Tories select anti-HS2 campaigner to take on Tom
A leading figure in the campaign against HS2 has been selected as the Conservative candidate to face off against Tom Watson.
Emma Crane, a cabinet member on Rugby Borough Council, will attempt to overturn the 9,470 majority held by Labour's deputy leader from 2015.
A member of the HS2 Action Alliance, Mrs Crane is a vocal opponent of the Government's high speed rail project, which she has branded a waste of money and criticised for its impact on the environment.
She told the Express & Star: "HS2 is a Conservative policy but we are yet to see the benefits of it. I've never thought it was a good idea and strongly believe the money would be better spent elsewhere."
Originally from Scotland, mother-of-two Mrs Crane is also an assistant to Eddisbury parliamentary candidate Antoinette Sandbach.
She has run her own property management firm for the last 10 years.
Mrs Crane visited West Bromwich for the first time earlier this week and said she plans to spend as much time as possible in the constituency in the lead up to June 8.
She admitted that making significant inroads into Mr Watson's sizeable majority would be no easy task, but said her campaign would benefit from Labour's struggles on a national level.
"I think there is a feeling out there among a lot of people that they really want change," she said.
"Labour is in a state of complete division. They are not the right party to take us through these challenging times."
She added that a Conservative victory in West Bromwich East in the General election was 'absolutely possible', and said Andy Street's victory in the West Midlands Mayor election proved that a wind of change was sweeping across the country.
"That was a hugely positive result for the Conservatives and I hope to build on that," she said.
Bringing inward investment into the West Midlands and increasing training opportunities for young people are two areas Mrs Crane says she wants to focus on during her campaign.
Labour has held West Bromwich East since its inception in 1974. At the last General Election Mr Watson increased his majority by 2,774.
