Row over Tory candidate leaflet

Apr 29 2008 By Neil Elkes

A CONSERVATIVE candidate is claiming to live in both south Birmingham and Wolverhampton as he battles for two elections.

In a local election leaflet delivered to residents in Longbridge, Ken Wood talks about his south Birmingham roots.

Ken, who lives in Redditch Road, correctly describes being born in Birmingham, how his family lives in Rubery and how his wife Barbara is councillor for neighbouring Kings Norton.

But residents in Bilston North in Wolverhampton can be forgiven for thinking he is a Black Country lad after he tells them in a parliamentary leaflet: "Ken was born locally and lives in the area with his wife and two children."

It points out that he has been director of a Wolverhampton based recruitment agency for the last ten years.

Mr Wood, who is hotly-tipped to win the Longbridge seat on Thursday, said he sees no problem with the wording in the Wolverhampton leaflet.

He said: "It has nothing to do with this week’s local election in Longbridge.

"I am a Parliamentary candidate in Wolverhampton and on that national level Birmingham is in the same area. It is a lot nearer than many MPs live to their constituencies.

"If it was a local election we would not have chosen those words," he admitted, "But I do not think it is misleading."

Mr Wood has recently been adopted as the Tory challenger for the Wolverhampton South East seat, held by Labour MP Patrick McFadden, at the next General Election.

He is an active member of Wolverhampton’s business community as director of the Network Recruitment Partnership in Darlington Street.

His agent for Thursday’s Longbridge election Coun Keith Barton said: "Ken is south Birmingham born and bred, he lives in this area, knows this area and will be an excellent councillor for Longbridge.

"Ken has close links to Wolverhampton, he runs a company there."

Contesting the Longbridge ward are Steve Bedser (Labour), Kevin Hannon (Liberal Democrat), Bill Van Marle (Green), Elizabeth Wainwright (BNP) and Ken Wood (Conservative).