Kane makes local connections count as he cruises to victory

Mike Kane will be Labour’s candidate for the Wythenshawe and Sale East by-election on 13 February, cause by the sad death of former Labour minister, Paul Goggins, earlier this month.

A hustings meeting at Wythenshawe Forum Hall last night saw Kane sweep to victory, winning on the first ballot with around two-thirds of the votes cast. Manchester City Councillor, Rosa Battle, was runner up.

Kane, 45, was the favourite and played on his deep roots in the local area and his ability to see off a strong challenge from UKIP.

Born in Wythenshawe hospital, he grew up in the constituency and taught at a local primary school for a decade, before going on to work as a parliamentary assistant to Labour MPs James Purnell and Jonathan Reynolds.

He is currently acting chief executive of Movement for Change, the grassroots campaigning organisation allied to the party and has led on efforts to promote the living wage and against payday lenders.

UKIP is expected to press hard for second place. Its candidate, local IT entrepreneur John Bickley, grew up in Wythenshawe and comes from a staunch Labour family.

However, with just three weeks to go until polling day, it’s unlikely they have the time to seriously eat into the 7,575 Labour majority.


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8 Responses to “Kane makes local connections count as he cruises to victory”

  1. Danny says:

    If any of Purnell has rubbed off on him, this will be an awful, awful appointment.

  2. steve says:

    UKIP’s John Bickley will be cock-a-hoop if he achieves second place.

    The writing will be on the wall for the LibLabCon.

  3. swatantra says:

    Just to remind UKIPPERS, coming second still means you’ve lost.

  4. Tafia says:

    Swat, it’s not a case of UKIP coming second means they still lost, it’s a case of where those votes came from allowing them to get second. Around the north and here in north Wales they are starting to make significant inroads into Labour support.

  5. No, Tafia, they are just picking up much of the second-placed Tory vote. swatantra has it right.

  6. Rallan says:

    “Just to remind UKIPPERS, coming second still means you’ve lost.”

    Just to remind LibLabCon, a very young party like UKIP coming second in yet another election means that the rules are changing fast.

  7. swatantra says:

    UKIP is more like a pressure group than a proper Party. It’ll fizzle out when the issue of Europe no longer matters, but is overtaken by more important things like jobs housing and providing care.

  8. steve says:

    @ swatantra

    UKIP coming second will be indication of the erosion of traditional loyalties.

    Voters in Labour safe seats have been used by the Labour elite as providers of a career in the Commons.

    Once ensconced in the Commons, Labour’s elite then persue policies against the interests of those who sent them there – e.g. New Labour’s privatisation of the NHS and participation in unnecessary and disastrous military interventions.

    It couldn’t last forever and now, it seems, the end is in sight.

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