Liam Conlon, son of Keir Starmer’s chief aide and Partygate investigator Sue Gray, is selected as the candidate for Labour target seat

The son of Partygate investigator – and now Keir Starmer’s chief aide – Sue Gray has been selected as the candidate for a Labour target seat.

Liam Conlon will stand in Beckenham & Penge at the general election after being picked by local activists last night.

The campaigner and disability rights activist saw off rival Melanie Ward in a fierce contest, and could now find himself in Parliament next year.

The new seat in south east London has been created by the Boundary Commission’s review. 

The area is currently represented by retiring MP Bob Stewart, who recently surrendered the Tory whip after being convicted of a racially aggravated public order offence. He is appealing the verdict.

Liam Conlon will stand in Beckenham & Penge at the general election after being picked by local activists last night

Mr Conlon is the son of Partygate investigator – and now Keir Starmer ‘s chief aide – Sue Gray

Mr Conlon posted on the X social media site to say he was ‘honoured’ to have been chosen

Pollsters believe that Labour is on track to win the constituency comfortably if there is not a dramatic shift in public opinion.

Mr Conlon posted on the X social media site: ‘Honoured to have been selected to be our candidate for Beckenham & Penge Thank you everyone who supported me & engaged in this process. 

‘The past weeks have shown the incredible potential of our new local party Look forward to campaigning to win Beckenham & Penge together.’ 

Mr Conlon also thanked his rivals, saying they had ‘run fantastic, engaging campaigns and I’m proud to call them friends’. 

Ms Gray was the mandarin who led the Partygate investigation, delivering a bruising verdict about the culture in Downing Street under Boris Johnson. 

But news that she had been tapped up by Sir Keir to become his chief of staff sparked a huge row about Whitehall impartiality.

Supporters of Mr Johnson said that it proved her controversial probe into the former PM’s behaviour in Downing Street during the pandemic was a ‘cynical stitch-up’ by his political opponents.

Labour has insisted that Ms Gray’s experience in Whitehall will help Sir Keir hit the ground running should he become PM next year. 

The campaigner and disability rights activist saw off rival Melanie Ward in a fierce contest, and could now find himself in Parliament next year 

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