Labour unveils Parliamentary candidate for Kingswinford and South Staffordshire

A NATIONAL charity executive has been unveiled as Labour’s Parliamentary candidate for the new Kingswinford and South Staffordshire seat which will replace Dudley South.

Black Country born and bred Sally Jane Benton is a member of the executive team of national charity Forward Trust, running fundraising and other campaigns, having started her working life as a care worker for the NHS.

Sally, aged 46, who grew up in Wednesbury and now lives in Birmingham, worked in the care sector in Walsall and Sandwell in the early part of career.

She has also been Secretary to the All Party Steel and Metals Group in Parliament.

She said she was “honoured to have been selected” as Labour’s candidate for Kingswinford and South Staffordshire which will see her battle it out against current Dudley South Conservative MP Mike Wood.

She added: “For the past 14 years people have been let down by successive Conservative governments: from an NHS on its knees to a cost-of-living crisis hitting families and pensioners hard.

“We deserve so much more than this.

“Growing up in the Black Country, I understand our values and I am immensely proud of our heritage. I believe we can change this country for the better, build an economy that delivers high quality jobs and deliver an NHS that is worthy of the people who work in it.”

She said, if elected, she will work to deliver better education opportunities for all and to campaign for long-term investment in health and social care and she added: “I will work solely for my constituents and not take other paid work. I will be a visible and dedicated MP and I look forward to meeting people across the constituency to hear what they want from their future MP.”

Richard Parker, Labour’s Mayoral candidate for the West Midlands for the May 2 election, said: “I’m delighted Sally has been selected. I’m really looking forward to campaigning with her to return a Labour Government.”