Andrew Dismore won’t run again in Hendon

PRICKED ears among the several Labour councillors and members in north London interested in becoming general election after Andrew Dismore confirmed he will not be standing again in Hendon. He triggered a few aw-nos from faithful admirers with a message explaining that he did not feel he could give the campaign “100percent” this time around, an excerpt of which is below:

It was a privilege and honour to be Hendon’s Member of Parliament for 13 years and I see my 20 year relationship with Hendon residents and Hendon CLP as priceless.

‘Many Party members and Hendon residents have been contacting me, urging me to stand in the election and I thank everyone for their touching support, encouragement and kind comments.

‘However, it is with regret that I have taken the extremely difficult decision that I will not be seeking your nomination as your Parliamentary candidate in this election. This is for personal reasons only and not a decision based on politics. The election has also come at a time when I am not in a position to give the 100% commitment to the campaign that I know is required and which you are entitled to expect from your candidate.

‘Rest assured I remain your London Assembly member and will of course continue to serve you and the people of Barnet and Camden in that capacity to the best of my ability.’

Dismore, the Barnet and Camden London Assembly member, was only beaten there by 106 votes in 2010 and the constituency was targeted for a Labour gain two years ago. Conservative MP Matthew Offord’s lead actually got bigger,  however, with a 3,724 majority opening up. Nevertheless, it’s still an attractive-ish territory for an eager-beaver Labour candidate to tackle, maybe not for the victory on June 8, with the polls as they are, but to at least to chalk up a decent mark.