General election candidates confirmed

All of the candidates standing in the 2019 General Election in Tameside have now been confirmed.

Parties had until 4pm on Thursday (14 November) to confirm who will be standing in the election on Thursday 12 December. 

All three of the former constituency MPs - Angela Rayner, Jonathan Reynolds and Andrew Gwynne - are standing again for the Labour Party, while there are also representatives for the Conservative Party, Brexit Party, Green Party, Liberal Democrats, the Official Monster Raving Loony Party and the Liberal Party. There are no independent candidates standing. 

Here is the full list of candidates who are standing in the three constituencies that cover Tameside:

Stalybridge and Hyde

Stalybridge and Hyde has been represented by Labour since 1945 and is currently held by Jonathan Reynolds, who was first elected in 2010. 

The seat, which spans the lower slopes of the Pennines, is traditionally a two-horse race between the Conservatives and Labour. 

Its incumbent beat the Conservatives into second by an 8,000-vote margin in 2017, but with Boris Johnson eyeing up safer Labour seats than usual as he seeks a path to a majority, the Tories – who hold five council seats across the constituency – may well be actively looking to close that gap this time round. 

Back in 2010, amid a national swing towards the Tories, they came within 3,000 votes of taking it and will hope a similar shift this time could unseat Jeremy Corbyn’s shadow treasury minister. 

The Green Party may also attempt to capitalise votes on the controversy around the Greater Manchester Spatial Framework, including the Godley Green garden village plans for Hyde, a proposal supported by Mr Reynolds.

Candidates:

• Tayub Amjad, Conservative Party
• Jamie Dwan, Liberal Democrats
• John Edge, Liberal Party
• Julian Newton, Brexit Party
• Jonathan Reynolds, Labour and Co-operative Party
• Julie Wood, Green Party

Denton and Reddish

The Denton and Reddish seat, which straddles the boroughs of Tameside and Stockport, has been held by former Tameside councillor Andrew Gwynne for Labour since 2005. 

He returned a chunky majority of 14,000 in the 2017 election against five other candidates, including the Monster Raving Loonies. 

A frontbench member of the opposition in government, he currently serves as Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government in Jeremy Corbyn’s shadow cabinet, as well as helping to head up the party’s election strategy. 

While the Tories have been Labour’s closest rivals in the last nine elections, UKIP polled reasonably well in 2015 and both Nigel Farage and Boris Johnson will be going after leave votes in the seat this time around. 

But they will need a strong surge of support for their Brexit position to trouble Labour’s hold.

Candidates:

• Iain Bott, Conservative Party
• Dave Farmin Lord F’Tang, Official Monster Raving Loony Party
• Andrew Gwynne, Labour Party
• Dominic Hardwick, Liberal Democrats
• Gary Lawson, Green Party
• Martin Power, Brexit Party

Ashton-Under-Lyne

The Ashton-Under-Lyne seat has been red since 1935 and is currently represented by shadow education secretary Angela Rayner. 

Elected in 2015, she has since been an outspoken defender of Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn Labour. 

A leave-leaning constituency, which also covers Failsworth in Oldham, it has been most closely contested by the Conservatives in the past, with UKIP polling third place in the previous two elections. 

The Tories were a fairly distant second in 2017 and with the Brexit party also putting up a candidate this year, the debate over how – and whether – we should leave the EU may continue to split Labour’s opposing vote.

Candidates:

• Derek Brocklehurst, Brexit Party
• Dan Costello, Conservative Party
• Lee Huntbach, Green Party
• Angela Rayner, Labour Party
• George Rice, Liberal Democrats

Polling stations across the borough will be open from 7am to 10pm on the day as voters will get the chance to choose who will represent them as their Member of Parliament. 

People aged 18 and over are being urged to ensure they are registered to vote before the deadline on Tuesday 26 November.

The Electorial Commission - the body that oversees elections in the UK - has answered the 10 most common questions, that can help voters understand the options available to them. Read more here.