Labour starts candidate selection process for key West Midlands target seat

Labour has started the process of selecting a candidate for a key West Midlands target seat at the next general election.

Labour see regaining West Bromwich East as vital if Sir Keir Starmer is to enter Number 10.

The Sandwell seat of West Bromwich East – which will become West Bromwich under boundary changes – is considered a 'must-win' for Sir Keir Starmer if he is to end up in Number 10.

The constituency was staunch Labour for 45 years before Nicola Richards won it for the Tories amid Boris Johnson's Brexit-inspired surge to power in 2019.

Now Labour is committed to winning it back, with the party hopeful of naming a candidate in the coming weeks having opened applications this past weekend.

Gerard Coyne wants to be Labour's candidate for West Bromwich East

Gerard Coyne, the former regional boss of Unite, has already put his name forward.

He narrowly lost out in a battle for general secretary in 2017 after going toe-to-toe with Len McCluskey, and was beaten again in 2021 by Sharon Graham.

West Bromwich born and bred, Mr Coyne is considered a Labour moderate and is an ally of Sir Keir. Launching his campaign, he has pledged to be "the voice that West Brom deserves".

Sarah Coombes, a senior advisor to London Mayor Sadiq Khan, has also thrown her hat into the ring. Ms Coombes, who was on former Labour deputy leader Tom Watson's staff when he was West Bromwich East MP, has vowed to be a candidate with "energy, a local track record and the determination to make a difference".

She has already been on the campaign trail for several months and launched a petition to save the 45 bus.

Sarah Coombes has thrown her hat into the ring for West Bromwich East

Another potential candidate is Councillor Jackie Taylor, who represents the Greets Green and Lyng ward on Sandwell Council and served as deputy mayor over the last year.

And London kebab king Ibrahim Dogus could bid for a surprise return, having been edged out in the same seat in 2019.

Once applications close interviews will take place with Labour's ruling NEC ahead of a long list being compiled.

At the next election West Bromwich East will become West Bromwich, taking in Oldbury, Rowley and Tivdale.

Areas including Hall Green will be moved over to a new Tipton and Wednesbury constituency which largely replaces West Bromwich West.

The Conservatives are also after a new candidate after Ms Richards announced she was moving on. She won the seat in 2019 ahead of Labour with a majority of 1,593.