Lewisham GP to stand against Hunt

The Lewisham medic who played a prominent role in the campaign to save Lewisham Hospital from being downgraded will stand for election in South West Surrey in a bid to unseat Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt.

The Independent reports:

"The Green Party has withdrawn their candidate from the race completely, while Liberal Democrat and Labour members agreed not to campaign in order to boost Dr Irvine’s chances, despite their national parties standing candidates in the constituency.

"The decision by left-wing activists to unite behind the GP — which marked a major step in the drive for progressive alliances across the country — was met with a stark response from the national Labour party, which on Monday expelled three executive members in South West Surrey who had been leading the movement.

"But despite the opposition at a national level, local cross-party support for the National Health Action party candidate remains strong, with many Labour and Lib Dem activists in the constituency still said to be planning to vote for Dr Irvine and refusing to campaign for their own party candidates in the lead-up to the election."