Eddie Izzard fails to become Labour candidate for second year running
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Eddie Izzard has failed to be picked as a Labour candidate for a second year running.
The comedian, who identifies as gender fluid and prefers to use she/her pronouns, had hoped to take on the Green Party in their only parliamentary seat, Brighton Pavilion.
But Izzard lost out to musician Tom Gray, who said he was “delighted and humbled” by his selection.
Izzard’s bid for the Labour candidacy had sparked a backlash from left-wing activists, who criticised her for entering the race to succeed Caroline Lucas, the former Green Party leader who is set to stand down next year.
The 61-year-old, who has previously voiced ambitions to become a Cabinet minister, also lost out in her bid to stand for Labour in Sheffield last year.
Mr Gray took to Twitter to announce his victory on Sunday, writing: “Delighted and humbled to be selected to be the Labour candidate for Brighton Pavilion.
“Thanks so much to everyone who helped in the campaign and thanks to Eddie, Lucy and Birgit for showing such solidarity and integrity on the trail.”
The Mercury Prize-winning songwriter will go up against Green Party candidate and former co-leader Sian Berry.
Izzard, who grew up in Bexhill-on-Sea along the coast in East Sussex, also goes by the name of Suzy.
She has long campaigned for Labour and previously said she would be interested in running for London Mayor.
Launching her bid in August, she attacked the Greens’ record and dismissed it as a party of “protest”.
“We all saw what happened under the Green council – house-building stalled whilst rubbish piled high in the streets,” she said.
“It will take practical action – not protest – to fix what’s broken, and to win this seat, Labour needs a candidate that can inspire many thousands to become our friends and allies in the fight for a fairer, greener, cleaner planet.”
