Eddie Izzard aims to stand for Labour in Brighton at next general election
Eddie Izzard joins supporters of the Stronger In campaign as they gather to wait for the result of the EU referendum at London's Royal Festival Hall.
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Eddie Izzard is aiming to stand as the Labour candidate in Brighton at the next general election.
Izzard entered the race after making an online announcement.
The 61-year-old, who was brought up in nearby Bexhill-on-Sea, vowed to “support this brilliant city and its diverse and vibrant community”.
Izzard said: “Labour needs a candidate that can inspire many thousands to become our friends and allies in the fight for a fairer-greener-cleaner planet.
Green Party MP Caroline Lucas finishes her speech on the second reading of the Illegal Migration Bill in the House of Commons
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“Reaching out and lifting people up, is at the heart of my politics. I believe in making connections – not breaking connections.”
The comedian-turned-activist unsuccessfully attempted to seek Labour’s candidacy in Sheffield Central last year.
Former Green Party co-leader Sian Berry is hoping to retain the left-leaning constituency.
Berry, who also serves as a London Assembly member, is protected by Caroline Lucas’ 19,940 vote majority from 2019.
Eddie Izzard arriving for the London premiere of Moonage Daydream at the BFI Imax Waterloo in London
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Lucas announced she was standing down in a letter sent to constituents two months ago.
The 62-year-old said that the "threats to our precious planet" had become "ever more urgent" and her role in parliament as the Green Party's only MP meant she had "struggled to spend the time I want on these accelerating crises".
Labour finished in second place at the last general election, with Adam Imanpour receiving 13,211 ballots.
Despite recently shifting to the left, Brighton Pavilion was a Conservative constituency from 1950 until Tony Blair’s landslide in 1997.
Eddie Izzard arriving for the London premiere of Moonage Daydream at the BFI Imax Waterloo in London
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The Tories, who are yet to comment on their local selection process, were only displaced as Labour’s main rivals in 2010 when Lucas leapfrogged Britain’s two largest parties to enter the Commons.
The Liberal Democrats revealed they would begin the selection process for their candidate in September.
Brighton could prove an interesting battleground on the left of British politics.
The seaside town is notable for bucking the trend in comparison to others across the country, with two out of three seats held by Labour.