Mansfield Labour Party members set to choose their Mayor candidate

The Labour Party in Mansfield has started the process of selection to pick a candidate to stand in the Mayoral election.

The three shortlisted candidates are Adrian Harpham, Sean McCallum and Paul Bradshaw.

Members of the Party started receiving their ballot papers in the post on Saturday (May 16) and have until the 29th June to cast their vote.

The result of the secret ballot will be announced on Monday July 2.

Party members will be able to attend a hustings on the 25th to hear the candidates but no ballot will take place there.

The Conservatives have not yet selected their candidates.

Mansfield MP Ben Bradley said: “We have at least three names who have applied and we’ll have a formal selection process over the summer, but we’re not yet at a point where we’re ready to release names. Our process is a little different to Labour’s.

“We do have nine Council candidates in place already and another tranche waiting to be selected.”

Mansfield Mayor Kate allsop said: “I always look forward to elections and I am looking forward to a honest campaign with lots of information. I will be standing on my record of achievement.”

A look at the Labour candidates:

Paul Bradshaw

After leaving Sherwood Hall Grammar School Paul qualified in Environmental Health and spent his working life in local Government. A member of the same union since the age of 16, he

has been a Party member for over 26 years.

He worked at Mansfield for nearly 24 years, working with the Chad on many projects including the paper’s successful empty homes campaign. He left to take up a Director’s post in Derbyshire, being

responsible for housing, health, technical services, a building department, refuse, grounds maintenance and street cleaning amongst other things.

A Magistrate for a number of years, he has written extensively on the history of his native village of Huthwaite.

Adrian Harpham

Adrian said: “I have lived in Mansfield for all of my life, being brought up on the Ladybrook Estate, and am currently a tutor at Vision West Nottinghamshire College.

“I have previously held public office in Mansfield District Council as an elected councillor, serving as Chair of Select Commission 1 with remit for Housing and the Environment.

“I have a clear vision about what I want to achieve, with the courage to take the decisions needed to achieve my goals. I have integrity and honesty in everything I do, creating the trust necessary to succeed in any organisation.

“I will offer strong, focused leadership taking long term strategic decisions to drive economic growth, acting as a representative to strengthen links with business and negotiating to obtain the resources and investment that our district needs to develop economically.”

Sean McCallum

“I am veteran of the Iraq war of 2003, and following active service I joined Nottinghamshire Fire & Rescue Service, serving at Mansfield until my current deployment at Edwinstowe Station.

I am also a specialist in the treatment of PTSD and co-led the psychological recovery team which supported responders in the aftermath of the London terror attacks and the Grenfell Tower disaster during 2017.

I’ve been a Labour councillor here in Mansfield since 2015, and have the role of ‘Veterans Champion’, supporting former service personnel who have become vulnerable.”

The Conservatives have not yet selected the candidates.

Mansfield MP Ben Bradley said: “We have at least three names who have applied and we’ll have a formal selection process over the summer, but we’re not yet at a point where we’re ready to release names. Our process is a little different to Labour’s.

“We do have nine Council candidates in place already and another tranche waiting to be selected.”