On Wednesday (May 22) the Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak called a general election.
This will be held on July 4, and the country will know who will be the next Prime Minister in the early hours of July 5.
Here’s who is standing in the Bedfordshire constituencies covering the Luton and Dunstable area:
Waheed Akbar – Workers Party: Waheed Akbar was the Workers Party 2024 candidate for the recent Bedfordshire police and crime commissioner election.
Jilleane Brown – Conservative: Jilleane Brown is a parish councillor, school governor, and has “worked in all the usual places most young adults have”.
James Fletcher – Reform UK: James Fletcher said he believes his party is the “only common-sense option in the room” and is the “only party listening to the people”.
Ejel Khan – Green Party: Ejel Khan founded the Muslim LGBT Network and has been a human rights campaigner for over 25 years.
Sarah Owen – Labour: Sarah Owen has been the MP for Luton North since 2019 (55.2 per cent of the vote).
Sean Prendergast – Lib Dem: Sean Prendergast was the Lib Dem candidate to be Hertfordshire’s police and crime commissioner for May’s election.
Toqueer Sha – Independent: Toqueer Shah is a defence solicitor who was raised in Luton.
Paul Trathen – Social Democratic Party (SDP): The SDP says it is a patriotic, economically left-leaning, and “culturally traditional” political party.
Attiq Ahmed – Independent: Attiq Ahmed campaigned for the seat in 2015. Online, he said: “It is time for change, for Luton, for justice.”
Edward Carpenter – Green Party: Edward Carpenter is a former Royal Navy officer and got involved in the party after becoming “increasingly concerned about the lack action to protect our climate and our environment”.
Dominic Griffiths – Lib Dem: Dominic Griffiths is a North Herts Council ward councillor (Graveley, St Ippolyts & Wymondley).
Rachel Hopkins – Labour: Rachel Hopkins has been the MP for Luton South since 2019 (51.8 per cent of the vote) and was a shadow minister from 2021 to 2023. Due to boundary changes, Luton South is now Luton South and South Bedfordshire.
Norman Maclean – Reform UK: Norman Maclean said he will be fighting on residents’ behalf to cancel the expansion of flights from Luton Airport.
Dr. Yasin Rehman – Workers Party: Dr. Yasin Rehman said he is in politics to serve the local people, and to be a voice for the working class on issues at a local, national and international level.
Mark Versallion – Conservative: Mark Versallion is a Central Bedfordshire councillor for Heath and Reach and used to be in the Royal Naval Reserves.
Dunstable and Leighton Buzzard
Emma Holland-Lindsay – Lib Dem: Emma Holland-Lindsay contested last year’s Mid Bedfordshire by-election is now standing in the seat where she is a local councillor.
Alex Mayer – Labour: Alex Mayer is a vice patron of Autism Bedfordshire, a life member of the National Trust, and organised a petition of over 8 million signatures against animal testing.
Harry Palmer – Reform UK: On the Reform UK website Harry Palmer said: “Only Reform will stand up for British values and common-sense policies to save Britain.”
Andrew Selous – Conservative: Andrew Selous is the current MP for South West Bedfordshire, which following boundary changes is now Dunstable and Leighton Buzzard. He received 60.4 per cent of the votes at the last election in 2019.
Sukhinder Paul Hundal – Green Party: Sukhinder Hundal is a biology teacher and a former research scientist. In his statement, he said: “It is clear to me that we need an alternative to the present two-party monopoly which has governed the country for past 100 years.”
Antonio Vitiello – Patriots Alliance: Antonio Vitello is standing for English Democrats and UKIP and he previously campaigned to be Bedfordshire Police and Crime Commissioner.
Mid Bedfordshire
Richard Brunning – Social Democratic Party: Richard Brunning has said he’s “primarily a (small c) conservative”.
Dave Holland – Reform UK: Dave Holland stood as a Reform UK canddiate in last year’s Mid Beds by-election. He said the role of Government to “create the opportunities that individuals need to thrive and succeed”.
Gareth Mackey – Independent: Gareth Mackey stood as an Independent for last year’s by-election. He is a ward councillor for Flitwick and is Central Bedfordshire Council’s chairman.
Maahwish Mirza – Labour: Maahwish Mirza was born and raised up in Luton and has been a councillor in the town. She has said she will be championing the greenbelt, and fighting for public services and local infrastructure.
Stuart Roberts – Lib Dem: Stuart Roberts is a former Deputy President of the NFU and a former Conservative councillor.
Cade Sibley – Green: Cade Sibley stood as a Green in last year’s by-election when he said it’s “more important” to give people the option to vote for someone who will represent them and that he couldn’t just “stand aside”.
Blake Stephenson – Conservative: Blake Stephenson has been a Central Bedfordshire councillor since 2023, sits on the Bedfordshire Police and Crime Panel, and serves on the Shillington Parish Council.
