General Election: Who is standing for election in the Leighton Buzzard area

This will be held on July 4, and the country will know who will be the next Prime Minister in the early hours of July 5.

Here are the candidates for the Bedfordshire constituencies covering the Leighton-Linslade area:

Luton South and South Bedfordshire

Dominic Griffiths – Lib Dem: Dominic Griffiths is a North Herts Council ward councillor (Graveley, St Ippolyts & Wymondley).

Rachel Hopkins – Labour: Rachel Hopkins has been the MP for Luton South since 2019 (51.8 per cent of the vote) and was a shadow minister from 2021 to 2023. Due to boundary changes, Luton South is now Luton South and South Bedfordshire.

Norman Maclean – Reform UK: Norman Maclean said he will be fighting on residents’ behalf to cancel the expansion of flights from Luton Airport.

Dr. Yasin Rehman – Workers Party: Dr. Yasin Rehman said he is in politics to serve the local people, and to be a voice for the working class on issues at a local, national and international level.

Dunstable and Leighton Buzzard

Emma Holland-Lindsay – Lib Dem: Emma Holland-Lindsay contested last year’s Mid Bedfordshire by-election is now standing in the seat where she is a local councillor.

Alex Mayer – Labour: Alex Mayer is a vice patron of Autism Bedfordshire, a life member of the National Trust, and organised a petition of over 8 million signatures against animal testing.

Harry Palmer – Reform UK: On the Reform UK website Harry Palmer said: “Only Reform will stand up for British values and common-sense policies to save Britain.”

Andrew Selous – Conservative: Andrew Selous is the current MP for South West Bedfordshire, which following boundary changes is now Dunstable and Leighton Buzzard. He received 60.4 per cent of the votes at the last election in 2019.

Sukhinder Paul Hundal - Green Party: Sukhinder Hundal is a biology teacher and a former research scientist. In his statement, he said: “It is clear to me that we need an alternative to the present two-party monopoly which has governed the country for past 100 years.”Antonio Vitiello - Patriots Alliance: Antonio Vitello is standing for English Democrats and UKIP and he previously campaigned to be Bedfordshire Police and Crime Commissioner.

Mid Bedfordshire

Richard Brunning – Social Democratic Party: Richard Brunning has said he’s “primarily a (small c) conservative”.

Dave Holland – Reform UK: Dave Holland stood as a Reform UK canddiate in last year’s Mid Beds by-election. He said the role of Government to “create the opportunities that individuals need to thrive and succeed”.

Gareth Mackey - Independent: Gareth Mackey stood as an Independent for last year's by-election. He is a ward councillor for Flitwick and is Central Bedfordshire Council's chairman.

Maahwish Mirza – Labour: Maahwish Mirza was born and raised up in Luton and has been a councillor in the town. She has said she will be championing the greenbelt, and fighting for public services and local infrastructure.

Stuart Roberts – Lib Dem: Stuart Roberts is a former Deputy President of the NFU and a former Conservative councillor.

Cade Sibley – Green: Cade Sibley stood as a Green in last year’s by-election when he said it’s “more important” to give people the option to vote for someone who will represent them and that he couldn’t just “stand aside”.

Blake Stephenson – Conservative: Blake Stephenson has been a Central Bedfordshire councillor since 2023, sits on the Bedfordshire Police and Crime Panel, and serves on the Shillington Parish Council.