Interview with Clare King, Labour candidate for West Chesterton, Cambridge

Clare King was selected on an All-Women shortlist to be the Labour Candidate for West Chesterton in May 2018. She lost by 111 votes, but three of her female colleagues did win their seats elsewhere. This was not the first time that the Cambridge Labour Party has used all women shortlists for the selection of candidates to fight ward seats but it was the first time the rules had been applied to strictly. King was also in charge of the procedure committee, the Cambridge PLP General Secretary, and press officer for her party. She ensured objections to candidates on all women shortlists were dealt with properly and that enough women came forward. King previously held a seat for the Liberal Democrats but changed party after they went into the coalition government with the Conservatives in 2010. King discusses how she feels the election was lost because of postal votes and strategy in comparison with the Labour Party. King discusses the demographics of Cambridge and how to make voters feel welcome. Sones asks about all women's shortlists, Stone's role as Procedures Secretary was overseeing the all women's shortlist. Stone's role was to ensure the process was fair and to redress the imbalance. In Cambridge, if a councillor stands down, the Labour Party decided that the person to take over would be chosen from an all women shortlist.