Trafford Council leader Andrew Western looks destined for a seat in Parliament after being selected as Labour’s candidate for the safe seat of Stretford and Urmston.
He beat two female candidates – Joanne Harding and Iram Woolley – to the selection after a race triggered by incumbent MP Kate Green’s decision not to stand for re-election in 2024.
Timperley-raised Western has stood for Labour against Sir Graham Brady in the Altrincham and Sale West seat for the last two general elections.
In 2019 he secured 36.8% of the vote, down from the 38.8% share he won in 2017 but well up from the 26.7% the previous Labour candidate had achieved in 2015.
In Stretford and Urmston he will be defending a majority won by Green of over 16,000 votes in 2019.
Timperley-raised Coun Western, who lives in Urmston, said: “Absolutely delighted to have been selected as the @uklabour candidate for Stretford and Urmston, thank you to members for placing your trust in me!”
Should Coun Western be successful at the next general election, he will stand down as a councillor in Sale’s Priory ward and as Trafford Council leader, a position he has held since 2018.
Western was congratulated by Labour MP Andrew Gwynne, who tweeted: “Massive congratulations mate. Look forward to seeing you on the green benches (sooner rather than later!)”
It ended a good few days for Coun Western, who last week won a vote to become the chairman of the Greater Manchester Transport Committee, heading up the region’s big transport projects.
