Devizes LibDems choose their candidate to fight May’s General Election

At a well-attended meeting near Marlborough, LibDem members from across the Devizes constituency have chosen Manda Rigby as their Prospective Parliamentary Candidate for the General Election in May.

Manda Rigby is a councillor on Bath and North East Somerset Council where she is deputy group leader for the LibDems – and she chairs the licensing authority.

Last April she was unsuccessful when shortlisted to fight the Bath seat held since 1992 by Don Foster MP.  He is standing down in May.

Fiona Hornby contested the seat for the LibDems in the 2005 and 2010 general elections.

Manda Rigby currently lives in Bath.  She has previously worked in the City of London and for technology companies in senior marketing roles.  She is an avid writer and football fan.  She was the first woman to be chairman of a football club in the top five divisions – Bath City.

Sue Knowles, who is chair of the constituency, said the members were delighted to have Manda Rigby as their candidate: “She has demonstrated both a commitment to the wider area, and to the LibDem party over many years. We look forward to working with her to offer voters the choice to vote for a person and a party dedicated to fairness, and working tirelessly on their behalf.”

Manda Rigby said: “I am honoured to have been chosen to fight this seat for the LibDems. From the many villages and rural areas, to the main towns, this varied area has both challenges and strengths I am well suited to handle, and I am delighted to have the opportunity.”

She is the fifth candidate to be selected to contest the Devizes constituency. She joins candidates for the Conservative Party (Claire Perry MP who was re-adopted), Labour (Chris Watts), UKIP (David Pollitt) and the Green Party (Mark Fletcher.)

At the 2010 General Election votes in the Devizes Constituency were: