Ian Lavery hopes to represent Wansbeck as MP

Posted by The Journal on Nov 11, 09 09:23 AM in News

The national leader of Britain's miners is bidding to become the next Labour MP for the former North East coal industry stronghold where he made his political name.

Ian Lavery - president of the National Union of Mineworkers and a former secretary of the union's Northumberland branch - confirmed last night that he wants to succeed Denis Murphy as the MP for Wansbeck.

Ian Lavery, president of the National Union of Mineworkers

Mr Lavery said he will seek the Labour Party nomination for the seat at next year's general election - where Mr Murphy had a majority of 10,500 votes over the Liberal Democrats in 2005.

Mr Murphy, 61, announced last week that he will stand down at the next election. He admitted the MPs' expenses scandal was a factor but said there was no one reason for his decision.

Mr Lavery, 47, who is married with two sons and has lived in Ashington all of his life, has been seen for some time as the likely successor to Mr Murphy.

He was the Northumberland secretary of the NUM for more than a decade before taking over as national president from Arthur Scargill in 2002.

He worked at Ellington Colliery for many years and, along with Mr Murphy, was the leading light in the lengthy campaign to keep the pit open, prior to its eventual closure in January 2005.

The Labour Party's national executive is expected to decide next month whether there will be an all-women shortlist to replace Mr Murphy. If the NEC backs the constituency's preference for an open list, Mr Lavery will be strong favourite to emerge as the candidate.

Yesterday he said: "I will definitely be putting my hat in the ring. I am extremely keen to follow Denis Murphy into Parliament and represent the people of Wansbeck, who I have represented over many years in my capacity as NUM president nationally and Northumberland secretary.

"I have always been keen on standing for Parliament and I believe I have got overwhelming support in Wansbeck, although I would never, ever take anything for granted."

Labour Party spokesman, Neil Fleming, said talks would be held in the next few weeks between regional party officials and Wansbeck constituency officers on whether there should be an all-women or open shortlist from which to choose the next candidate. The NEC will decide on the format in December, with the selection process starting early in the new year.

Mr Murphy, who was first elected in 1997, said last week: "I don't want to say my decision is down to the expenses issue because it is not. It is a combination of very many things, of which the expenses issue is only one."

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