Technically it is one of the safest seats in the country, but that hasn’t stopped an ambitious 21-year-old Labour city councillor from Cambridge throwing his hat into the ring to oust NW Cambridgeshire MP Shailesh Vara. Sam Carling hopes to win his party’s backing to take on the Shailesh, who has been the incumbent Conservative MP since 2005 and held the seat in 2019 with a majority of just under 26,000.
But Sam, a Cambridge postgraduate with a formidable political track record under his belt, is putting it out there that he wants to replace him – and has set the seal on his electoral ambitions with a website aimed at securing support.
“The need to give our country its future back is why I’m now standing for Parliament,” he says.
“North West Cambridgeshire deserves an experienced representative that knows how to run a winning campaign and get things done – and I can deliver that.
“I’m already working for North West Cambridgeshire – and if elected, I have a plan to turn the tide on years of Tory neglect.”
Sam says he has family in North West Cambridgeshire and “having been at the front of delivering services in a Labour council, I know the difference that Labour in power makes”.
He says since being elected he has been a member of the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority’s Skills Committee.
“I’ve supported the progression of Anglia Ruskin University Peterborough, which is allowing people that would never otherwise have considered university to pursue higher education locally, providing the skills and training we need to further grow our region,” he says.
“And I’ve fought for better public transport, which is so critical to residents of all ages. It was the intervention of our Labour mayor, backed by Cambridge Labour, that saved so many bus routes across our area that were at risk of being lost – like the 904 service which villages like Stilton depend on so heavily.
“But there’s only so much we can do without meaningful support from central government to bring public transport routes under local control and make it work for everyone. If I’m selected, fighting for that will be a key priority for me.”
Sam adds: “The systematic degradation of our police forces and their crime prevention work by deep Conservative cuts has also allowed crime to run rampant in North West Cambridgeshire – with around ten violent offences recorded by police every single day.
“There’s no sugar-coating it: we are at breaking point.
“Labour has a plan to fix it – with fully funded plans to recruit 13,000 police officers and restore neighbourhood policing.
“As well as championing that work, I will champion a holistic approach to complement it at a local level as I’ve done in the communities I currently represent, working across organisations to make hot-spots safer through measures such as improved lighting.”
Sam says that when he stood for election as a councillor, “I wasn’t expected to win.
“Up against a long-serving incumbent from an opposition party, I was told to prepare for defeat. But I organised a grassroots campaign, connecting with voters, and gained the seat for Labour.
“I know what it takes to get people onside and have the skills to deliver. With a background as a researcher in life sciences, I also know how to run effective data-driven campaigns that target our limited resources for maximum benefit.”
Labour has given its members until January 10 to put their name forward if they wish to be considered as a parliamentary candidate in this and other ‘non-battleground’ constituencies.
