While the selection in Grantham and Stamford tonight is in a (technically) Tory-held seat, the evening’s other selection meeting takes place in a key marginal. Having voted Conservative for decades, Canterbury fell to Labour in 2017 by the extremely slim margin of 187 votes.
Angela Richardson: Originally from New Zealand, Richardson is the Deputy Chairman Political of Guildford Conservatives and the Vice Chairman of Cranleigh Parish Council. Her professional background is in investment banking operations, and she worked in the City of London at Schroders and Axa Investment Managers. In addition to Conservative activism and campaigning, she fundraises for local charities. Her past ConservativeHome articles can be read here.
Cllr Sally-Ann Hart. Brought up in the North East of England, Cllr Hart has lived for some years in East Sussex, after starting her career in London. She holds a seat on Rother District Council, where she was first elected in 2015, and for the last three years has served as a member of the council’s cabinet with responsibility for Culture and Tourism. In addition to her council work, she is also a magistrate. Cllr HArt contested North West Durham against Labour’s Laura Pidcock in the 2017 election. Her past ConservativeHome articles can be read here.
Cllr Anna Firth: Cllr Firth is Cabinet member for Legal and Democratic Services on Sevenoaks District Council, and a former barrister. She contested the Erith and Thamesmead constituency in the 2015 General Election, stood in the South East region in the 2019 European election, was Co-Chair of Vote Leave’s Women for Britain, and is currently Chairman of Sevenoaks Conservative Association. Her charitable work includes serving as a trustee of West Kent Mind, a mental health charity. She was a finalist in the South Cambridgeshire selection earlier this month. Her past ConservativeHome articles can be found here.
Kirsty Finlayson: A solicitor by profession, Finlayson contested East Ham for the Conservative Party at the 2017 General Election, stood in Tower Hamlets in the 2018 local elections, and was a candidate in London in the 2019 European election. She also previously worked in Parliament for Anne Milton, and is a former member of the European Youth Parliament. In her spare time, Finlayson is a Samaritans volunteer and is actively involved in the 50:50 Parliament campaign for gender equality at Westminster.