Yahoo News Suzy Eddie Izzard fails to win bid for Labour seat in Brighton
Comedian and actor Suzy Eddie Izzard has failed to become a Labour parliamentary candidate, missing out on representing the party in the Brighton Pavilion constituency.
Izzard, who uses both “Eddie” and “Suzy” as first names, had hoped to replace Caroline Lucas as the MP for Brighton Pavilion when Lucas stands down at the next general election. However, Brighton Labour party members voted instead for musician and activist Tom Gray as their preferred candidate, The Argus reported.
Delighted and humbled to be selected to be the Labour candidate for Brighton Pavilion.
Thanks so much to everyone who helped in the campaign and thanks to Eddie, Lucy and Birgit for showing such solidarity and integrity on the trail. #TG4PAV— Tom Gray 🌹 (@MrTomGray) December 17, 2023
Gray, an award-winning musician formerly of the band Gomez, announced on social media that he was “delighted and humbled” to receive the Brighton Labour nomination. The contest to select the Labour candidate was said to be competitive, with multiple unions backing Gray. Izzard came second out of four potential candidates.
“Everyone has a right to a fair chance in life”
This unsuccessful result marks Izzard’s second attempt at becoming a Labour parliamentary hopeful. Last year, she also bid unsuccessfully to represent the party in Sheffield Central. Izzard said on ITV’s Lorraine in March: “I want to go in because I can communicate; I have a vision of the future – which is everyone has a right to a fair chance in life.”
Izzard has openly discussed her gender fluidity in recent years and asked to be referred to with “she/her” pronouns. She has balanced activism and politics with a career in comedy and acting over the last three decades.
The seat of Brighton Pavilion is currently held by Caroline Lucas, the Green Party’s only MP. It is considered a key target for Labour to potentially take from the Greens whenever the next general election is called.
Lucas has developed a strong personal vote in the constituency over multiple election wins. Her decision to step down poses a major opportunity for Labour, but the party will likely need to continue building support to overturn the Greens’ previous majorities.
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