Conservative candidate for Birkenhead has one of the toughest tasks in town

Aug 12 2009 by Matt Hurst, Birkenhead News

Someone’s got to do it!

WITH a 14,000 majority to overturn and one of the best-known constituency MPs to topple, being the Conservative candidate for Birkenhead must be one of the toughest gigs in politics.

When the general election is called, Andrew Gilbert will face the unenviable task of lifting his party from third place and delivering a constituency that was last in Conservative hands in 1910.

Incredibly, considering recent history, the town was solid Tory between 1861 and 1894.

But since boundaries were redrawn in 1950, Labour shut out all-comers and incumbent Frank Field MP has held office for 30 years.

Andrew Gilbert is currently a councillor in John Major’s old stamping ground, near Cambridge, but claims strong links to Birkenhead through family.

The 35-year-old told the News: “I’ve got a lot of family in Birkenhead, a lot of whom are Labour supporters, and some of them, particularly my great-grandmother, were real old-fashioned socialists.

“I think they’re a bit surprised and there must be mixed emotions.

“But at the same time, if my great-grandmother was still alive she wouldn’t recognise the Labour Party she once knew.”

And with that kind of background, alongside the assertion that he “believes in a strong welfare state and the NHS”, it’s difficult to spot what makes Andrew’s blood run blue.

He said: “I think what makes me Tory is simple values of hard work, and I believe in leaving people alone to live their lives.

“I believe the state should be as small as possible, but as big as necessary.”

Andrew’s parents grew up in the North End, but moved out to join the Royal Air Force (RAF).