Wellingborough by-election: Labour is 'not complacent'

Gen Kitchen is standing for Labour in the Wellingborough by-election

The Labour candidate has said her party is "not complacent" about the upcoming Wellingborough by-election.

Labour has won the two most recent by-elections in Tamworth and Mid Bedfordshire. In both, it overturned larger Conservative majorities than in the Northamptonshire seat.

The poll is taking place after constituents removed Peter Bone as MP via a recall petition.

Gen Kitchen said she was working to "build and earn trust with people".

The recall petition was prompted by Mr Bone's suspension from the House of Commons for six weeks for breaching the MPs code of conduct.

In the October by-elections, Labour overturned Conservative majorities of 24,664 in Mid-Bedfordshire and more than 19,000 in Tamworth.

But Ms Kitchen told BBC Radio Northampton: "We are not complacent. It's an 18,500 majority.

"That is a lot of people that you need to persuade, and a lot of people do not think their vote counts and might not turn up."

Several shadow cabinet members have visited the constituency, including Jonathan Ashworth

The candidate said: "I want to make a difference and particularly in places like Wellingborough... Rushden and Higham Ferrers and all of the other towns and villages around.

"I feel like we have been let down."

Ms Kitchen, who previously stood in South Northamptonshire for Labour in 2019, said she put her name forward because "I have seen inequality widen and want to do something about it".

At 28, she would be one of the youngest MPs in the UK if elected, but Ms Kitchen said her age was an advantage.

She said: "Particularly with a by-election you need a lot of energy... and there's a lot of new ideas.

"We are quite a digital first campaign at the moment. Yes, we are door knocking, but a lot of people are like, 'oh, I've seen you on Instagram or on Facebook'."

Voters will go to the polls on Thursday 15 February.

A full list of candidates and other information are available here on the BBC website.