Labour parachute in London think-tank boss Torsten Bell to fight Swansea West seat at general election

Labour is to parachute in the chief executive of a London-based think tank, Torsten Bell, as their candidate for the vacant Swansea West seat at the general election on July 4.

Geraint Davies has previously announced he will not be seeking re-election for the safe Labour seat, having represented the constituency since 2010. He was suspended from the party in 2023 pending the outcome of allegations of sexual harassment against him and has sat as an independent since then.

Swansea Council leader Rob Stewart's name had been linked with the vacant candidacy, but Welsh Labour has now confirmed that Torsten Bell has instead been selected. Mr Bell is chief executive of The Resolution Foundation, a think tank which says on its website it is focused on 'improving living standards for those on low to middle incomes'. For the latest Swansea news, sign up to our newsletter here

READ MORE: The Prime Minister in waiting came to Wales but Keir Starmer's visit was light on substance

READ MORE: Vaughan Gething to face no confidence vote in the Senedd

His Wikipedia page says he was appointed in 2015, having been former Labour leader Ed Miliband's head of policy and a Treasury civil servant who became special adviser to Alistair Darling. It states that he has been associated with the coordination of policy developments for the Labour Party and writes regularly about poverty and inequality in the United Kingdom, about the North–South divide in England and the levelling-up policy of the British government.

Welsh Labour confirmed the general election candidate for Swansea West would be Mr Bell in a tweet which said: "Llongyfarchiadau to Torsten Bell who has been selected as Welsh Labour’s parliamentary candidate for Swansea West."

Prior to the announcement, and speaking anonymously, a Labour Party supporter in Swansea said the name Torsten Bell had appeared on various forums in recent hours, although he didn't know for sure at that time if he had been selected.

The Labour supporter said Swansea Council leader Rob Stewart, who is not commenting on the matter, was considered one the most capable leaders Welsh Labour had. The supporter added: "What I've learned is that local is best - you stick to people who know the area, who know the people, and who know the local economy."

Another Labour source, who also did not want to be named, said it was now "very late" to be announcing a candidate. "The concern would be that we are given somebody with no local connections," he said, prior to Mr Bell being confirmed, adding that some party members might be less willing to go out and canvas for someone from the outside rather than someone known in the area.

Also responding to the reports before they were confirmed this afternoon, Lib Dem challenger Mike O’Carroll cheekily offered to show Mr Bell around the constituency. He said: “Labour have a record of parachuting candidates into Swansea, and it isn’t fair on either candidates or more importantly on the voters of Swansea West who feel taken for granted by Labour.

"That’s why I’ve offered to show Torsten around our city – it’s important that those who want to represent the area know every inch of the constituency and what the big issues are."