13 candidates hoping to become Mid Bedfordshire's new MP in by-election

Nadine Dorries (Picture: Tolga Akmen/AFP via Getty Images)

One of 13 candidates will replace Nadine Dorries as Mid Bedfordshire’s MP next month, after the by-election in her constituency.

Voters will go to the polls on Thursday, October 19 to choose her successor for the parliamentary seat.

Nominations closed on Friday, (September 22) with a further six candidates announcing their candidacy to join the seven declared already.

Festus Akinbusoye is the Conservative Party candidate, Sid Cordle is representing The Christian People’s Alliance, Dave Holland contests the seat for Reform UK, and Emma Holland-Lindsay is standing for the Liberal Democrats.

Ann Kelly represents the Monster Raving Loony Party, Prince Ankit Love, Emperor of India stands as an Independent candidate, Gareth Mackey is also an Independent, while Chris Rooney is from the Mainstream Party.

Cade Sibley is standing for the Green Party, Alistair Strathern represents the Labour Party, Alberto Thomas is the Heritage Party candidate, Alan Victor is contesting for the True and Fair Party, and Antonio Vitiello is from the English Democrats Party.

The by-election was triggered after Ms Dorries completed her formal resignation last month, having initially announced her intention to stand down as an MP with immediate effect on June 9.

It was expected the former Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport would be made a peer by former Prime Minister Boris Johnson.

She delayed vacating her seat to receive information from the government as to why her name was left off Mr Johnson’s resignation honours list.

Ms Dorries was critical of current Prime Minister Rishi Sunak in her resignation letter. She said: “You’ve no mandate from the people, and the government is adrift.”

She won the Mid Bedfordshire seat with a majority of 24,664 in 2019, having been elected five times as the constituency’s MP since 2005.

Pressure had been increasing on her to formally resign from Parliament, with more than 80,000 people signing a public petition calling for a change in the law that would force a by-election.