Liberal Democrat Rob Colwell to run for North West Norfolk MP at next general election
Rob Colwell has been selected as the Liberal Democrat Parliamentary Candidate for North West Norfolk in the next general election.
He was elected to Norfolk County Council to represent the Gaywood South ward in July 2021 and to West Norfolk Council in May last year, becoming a member of the governing Independent Partnership.
He says his selection, which will see him face off against serving North West Norfolk MP James Wild, will allow him to tackle a “depressing and seemingly endless list” of problems in the area.
The announcement comes just days after 71-year-old James Bagge announced his decision to run against Liz Truss for the South West Norfolk seat.
“I’ve decided to stand in this election to put a stop once and for all to the disgraceful neglect of our vital public services,” Cllr Colwell said.
“Raw sewage is being dumped in the sea near our local beaches and in our rivers, with no swim advisories issued for Hunstanton and Heacham. Too many communities are blighted by flooding.
“The roof of our hospital is literally collapsing with endless delays to the rebuild plans. NHS dentists are very hard to find and hospital waiting lists are far too long. The ambulance service struggles to cope.
“We even have to dodge the potholes on the roads. And so it goes on. It’s a depressing and seemingly endless list.”
Cllr Colwell says he has decided to stand because he has come to the conclusion that problems in West Norfolk cannot be fixed by local government.
He added: “In my roles as a county councillor and also as a borough councillor, I have tried to pressure the government into taking action. Sadly, it’s not working.
“Only national government can fix these problems. That is why I am standing for election as the Member of Parliament for North West Norfolk.”
A date for the next General Election has yet to be set, but it is widely expected to be held this year.
Nationally, Labour leader Keir Starmer has been calling on Prime Minister Rishi Sunak to hold it as soon as possible.
Cllr Colwell has expressed confidence that he can overturn the large Conservative majority in the North West Norfolk constituency.
He said: “It can be done. Our constituency of North West Norfolk is currently Conservative-held and has been for a long time.
“It is my view that the Labour Party cannot defeat the Conservatives, a view shared by the Labour Party itself which has now officially declared it to be a ‘non-battleground seat’.
“However, the Liberal Democrats won the three most recent county by-elections where John Crofts, David Sayers and I took previously safe Conservative county divisions with huge swings away from the Conservatives. This was three out of the ten county divisions in the entire constituency.
“It shows how we can win in North West Norfolk by building a winning combination of Independent, Labour, Green and Liberal Democrat voters working together with more moderate former Conservative voters disillusioned with the party they previously trusted.”
Cllr Colwell is a solicitor in Lynn, and also lives in the town. Aged 41, he has experience of helping victims of domestic abuse as well as dealing with child contact and protection matters.
He has lived in the constituency since the age of five, and has also been a member of local charitable organisations such as the Round Table and Rotary for a number of years.
