Labour ‘incursion’ rankles with MP

The move by Gavin Shuker and Kelvin Hopkins drew a raised eyebrow from the town’s MP Andrew Selous, who said parliamentary protocol dictated the pair should have alerted him to their plans.

“It’s a free country,” he said. “But the correct protocol is that for anything other than a personal visit you should let the MP know in advance. They can’t stop you but it’s just a matter of courtesy.”

After constituents informed him of the canvassing in the Watling ward, Mr Selous emailed the the MPs and asked them to confirm what he had been told was correct.

Then he decided to engage in some cross-border activity of his own.

“I led a Conservative campaign team into Luton on Saturday to repay the compliment,” he said. “But I did follow protocol and let them know. People were very pleased to see us.”

Mr Selous said he had not spoken to anyone in Dunstable who wanted to become part of the Dunstable and Luton North consituency.

“I have been saying very strongly that Dunstable and Kensworth should stay in South West Bedfordshire. It’s a bit early to speculate about what will happen – the proposals might not got voted through parliament. So up until 2015 I will continue fighting for and representing my constituency.”

Conservative campaigners were also out canvassing in Dunstable on Saturday, he said, adding: “My overwhelming focus is on my own constituency, but I wasn’t prepared to let this incursion pass without doing anything about it.”

The Boundary Commission’s proposals would see Dunstable’s Icknield, Northfields, Dunstable Downs and Watling wards becoming part of the Dunstable and Luton North constituency, and Kensworth becoming part of Dacorum.

Labour party organiser Francis Steer said: “Andrew Selous sent an email to Gavin Shuker and Kelvin Hopkins saying he understood they had been campaigning in Dunstable on November 20, and they said yes, they had.

“We received good feedback. There were a lot of disillusioned Tories saying ‘This isn’t what we voted for’, but there was certainly some strong Tory support and some strong Labour support. People were raising the issues of the economy and the cuts.”

Mr Steer said Mr Selous had not been informed because the MPs were “just campaigning and talking to residents” rather than holding an official event.