Bassetlaw Labour selects ex-charity worker to fight General Election

At a meeting on Sunday, October 27, Sally Gimson won the vote on the second round, beating Ashfield councillor Keir Morrison by 95 to 86.

An experienced campaigner and working mum of three, Sally was a Labour councillor in the London Borough of Camden for more than six years, and ran for the South Leicestershire constituency in the 2010 General Election.

Sally said: “I am delighted to be the Labour candidate for Bassetlaw. It is a real privilege to be fighting for a Labour government in this constituency.

“I aim to build on the tradition of energy production in Bassetlaw and bring investment in green energy here as part of Labour’s plans for a Green New Deal.”

She added: “With a Labour MP for Bassetlaw and a Labour government, we can end the appalling Tory cuts to our schools, and health and social care, and bring jobs and investment to the area.”

During her time as a councillor, Sally served as a cabinet member for adult social care and for the environment.

With a background in journalism and the charity sector, Sally was formerly director of communications for the Family and Parenting Institute, and worked for Citizens UK on parenting projects across the country.

She has also been a head of public policy for Victim Support, where she set up a parliamentary group on victims and witnesses of crime.

The selection process in Bassetlaw was mired in controversy after district council leader Simon Greaves failed to make the shortlist.

Critics alleged that the process was being ‘stitched up’ by figures on the party’s left, but Sally’s selection has been hailed as a victory for more ‘centrist’ factions.

The others on the shortlist, Morrison and Ashfield Labour chair Julia Long, were seen as more to the left as well as having local connections.

John Mann, who resigned as Bassetlaw’s MP on Monday, said: “Congratulations to Sally. The Momentum stitch up didn’t give them the result they expected.”