Candidate says constituents ‘deserve’ an MP who lives locally
Mike Beckett, manager of Colchester Foodbank, has been announced as the Liberal Democrat parliamentary candidate for Harwich and North Essex. Picture: GREGG BROWN
A foodbank manager who has been selected as a parliamentary candidate has said the hardship he has witnessed at the charity has motivated him to stand.
Mike Beckett, who manages Colchester Foodbank, said he is confident he can win the seat currently occupied by Conservative Sir Bernard Jenkin, saying support for his party, the Liberal Democrats, is on the rise.
Mr Beckett said: "I'm certainly motivated to run for parliament by what I have seen at the foodbank.
"My charity and community work has taken me all across the area from Langham to Wivenhoe to Harwich, working with several hundred local organisations.
"We all deserve an MP who lives in the constituency and will put local concerns first."
Prime minister Boris Johnson has said that he will give MPs more time to debate his Brexit deal if they agree to a general election on December 12.
