Labour has picked Gillian Troughton, pro-nuclear former doctor to fight the Copeland by-election.
After accepting the nomination, in an email shared online, Troughton said she was “pro-nuclear; no ifs, no buts”, and that her husband worked in the nuclear supply chain. She is also a local councillor and a practising Christian.
Here’s Gillian Troughton’s reaction to being selected as Labour’s #Copeland candidate pic.twitter.com/TVEkaTG2gL
— Adam Payne (@adampayne26) January 19, 2017
She described the election as a choice about the NHS: “I have been part of the campaign against the proposed cuts to A&E and the maternity wing because I know that our community needs this service.”
Like Jamie Reed, the current MP for Copeland, Troughton is a critic of Jeremy Corbyn and backed Owen Smith in the 2016 Labour leadership campaign.
She also campaigned to remain in the EU, and now must win over a voting population that voted 62 per cent to leave – the strongest Eurosceptic vote in Cumbria.
Her victory is a symbolic defeat for the Labour leadership, as she beat Corbyn supporter Rachel Holliday, also a councillor with ties to the nuclear industry and the NHS.
However, the decision to pick a non-Corbynite may be a relief for those within the Labour leader’s camp who worry about “owning” a possible by-election defeat.
Corbyn said of the selection: “I am delighted that Gillian Troughton will be Labour’s candidate for the Copeland by-election.
“Gillian is a local councillor with a strong track record of getting things done for her community. She has campaigned tirelessly to maintain local hospital services.
“As a St John’s blue light ambulance driver, Gillian has seen first-hand the extent of the crisis caused by this Conservative government, which has chosen to fund tax cuts for the wealthiest instead of our health service.
“I am proud that Labour has selected a local candidate with such dedication to her community.”
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