Decision time in Norwich North
By Alex Stevenson
Voters in Norwich North go to the polls today in a key electoral test for Gordon Brown.
Polls opened at 07:00 BST in the Norfolk constituency, whose MP, Ian Gibson, resigned after Labour’s ‘star chamber’ condemned his expenses claims.
The by-election has been a traumatic one for Labour. Dr Gibson was a popular figure in the Norwich community and many locals are angered by his party’s refusal to allow him to stand again.
It is widely believed Dr Gibson would have won the by-election had he stood as an independent. His decision not to do so has come as a relief to Labour, although his replacement candidate has had troubles of his own.
Chris Ostrowski succumbed to suspected swine flu two days before the vote. He was briefly hospitalised after collapsing but, under “doctor’s orders”, was forced to miss the final days of the campaign.
Speaking on his behalf, local MP Bob Blizzard told politics.co.uk the campaign had gone well.
“The longer the campaign has gone on, we can see the choice facing the people of Norwich is to retain Norwich North as a Labour seat or to see it go Tory,” he said.
“When we put that to people we see our support turns up.”
Blizzard snowed under by Gibson affection
Conservative challenger Chloe Smith has presented herself as a youthful alternative to other candidates, however.
At only 27 years old she would be the youngest MP in parliament if she is elected to the Commons today.
She told politics.co.uk: “I’m 27, I’ve never made any bones about that and actually I think one thing I can contribute is to put a little bit of energy back into politics. I think people around here are ready for that.”
The campaign has been dominated by the expenses issue and Dr Gibson’s role in it. But Ms Smith has shied away from criticising him, describing him as an “excellent MP”.
Osborne campaigns against Brown’s Labour
Both she and Mr Ostrowski have suffered from accusations they are not truly ‘local’ candidates. The Liberal Democrats’ April Pond, a local councillor, has made much about her roots in the community.
“What I offer is I’m proven, I’m hard-working and I’m local. I’m a real person. I live in the real world and I like helping people,” she said yesterday.
Lib Dems embrace disgusted Labour voters” target=”_blank”>
Other candidates have been campaigning hard. The Green party views Norfolk as one of its strongholds and, despite being stronger in Charles Clarke’s Norwich South seat, believes it can do well today.
Its candidate, Rupert Read, told voters at a hustings event he feared an environmental “disaster is potentially in store” but that a strong Green vote would make waves at Westminster.
“You can make something amazing happen here tomorrow,” he said, pressing the case for an outsider to confront the “broken political system in this country”.
One candidate with a small but committed team of supporters is the independent Craig Murray, Britain’s former ambassador to Uzbekistan who resigned in protest over extraordinary rendition.
With public trust in politicians slumping in the wake of the expenses scandal he has been passionate about the alternative to a party-sponsored candidate.
“You don’t have to vote for a political party,” he pressed. “You can vote for a person.”
Independent frustrated by outsider status
Norwich North had been a traditionally reliable Labour seat before the Conservatives took it in 1983. It was won back by Dr Gibson in 1997 but his majority had eroded to 5,459 by 2005.
The 12 candidates competing in the Norwich North by-election are:
Peter Baggs (independent)
Thomas Burridge (Libertarian party)
Anne Fryatt (None of The Above party)
Bill Holden (independent)
Laud Howling (The Official Monster Raving Loony party)
Craig Murray (Put an Honest Man into Parliament)
Chris Ostrowski (Labour)
April Pond (Liberal Democrat)
Rupert Read (Green party)
Chloe Smith (Conservative)
Glenn Tingle (Ukip)
Robert West (British National party)
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