Eight line up in battle for Labour seat

EIGHT candidates will contest the by-election in Bradford West, called after Labour’s Marsha Singh stood down through ill health.

Two of the candidates are currently councillors in the city. Labour have nominated deputy leader Imran Hussain to defend the seat, which has been held by his party since 1974.

The Liberal Democrats have put forward the leader of their party in the town hall, Jeanette Sunderland. The Conservative candidate is businesswoman Jackie Whiteley.

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Arguably the highest profile candidate standing is former Respect MP George Galloway, who won the Bethnal Green and Bow seat at the 2005 election, but in 2010 unsuccessfully contested the Poplar and Limehouse constituency. In 2006 he appeared in the fourth series of reality show Celebrity Big Brother, lasting three weeks in the house.

UKIP’s Sonja McNally and Dawud Islam of the Green Party were both announced before the nominations closed on Wednesday night. The final two candidates are Neil Craig of Democratic Nationalists and Alan “Howling Laud” Hope, of the Monster Raving Loony William Hill Party.

A public hustings will be held on Wednesday in partnership with Bradford University and Bradford College students’ unions, Bradford Muslim Women’s Council and JUST West Yorkshire. Labour and Conservative party candidates said they would not be taking part.