have refused to allow us to register "The Socialist Party" as a variant of our name on the grounds that this could cause confusion with "other socialist parties". In that case, so should "Trade Unionists and Socialists" but I suppose "Left Unity" in the name is the let-out. In order words, Kingsley Abrams is basically standing for Left Unity.

Since the result of the general election in Vauxhall is a foregone conclusion -- a walk- over for the outgoing MP Kate Hoey -- this by-election could be the centre of political interest in constituency: ex-Labour councillor trying to get back on the council, splitting the Labour vote and letting in the Greens or even, though hardly a realistic possibility, the LibDems (who once held the ward), etc, etc.

More on Prince's ward by-election

We will be standing a candidate, Danny Lambert, who is also standing in the General Election for Vauxhall. Our nomination papers have already been handed in and accepted.

Left Unity and TUSC are putting forward a formidable joint candidate in ex-Labour councillor, Kingsley Abrams, who is also standing for Parliament in the next-door constituency of Bermondsey & Old Southwark. See here.

Our nomination accepted

The nomination papers for our candidate were handed in and accepted this morning. So far ours is the only nomination. So, if there are no others, Danny Lsmbert will be elected as the first Socialist councillor in Britain. But of course there will be more -- the usual suspects, Labour, Liberal, Tory, Greens and UKIP.

No doubt TUSC too though they won't have been planning to contest Vassall since they were courting Kingsley Abrams, the resigning councillor, who had been suspended by the Labour Group for opposing the cuts. Here's the Brixtoblog on why he resigned (to try to move further up the greasy pole by becoming an MP).

The result the last time we contested the area in which Vassall wards falls -- the Greater London Assembly elections in May 2012 -- was as follows (not including postal votes):

Labour 1683 (56.7%)
Cons 430 (14.5%)
LibDems 379 (12.8%)
Greens 336 (11.3%)
Socialist 82 (2.8%)
UKIP 52 (1,9%)

A safe Labour seat then.