After a hard fought selection process, Harwich Branch Labour Party has selected and submitted candidates for the forthcoming by-elections in Harwich.
Left vacant by the sad loss of Les Double, Labour’s candidate for the West Ward seat on TDC is John Hawkins, former Chief Executive of Tendring District Council. Labour’s candidate for the West Ward vacancy on Harwich Town Council is Pam Morrison, a Harwich Town councillor in the 1990’s and Mayoress to her late husband, Andy, on the three occasions he was the Mayor of Harwich. Labour’s candidate for the vacant East Ward seat on Harwich Town Council is Charlie Powell, a former chairman of Harwich Branch Labour Party.
Branch chair, Dee King, says “We needed special meetings of the branch to come to our final decision which shows the strength in depth within the local Labour Party. We are delighted with our choice of candidates and will now work alongside them to show that Labour is the choice that gives Harwich its strongest voice.”
John Hawkins knows Harwich very well. He should do as he was the Chief Executive of Tendring District Council from 1997 until his retirement in 2011. John read law at university and is a qualified solicitor. He is a trustee of St Helena Hospice, a director of the East of England Co-op and a director of Harwich Connexions Community Transport Service. Unusually for a chief executive, John maintained his trade union membership throughout his local government career.
John has two grown up children and a young grandson. He is a volunteer for the National Trust and, along with his partner, Lin, became a member of the Labour Party as soon as he retired from local government. If elected, John will use his knowledge of local government in general and Tendring District Council in particular to ensure that Harwich has the strong voice it needs in West Ward.
Pam Morrison will be another strong voice in Labour’s team. Pam was a Harwich Town councillor in the 1990’s and served as Mayoress on the three occasions her late husband, Andy, was mayor of Harwich. Pam has served as a school governor at Spring Meadow Primary School, the committee of the Park Pavilion and the fund raising committee of Harwich RNLI.
Pam has three grown up step children and six grandchildren. She worked at Nor Systems (Sato) for sixteen years where she was a trade union rep. Pam is immensely proud of Harwich and puts being Mayoress to Andy on the day of the Queen’s visit in 2004 as one of her proudest moments. If elected she will always put Harwich first.
Charlie Powell has worked out of the Bus Station at Harwich for the last 35 years so he knows East Ward and its people. For the last six years he has been Depot Controller and is a lifelong trade unionist. A long standing Labour Party member, Charlie is a former chairman of Harwich Branch Labour Party.
Married to Fiona, he has four children, three step children and three grandchildren. Working with the public Charlie knows people are the most important aspect of any community and if elected he will put the needs of the people of East Ward first. Through his work within Harwich Branch Labour Party Charlie has strongly supported the efforts of the local Labour councillors and he would be proud to become a member of Labour’s team on Harwich Town Council.
For further information please contact
Garry Calver on 01255 551940