Chesham and Amersham by-election: mum-of-two standing for new Breakthrough party to be ‘voice of unheard’

A Buckinghamshire mum is standing to represent a new political party in an upcoming by-election because she wants “the best possible future” for her children and community.

Carla Gregory, 31, will stand in the Chesham and Amersham by-election in June, as the candidate for the “youth-led” Breakthrough party.

Gregory is a charity worker who has lived in the area her whole life and says she is standing because, “there is no one representing people who struggle to keep up with the cost of living in this constituency”.

She said: “This is my hometown and where I am raising my children so I want the best possible future for them and Chesham & Amersham.

“For far too long the gap between the rich and the poor has been widening here and I want to be the voice of the unheard residents.

“Standing up for people who are marginalised in society is very important to me and the Breakthrough party does just this, as well as not being afraid to say it how it really is and always tackling the toughest issues facing our society.”

She added: “There is no way in 2021 anyone should be homeless or hungry.”

What is the Breakthrough party?

The Breakthrough party is a new political group founded in Manchester by 30-year-old Alex Mays earlier this year.

The party was set up, says Mays, to “create a new home for those who’ve been failed by the major parties”.

The party has “hundreds of members and supporters” and is registered with the Electoral Commission, meaning they will be able to officially stand a candidate rather than endorsing an independent, as the Northern Independence Party (NIP) had to in the recent Hartlepool by-election.

NationalWorld can reveal that Breakthrough has been in talks with the NIP and other smaller parties about the possibility of electoral alliances.

It is understood that these two new parties on the left will work together against the established Westminster parties, including Labour.

Why is there a by-election in Chesham and Amersham?

Chesham and Amersham, in Buckinghamshire, is a safe Conservative seat, which was held by Dame Cheryl Gillan, until her death in April this year.

Unlike the other upcoming by-election, in Batley and Spen, the result is considered to be more or less a foregone conclusion.

Gillan was a former government minister who had represented the constituency since 1992, serving as secretary of state for Wales between 2010 and 2012.

The death of a serving MP prompts a by-election in their constituency, which will take place in Chesham and Amersham on 17 June.

Not only have the Conservatives held the seat since its creation in 1974, they have never received less than 50 per cent of the vote, and hold a current majority of more than 16,000.

It is highly unlikely that the Conservatives will lose Chesham and Amersham, but the scale of their victory could hint at possible cracks in the Conservative base among more socially liberal voters.

As people in the area generally voted to remain in the EU, there have been calls from some for the Labour and the Green party not to stand candidates, to give the Liberal Democrat candidate the best chance.