Labour choose woman to defend Bolton West
7:45pm Sunday 1st March 2009 in Search Module By David Thomson
Julie Hilling hopes to succeed Ruth Kelly
LABOUR Party bosses have kept their promise by choosing a woman to fight the marginal Bolton West seat following the decision by Ruth Kelly to stand down at the next election.
Her successor will be Atherton woman Julie Hilling who says she is “honoured and privileged” to have been selected.
She was one of a six-strong shortlist hopeful of becoming Labour’s prospective parliamentary candidate for the seat. The selection meeting took place on Saturday.
Ms Hilling, of Wordsworth Avenue, Atherton, is the senior regional organiser for the Transport Salaried Staffs’ Association (TSSA.
She is the vice-chairman of the Bolton West constituency party.
Late last year, Labour’s national executive decided that Ruth Kelly’s replacement should also be a woman. Ms Hilling said: “Waiting for the decision only took about an hour, but it seemed like a lifetime. Ruth Kelly has served this area with great pride and passion for 11 years and she will be a very hard act to follow. I am determined to serve the communities of Bolton West as well as she has."
Cliff Morris, chairman of Bolton West Constituency Labour Party, and also Bolton Council’s leader, said: “We are proud to have Julie Hilling as our prospective parliamentary candidate."
