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<\/p>\nThe son of Partygate investigator – and now Keir Starmer’s chief aide – Sue Gray has been selected as the candidate for a Labour target seat.<\/p>\n
Liam Conlon will stand in Beckenham & Penge at the general election after being picked by local activists last night.<\/p>\n
The campaigner and disability rights activist saw off rival Melanie Ward in a fierce contest, and could now find himself in Parliament next year.<\/p>\n
The new seat in south east London has been created by the Boundary Commission’s review.\u00a0<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
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Liam Conlon will stand in Beckenham & Penge at the general election after being picked by local activists last night<\/p>\n
![](\"https:\/\/i.dailymail.co.uk\/1s\/2023\/11\/30\/16\/78431799-12810743-image-a-36_1701362993277.jpg\")
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Mr Conlon is the son of Partygate investigator – and now Keir Starmer ‘s chief aide – Sue Gray<\/p>\n
![](\"https:\/\/i.dailymail.co.uk\/1s\/2023\/11\/30\/16\/78431701-12810743-image-a-37_1701363018347.jpg\")
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Mr Conlon posted on the X social media site to say he was ‘honoured’ to have been chosen<\/p>\n
Pollsters believe that Labour is on track to win the constituency comfortably if there is not a dramatic shift in public opinion.<\/p>\n
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.\u00a0<\/p>\n
‘The past weeks have shown the incredible potential of our new local party Look forward to campaigning to win Beckenham & Penge together.’\u00a0<\/p>\n
Mr Conlon also thanked his rivals, saying they had ‘run fantastic, engaging campaigns and I’m proud to call them friends’.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Ms Gray was the mandarin who led the Partygate investigation, delivering a bruising verdict about the culture in Downing Street under Boris Johnson.\u00a0<\/p>\n
But news that she had been tapped up by Sir Keir to become his chief of staff sparked a huge row about Whitehall impartiality.<\/p>\n
Supporters of Mr\u00a0Johnson said that it proved her controversial probe into the former PM’s behaviour in Downing Street\u00a0during the pandemic was a ‘cynical stitch-up’ by his political opponents.<\/p>\n
Labour has insisted that Ms Gray’s experience in Whitehall will help Sir Keir hit the ground running should he become PM next year.\u00a0<\/p>\n
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The campaigner and disability rights activist saw off rival Melanie Ward in a fierce contest, and could now find himself in Parliament next year\u00a0<\/p>\n