Labour’s David Prescott wants to “play part” in Lincoln’s next MP race

The son of former deputy prime minister John Prescott has not ruled out throwing his hat in the ring to become Labour’s MP candidate for Lincoln at the next general election.

In an interview at Lincoln Labour Club to lend his backing to Andy Burnham as Labour’s next leader, David Prescott said that “anybody would be proud to stand in Lincoln for Labour as it is a fantastic seat.”

Prescott, who unsuccessfully stood for Labour in the safe Conservative seat of Gainsborough in May, said: “I think we’d all like to play our part in winning back Lincoln for Labour but that’s a five-year-job to do.

“We won’t select our candidate for this seat for a good two or three years – we might even have an all-women shortlist.

“I’m just focused on trying to help Labour win back Lincoln, to do well in the local elections next year, and the county elections going from there.”

No love appears to be lost between Prescott and Lincoln MP Karl McCartney, who have clashed on more than one occasion.

The bitterness first reared its head when Department for Transport officials failed to turn up to a transport seminar in Lincoln organised by McCartney after Prescott complained that it was inappropriate for them to attend during an election campaign.

Following May’s election, the two clashed on Twitter, with Prescott accusing Lincoln’s newly re-elected MP of putting up Conservative election posters outside his home address, and threatening to report McCartney to Nottinghamshire County Council for alleged illegal fly-tipping, all of which was denied.

Lucy Rigby. Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite

Someone who is unlikely to stand again is Labour’s former parliamentary candidate for Lincoln, Lucy Rigby, who lost to McCartney by just under 1,500 votes in May’s general election.

Originally from Islington in London, Rigby was selected as Labour’s candidate for Lincoln back in March 2012 while working as a solicitor for a prominent construction group in the city.

She has now joined Which? as a competition lawyer.

The Lincolnite asked for a statement from Rigby on her new position but she failed to respond at the time of publication.