Labour candidate launches Wigan election campaign

Labour has launched its bid to achieve another night of success at the ballot box for the red rosette in Wigan in next month’s general election.

The party’s candidate Lisa Nandy, who has served as MP for the constituency for nine years, unveiled the campaign which she hopes will take her back to Westminster to represent voters once again.

Related: Here's what you need to know ahead of the December general electionMs Nandy’s election drive began with a blast at the Conservative Party, saying Wigan had been subject to a decade of massive cuts because of government decisions and calling on the constituency’s voters to help end austerity.

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She also promised to listen to all her constituents following months of often-acrimonious debate about Brexit in a place which voted heavily to leave the European Union (EU) in the 2016 referendum.

Ms Nandy said she was basing her campaign to be re-elected on what she had already achieved during her time in the House of Commons.

Ms Nandy said: “We’re already out campaigning. I’m standing on my record of working for the whole community in every part of Wigan.

“Our team have helped hundreds of constituents with housing, benefits, and many other urgent problems since the last election.

Labour will not take a single vote for granted.

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“This is the most important General Election in a generation. We need to stand up for our NHS, our schools and our young people.

“Wigan can’t take any more of these Tory cuts. I’m asking people to go out and vote Labour to show we care about our future and we won’t let the Tories wreck it.”

Polling falls on December 12 and campaigning teams are expecting a tough battle to get voters out to the ballot box to have their say in the middle of winter.

However, Ms Nandy said her constituency's Wigan activists were already working hard on the campaign.

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At the last general election in 2017 Ms Nandy secured a 16,027 majority with 62.2 per cent of the vote.

She got 29,575 votes, with her nearest challenger being Alex Williams for the Conservatives with 13,548, or 28.5 per cent of the vote.

Ms Nandy has contested three general elections for the Wigan seat altogether and has managed to increase her majority each time.

As of Monday afternoon the other candidates for the Wigan constituency battle this year were William Malloy for the Brexit Party, which has claimed it is preparing to take the battle to Labour in its Brexit-supporting heartland seats in the north of England and the Midlands, and Stuart Thomas for the Liberal Democrats.

However, parties still have until 4pm on Thursday to enter the race by getting their candidates submitted.

The result will be announced in the early hours of Friday December 13.