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Castle Point Tories name would-be MP
8:00am Monday 7th July 2008
CASTLE Point Tories have named their candidate to fight the seat at the next General Election.
Rebecca Harris, 40, was selected by grassroots Tory activists on Saturday afternoon.
Mrs Harris, who ran a small publishing company, is married and has a two-year-old son called Ted.
She lives in London at the moment but pledged to start looking for a new home locally on Monday.
Mrs Harris said she had been a Tory activist for 20 years.
She added: "I look forward to meeting as many people as possible."
Bob Spink quit the Tories in April and later joined the ranks of the UK Independence Party.
He said he had become "disappointed" with the Tory position on a number of issues.
When Mr Spink stood for the Tories in 2005, he took 48 per cent of the vote with an 8201 majority over the Labour candidate.
The Castle Point seat should be safe for the Tories.
However, Mr Spink has built up a strong personal vote in the constituency.
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cllr neville watson, canvey island says...
9:09pm Sat 5 Jul 08
cllr neville watson, canvey island says...
9:10pm Sat 5 Jul 08
Cllr Bill sharp, Hadleigh says...
10:35pm Sat 5 Jul 08
Dez, The Island says...
7:14am Sun 6 Jul 08
MainLander, says...
10:34am Sun 6 Jul 08
cllr neville watson wrote:Neville come and meet her, I'm sure she can persuade you to return to your natural home in the Conservatives.
Well my conservative Councillors did i not tell you it would be a woman under 40 and not from this area welcome 1922 to castle point.
After all who's ever heard of a left wing taxi driver?.
Fred, Benfleet says...
12:01pm Sun 6 Jul 08
lord snooty, eton says...
12:29pm Sun 6 Jul 08
Mainlander, 515-818 says...
12:43pm Sun 6 Jul 08
Well he does drive a red taxi.
Arf!
In all honesty I hear Neville has been very unwell recently so I do wish him a speedy and full recovery.
Alan Davies, Canvey Island says...
12:46pm Sun 6 Jul 08
Cllr Bill sharp wrote:Sorry Bill,
Welcome back Neville trust you are well. I am delighted with our new candidate and when you meet her as a fair man I believe you will find her highly acceptable to all our residents.
She isn't acceptable to me. A local candidate would be better, my vote (and those of most that I speak to) are with Bob Spink. He isn't ideal but at least he does represent the views of constituents.
We don't want or need someone "parachuted" in from Central Office. We need a local person who understands the problems Castlepoint faces, not someone who will follow "Call me Dave" through the lobby irrespective of our wishes.
amw, Canvey says...
1:04pm Sun 6 Jul 08
Kim Gandy, Rayleigh says...
1:56pm Sun 6 Jul 08
Happy®, A.B.C. says...
2:15pm Sun 6 Jul 08
She isn't acceptable to me.
Seeing as you have never met her or heard her views you're being a bit narrow minded. No?.
He isn't ideal but at least he does represent the views of constituents.
He doesn't represent mine, and since he's defected to the headbangers at UKIP he's lost even more.
Rebecca is someone new and fresh not an old has-been well past his sell by date.
Tony Wright, Benfleet says...
3:50pm Sun 6 Jul 08
steve, ci says...
4:37pm Sun 6 Jul 08
bubba, says...
8:06pm Sun 6 Jul 08
steve wrote:Steve who?
What happened to Steve Castle?
grunter, Castle Point says...
8:14pm Sun 6 Jul 08
Bob Spink "local man" born in Yorkshire came to us from Bournemouth ??
Give the lass a chance
Trunkymunghound, Essex says...
10:14am Mon 7 Jul 08
Or is she?
A Local Resident, Castle Point says...
5:18pm Mon 7 Jul 08
Bob has had his time and I have been grateful for the way in which he has represented his constituents. But he's now been deselected (rightly or wrongly) adn those of us who traditionally vote conservative at least need to give Ms Harris a chance.
I'm looking forward to meeting her, with an open mind. It bothers me -- and I rather think it should bother my councillors -- that some of you are apparently not.
Those who fall into that category ought to feel rather ashamed of themselves.
toffeenose, windsor says...
7:57pm Mon 7 Jul 08
s had your finger ın your eye lol hope all goes well with your selectıon for the next C.P. MP
Truth, Castle Point says...
9:47am Tue 8 Jul 08
cllr neville watson, canvey island says...
5:29am Thu 10 Jul 08
cllr neville watson, canvey island says...
5:33am Thu 10 Jul 08
evilc, essex says...
8:56pm Mon 14 Jul 08
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Rebecca Harris
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The Frog, Canvey says...
8:16pm Sat 5 Jul 08
This is because UKIP have no policies!