1:54pm Wednesday 17th March 2010
By Carl Brown
FORMER council leader Clyde Loakes has admitted he is merely a “paper candidate”, with no realistic prospect of winning the parliamentary seat of Northampton South for Labour.
Cllr Loakes stood down as council leader in May to concentrate his efforts on the midlands seat.
But he has now admitted he is unlikely to win the seat, which is currently held by the Conservatives with a 4,419 majority.
He said: “It is no longer classed as a marginal seat.
“I am doing this for the experience.”
The Guardian understands relations between Cllr Loakes and Northampton South constituency party activists have broken down amid anger at the amount of time Cllr Loakes has spent away from the area and about the fact he is seeking re-election to the council.
Cllr Loakes admitted there are "complex issues” with the constituency party.
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