Anneliese Dodds has been selected to be the parliamentary candidate for Oxford East following the retirement of Andrew Smith.

Anneliese lives in the constituency on the Rose Hill estate with her family and is Labour’s MEP for the South East of England. In an email to all Oxford & District Labour Party members Anneliese said:

“I have been selected by the Labour Party’s national executive committee as the Labour candidate for the general election for Oxford East.

I feel so privileged to have been given this chance to do all I can to win the support of people in Oxford East. I want to be a voice in Parliament for the people of Oxford East, so that they know they can count on Labour being on their side. I live on the Rose Hill estate with my young family and am well aware of the huge pressures that this appalling Conservative government is placing on local people. Housing costs are through the roof and our local public services are struggling, while the very best off in society have had their taxes cut. I have seen from the inside, in the European Parliament, how the government’s extreme and chaotic approach to Brexit is damaging our country’s prospects, and Oxford in particular.

Over the next five weeks we must ensure that every resident in Oxford East hears our Labour message loud and clear. Of course, this first means that we get our brilliant county council candidates elected on May 4th, before we campaign to keep Oxford East Labour on June the 8th.

We will be starting our general election campaign on Saturday, meeting at the junction of Magdalen Road and Iffley Road at 11am, where we will also be campaigning for Helen Evans in the County elections. Or you can join us on Sunday morning, again at 11am, along with Labour students, outside the James St Tavern in James Street, where again we will be campaigning for both the county and general elections (full information is at the end of this email).

I know that many of you would have liked to have a say on who the candidate should be, and regret that Theresa May’s decision to hold a snap general election has deprived members of that choice. I am very grateful to those members who called on the NEC to select a local candidate.

Finally, I would like to pay tribute to Andrew Smith MP. Andrew has been a towering presence in the Oxford Labour Party for no less than 40 years. Always on the side of local people, Andrew has an immense personal following in Oxford. His presence in parliament has left our city and our country a more equal, fairer and more progressive place than it would be otherwise. He cannot be replaced. Nonetheless, his example has, and will continue to inspire me to fight for social justice in Oxford and beyond.”