The Conservatives have unveiled their candidate for a forthcoming by-election.
Andrew Cooper will contest the Tamworth constituency, which includes Stonnall, Fazeley and Shenstone, after it was vacated following the resignation of Christopher Pincher.
The party had previously said Eddie Hughes would be their candidate for the seat next general election, but the Walsall North MP rules himself out of the running for the by-election.
Mr Cooper said it was a “deep honour” to have the opportunity to represent the area he calls home.
“I want to represent Tamworth in Parliament to ensure that the voices of our community are heard loud and clear.
“Whether it’s fighting for better local services, securing more jobs, or making sure our children inherit a town even better than the one we know, I am committed to delivering real results for Tamworth.”
Andrew Cooper
The father of four currently serves as a member of Tamworth Borough Council.
Conservative party chairman, Greg Hands MP, said:
“Andy’s background, his intimate knowledge of Tamworth and his dedication to public service make him an excellent choice to be the next MP.
“I look forward to campaigning alongside him in the coming weeks.”
Greg Hands
Elsewhere, Labour will see Sarah Edwards contest the by-election, while Sunny Virk will be the Lib Dem representative on the ballot paper. Richard Kingstone will stand as an independent, with the Reform UK party putting Ian Cooper forward.
Vote Conservative? You must be joking. After the almighty mess they have made of this country over the last 13 years, that would be like turkeys voting for Christmas.
This is a good shout, Andy seems a very decent chap and is a good councillor who has a lot of knowledge and life experience. That said I’m not sure I can bring myself to vote Conservative. Let’s see what happens over the next few weeks of no doubt mass campaigning.
Good to see all those happy smiling faces, save for the candidate that is. Perhaps he knows what’s coming lol.
He must honestly think this sacrifice will help his prospects within his future career in politics, hopefully not in Tamworth or his replacement at the GM
He’s been three years a councillor in Tamworth and a cabinet member at Tamworth Council for over 100 days and nobody in his ward knows him. A sign of things to come. Even the local Tories aren’t a fan. Looks like Tamworth’s going red. A shame.
Wow, what a diverse bunch of people in that photo above, all white, predominantly male and what looks like relatively few under 50. Conservatives are really representing the local communities…….
To Mr l are you aware Andy Cooper sits on fazeley Council he has nt mentioned that.also he was elected in May and he attended his first meeting on Monday the 11th of September. The truth will out typical Conservative glad I m a Labour Councillor of 23years
Looks overjoyed to be standing. Vote for me Cooper, the bed warmer, until Hughes arrives and I stand down, if I win. Why would anyone do that?
I am sure his energetic looking support will pull out all the stops. Imagine if he does win, what will the Conservatives do then, force him to stand down for Hughes. What utter fools, it is not like the Pincher situation was not known about and still the Conservatives selected Hughes for the GE knowing full well he would not be able to stand in a bye election so making the defeat larger and more certain.
Hi @Jo Atkins, he does sit on Fazeley council. Labour only put yourself up for that election. It seems there aren’t enough people who want to do the parish/town council role as there were 12 candidates for 11 seats! Do we really need parish and town councils?
@Ed Eaton……you’ve obviously not spent long in Fazeley because if you had you’d notice that’s what the majority of people there look like. Is that a problem to you? What’s this obsession with ‘diversity’. It’s not equality if it’s forced or just tokenism. Nothing wrong with being a white person in their 50’s either which is what you seem to be implying with your virtue signaling. Put your well meant but silly observations on to areas of real discrimination.
Ed Eaton – You do these people a grave disservice. They are without doubt citizens of impeccable judgement. Their record proves this, after all they selected Pincher as candidate, Truss and Johnson as PM. Who are we to question those in possession of such acumen?
To alica fibmerchant do not call the people of fazeley a diverse lot there are only 3 people from fazeley the rest are from Tamworth and Lichfield
@alicia fibmerchant – so I can see 3 out of the 19 people in that photo are women, so by your reckoning, only 16% of the Fazeley community are women. Because “that’s what the majority of people there look like” as you put it. It’s not virtue signalling, it’s simply an observation. Plus I love winding up Tories with the mere mention of the word “diversity”! Downvote away!
@Ed Eaton……first of all I wasn’t referring to the gender. I was responding to your comment on the colour of their skin and their age. Both of which you seem to have a petty issue with. Secondly I’m not a Tory voter either. Sadly the Conservative Party aren’t right wing enough for me these days. Soft on crime, soft on immigration, obsessed with the NHS, awful economic record, busted housing market, perpetuating a benefit culture, tripping over themselves to be woke and appeal to softies like you and they are anti small business. I’d only vote for them if they had leader like Thatcher again. She was magnificent.
@alicia fibmerchant – did you actually read my comment? You’re quite correct, I did point out their age and colour of skin, but also noted that they were “predominantly male”. But to be honest you lost the argument when you described Thatcher as “magnificent” and that the conservative party are “aren’t right wing enough” for you!
Thatcher’s greatest moment was being a prime mover in establishing the EU Single Market.
“It’s your job, the job of business, to gear yourselves up to take the opportunities which a single market of nearly 320 million people will offer.
Just think for a moment what a prospect that is. A single market without barriers—visible or invisible—giving you direct and unhindered access to the purchasing power of over 300 million of the world’s wealthiest and most prosperous people.
Bigger than Japan. Bigger than the United States. On your doorstep. And with the Channel Tunnel to give you direct access to it.
It’s not a dream. It’s not a vision. It’s not some bureaucrat’s plan. It’s for real.
Thatcher was magnificent?! Was that when 247 of our brave troops lost their lives in the Falklands in a war that probably wouldn’t have happened if she’d acted on intelligence reports? Was that when she sold this country down the river by privatising utilities and public transport? Was that when she promoted the ‘me, me, me’ attitude that has plagued the country ever since? Was that when she disenfranchised working people by smashing the unions? Was that when she plunged the North of England into a recession it’s never recovered from? Is that the kind of right wing government you dream of, Alica Fibmerchant? I’ll pass on that, thank you.
@John Allen…..Not that this is a competition but didn’t Blair do all of those things and worse? See Iraq & Afghanistan and over 600 military killed, introducing PFI’s that continue to cripple local and central authorities, promoting over borrowing and causing over inflated house prices with no deposit mortgages, letting banks run wild, upped the pace in selling UK utilities to overseas companies, sold universities to Chinese influence. Could go on but as I said….not a competition.
Indeed Alica Fibmerchant, but then ‘New Labour’ wasn’t really Labour in any meaningful way, was it? Blair has a lot to answer for, and has never been held to account for the things he did. Bad leadership is not confined to the Tories, but they have cornered the market in this respect over the years, and certainly in their current reign of power.
What did Tony Blair ever do for us?
In addition to 14, 000 police officers when the Tories cut 20,000.
Giving us the cleanest rivers and seas since the Industrial revolution.
We also got these.
1. Longest period of sustained low inflation since the 60s.
2. Low mortgage rates.
3. Introduced the National Minimum Wage and raised it to £5.52.
4. Over 14,000 more police in England and Wales.
5. Cut overall crime by 32 per cent.
6. Record levels of literacy and numeracy in schools.
7. Young people achieving some of the best ever results at 14, 16, and 18.
8. Funding for every pupil in England doubled.
9. Employment is at its highest level ever.
10. Written off up to 100 per cent of debt owed by poorest countries.
11. 85,000 more nurses.
12. 32,000 more doctors.
13. Brought back matrons to hospital wards.
14. Devolved power to the Scottish Parliament.
15. Devolved power to the Welsh Assembly.
16. Dads now get paternity leave of 2 weeks for the first time.
It is untrue to say that Blair introduced PFIs. We can pin the blame the blame for that on Major. Having your own opinions is one thing, Having your own facts is another.
A vote for the Tories is a vote for the politics of failure:
Failed on the cost of living crisis
Failed on tackling climate change
Failed on the NHS
Failed on social care
Failed on education
Failed on getting the promised trade deal with the USA
Failed on immigration
Failed on policing
Failed on support for British farming
Failed on housing
Failed on vital public services
Failed on HS2
Failed on protecting our green belt
Failed on protecting our seas and inland waterways
Failed on industrial relations
Failed on Northern Ireland
And can’t even tell the truth when they blatantly flout rules that THEY have put in place.
Clare Sholl – Spot on. It’s like the Mad Hatter’s Tea Party. Whenever the plates got dirty, they moved down the table.
We are now running out of table.
Quite a list Clare Sholl, and I can’t disagree with any of it. In fact, it is difficult to find anything that is working properly in this country after 13 years of Tory rule, contrary to the misinformation and lies that Sunak constantly spouts. It is difficult to imagine most parties making a worse job of running the country. The current pedalling back on environmental commitments has even drawn the ire of his own MPs, as well as the business leaders he is supposed to be on the side of, and continues to make us a laughing stock abroad. Roll on the general election, and for goodness sake can we get rid of them.
Politics and promises. They are not compatible you know. They invariably give with one hand and take with another. They always promise a better tomorrow.
Who can tell what the situation will be in twenty seven years time (2050). We are on thin ice in so many ways. Scarcely worth discussing the unlikely outcome of flexible present day policy.
Being an MP is a lucrative profession with much networking. No one will remember you when you are receiving your generous parliamentary pension.
Our democracy is a cabinet of 20 odd people and a PM. That is the decision making process.
God help us if labour get in , Anti car , Anti diesel , Anti Petrol . Labour now saying they will abolish Sunak alteration to diesel and petrol car ban from 2035 and change it back to 2030. Raynor on the record as saying Labour agrees with ULEZ ( tax the poor ). Coming to lichfield in the near future. The Elites in their electric cars , us plebs are doomed to horse and carts just like the old days. If you think the NHS is bad in England look at what Labour has done in Wales to it. Look whats happen at Labour control Birmingham City Council. Vote starmer get blair.
Interesting mixture of misinformation and NIMBYism, belleview. Even car manufacturers are up in arms about the roll back on EVs, having invested in them. ULEZ (first pioneered by Boris Johnson) is to improve people’s health, 90% of cars comply with it, and there is a scrappage scheme for those that don’t. Local councils- most of their financial problems are as a result of defunding from central government under the Tories. NHS- how do you explain the parlous state in England, due to underfunding and lack of investment by the Tories. Sunak’s latest announcement on stopping policies that don’t actually exist suggests he is losing the plot. With the current state of politics in this country, it can come down to choosing the lesser of two evils.
@belleview: “Vote starmer get blair” [sic]. If only.
You might want to familiarise yourself with Poe’s Law, the adage that “without a clear indicator of the author’s intent, any sincere expression of extreme views on the internet is impossible to distinguish from parody.”
Bellevue – I’m pro ULEZ. What is wrong with wanting cleaner air. Same goes for cars. I only have one for necessity. Couple more years when then kids are older, I’m getting rid and going car less. Why do we need one car per person in a household? It’s ridiculous. Spends 95% of it’s time unused.
As for bankrupt councils. You realise it’s not an isolated incident? The equal pay claims stem from policies years ago when Tories implemented them. Thurrock council millions in debt and bankrupt, and that is Tory run.
As for vote Starmer get Blair, why is that a bad thing? Arguably the last time this country enjoyed any sort of prosperity was during the Blair years. At least schools and hospitals got the investment they needed after being neglected for so long by the Tory governments.
Interesting to note that the excellent and highly professional Jess Phillips is to take a time off from parliament to concentrate on the forthcoming Tamworth by election. I was wondering whether Fabricant will be on the stump in Tamworth lending his considerable persuasive personality and charm to the potential voters in that fair land. I’m sure that they would swoon at his achievements as MP of Lichfield and follow the golden fleece to the promised land. On the other hand…………………….
@Tubbs : First of all , kudos to you for giving up your car , I believe you may be the first person on LL to say that. Hopefully many more will follow who comment on the climate emergency. It’s interesting that people who are pro ULEZ don’t have to pay it. If you live in London and have a non compliant car its £62.50 per week this affects the poorest people. John is right 90% of all cars are compliant and there is a scrappage scheme. The scrappage scheme is £2000 , the average non compliant car is £5212 so it would be in the interest of the car owner to try and sell it privately. Everything about the scheme is not fair. The London mayor appears to be relying on data from a university research group funded by the mayor’s own office apparently ignoring and suppressing other data. This group received more than £800,000 from the town hall including £45,958 for the report.
On the equal pay women should get the same pay as men if they are doing the same job.
Clare scholl list is very good but what clare forgot to mention is that labour has failed to beat the tories for the last 13 years. If labour is so good why are they not in power now. What’s gone wrong for labour?.
In some ways, belleview, this isn’t even about ideology – left, right or centre – it’s about the sheer incompetence of the Tories while they have been in power. Take immigration, for example. Forget all the polarised views; the fact that the Tories have run the entire immigration service down to the point where applications are taking years to process solves nothing for anyone. It just keeps immigration in the papers and deflects attention from other issues. Likewise their failure to come up with a solution to the crisis in social care, or the fiasco over HS2 – it’s lose-lose for ordinary people.
The Tories haven’t ‘taken back control’ as they promised. Instead, they’ve let everything go to pot, and ordinary people are suffering because of it. People would do well to remember that next time they go and vote.