Oh no, not another one. As the UK gears up for its third general election in five years, a new crop of lawyers have decided they’d prefer the bear pit of politics to examining SPAs. Here are some of the candidates vying for your vote.

Know of more? Contact us. We’ll be updating this page right up until election day.

Looking likely

Name: Laura Farris
Party: Conservative
Seat: Newbury
Legal qualifications: Employment and discrimination barrister at Littleton Chambers. Previously worked in journalism for Reuters and the BBC, and for Hillary Clinton in her New York Senate Office.

She says: “It’s an incredible honour to be selected to represent my home. The place where I grew up, am raising my family and which holds such a deep emotional resonance.” (Twitter)

Chances: A safe Conservative seat, just vacated by Richard Benyon who lost the Tory whip after voting against the Government.  Ferris fought Leyton and Wanstead in 2017, finishing second.

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Name: Jerome Mayhew
Party: Conservative
Seat: Broadland
Legal qualifications: Former barrister at Temple Garden Chambers (tenant 1995-2006) turned managing director of Go Ape.

He says: 

Chances: Mayhew is odds-on to take over a safe Conservative seat from the retiring Keith Simpson.

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Name: Natalie Elphicke
Party: Conservative
Seat: Dover & Deal
Legal qualifications: Former banking partner at Stephenson Harwood

She says: “This election is about the future. And the choice is simple. ‘To get Brexit done and move forward with the Conservatives, or stay in Europe forever and go backwards with Jeremy Corbyn.” (Metro)

Chances: Elphicke, you say? Surely that name rings a bell? It does indeed! Natalie is none other than the wife of Charlie Elphicke, the lawyer and MP who had the Conservative whip removed after allegations of sexual assault, which he denies, were made against him. Charlie has since had the whip restored but he’s standing down in Dover in favour of his wife, who ought to retain the seat without too much trouble.

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Name: Sarah Dines
Party: Conservative
Seat: Derbyshire Dales
Legal qualifications: Family barrister at 3PB.

Chances: Another safe Tory area, recently hit by flooding. Sir Patrick McLoughlin is standing down and Dines should have no trouble winning here.

Fighting the marginals

Name: Alyn Smith
Party: SNP
Seat: Stirling
Legal qualifications: Trained at Clifford Chance but has been an MEP for the last 15 years.

He says: “Scotland faces being dragged out of the EU against our will, by Westminster. We’ll turn that argument around at Westminster, by having fewer Tories. I know the EU inside out. I’ll go through them.” (Daily Record)

Chances: This is a really interesting seat. The SNP’s majority of 10,000 was wiped out in the 2017 election and the current Tory incumbent has a majority of just 148. Stirling was strongly anti-Brexit and strongly anti-Scottish independence at the time of the respective referendums, and the seat was Labour-held as recently as 2015. There could be plenty of churn in the vote share and Smith has a good chance of coming out on top when the dust settles.

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Name: Alex White
Party: Liberal Democrat
Seat: North Devon
Legal qualifications: Trainee solicitor at Samuels Solicitors in Barnstaple

He says: “My priority is to ensure that our farmers do not lose out in relation to European subsidies and that North Devon manufacturers have the maximum opportunity to export to Europe.” (North Devon Gazette)

Chances: The Liberals have traditionally done well here but lost the seat in 2015. It’s very winnable.

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Name: Kashif Ali
Party: Conservative
Seat: Halifax
Legal qualifications: Employment barrister at St John’s Buildings

He says: “It’s an absolute honour to have been given this chance to get Brexit done. I want to serve the voters of Halifax as local people voted clearly to leave the European Union in the 2016 referendum.” (Halifax Courier)

Chances: Halifax has been Labour-held since 1987 but that disguises the fact that over many decades it has often been a very tight Conservative-Labour marginal.

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Name: David Burrowes
Party: Conservative
Seat: Enfield Southgate
Legal qualifications: Solicitor for the Enfield firm Shepherd Harris & Co.
He says:

Chances: Burrowes was MP here from 2005-17 before losing his seat to another lawyer, Labour’s Bambos Charalambous. The seat remains marginal and could go either way.

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Name: John Finucane
Party:  Sinn Fein
Seat: North Belfast
Legal qualifications: Solicitor
He says: 

Chances: Finucane, the son of a solicitor murdered by loyalist paramilitaries during the Troubles, contests this seat for the second time. Sinn Fein has previously had difficulties finding professionals to stand, so he represents a new breed within the party.

This has been a safe unionist one since the 80s (and is currently held by a barrister, the DUP’s Westminster leader Nigel Dodds), but its demographics have changed. A Unionist majority of over 13,000 in 1997 has been relentlessly whittled down to just 2,081 – and the SDLP, which took 2,058 here last time, has stood down to boost Finucane’s chances. Could be a big shock here.

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Name: James Daly
Party: Conservative
Seat: Bury North
Legal qualifications: Criminal defence solicitor, a partner at Bury firm Crompton Halliwell

He says: “The residents of Bury North deserve better than what Labour has to offer. It’s now time for a change and I believe I am the right person to represent them as their Conservative MP, standing up and fighting for them in the heart of Westminster.” (Bury Times)

Chances: Bury North is a Labour-held bellwether marginal and exactly the sort of seat the Tories must win if their Brexit strategy is to be successful. Daly has twice stood unsuccessfully in the similarly marginal Bolton North East, and was pushed into third by UKIP in the 2015 Oldham West and Royton by-election. Fourth time’s the charm?

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Name: Joe Miller
Party: Conservative
Seat: Brighton Kemptown
Legal qualifications: A 25-year-old “trainee barrister,” says his LinkedIn – though it also suggests he is still at law school and there is no indication he has pupillage, so perhaps a better description would be “student.”

He says: “If elected, I will be the strong and loud voice in Westminster that we deserve. It would be my honour and my privilege to represent you, the area in which I was born and which I love.” (Brighton & Hove News)

Chances: This is a classic swing seat that has veered between Labour and Conservative and often backs the winner. Corbyn’s Labour won it back in 2017, racking up a healthy majority at the same time, suggesting that it may be an uphill battle for Miller to persuade constituents to back Boris.

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Name: Chris Peace
Party: Labour
Seat: North East Derbyshire
Legal qualifications: Legal aid lawyer & justice campaigner

She says: 

Chances: In 2017, North East Derbyshire turned blue for the first time since 1935. Peace is charged with winning it back. This one could be tight.

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Name: Gordon Nardell QC
Party: Labour
Seat: Cities of London & Westminster
Legal qualifications: Barrister at 20 Essex Street. Set up Labour’s in-house legal team (not to universal acclaim – the Jewish Labour Movement’s verdict: “Gordon Nardell’s tenure as General Counsel will be remarkable only for the absolute chaos and political manipulation within the Governance and Legal Unit that took place on his watch).

He says: “This constituency may be the seat of wealth and power, but it’s also home to thousands of people facing familiar problems of low incomes and expensive housing.” (Labour List)

Chances: Anybody’s guess. This is a marginal where Labour came second to the Tories last time. The party could win; equally it could come third. Chuka Ummuna is standing for the Lib Dems here and may have appeal among a population of lawyers and bankers. The current incumbent is ex-Freshfields lawyer Mark Field of neck-grabbing fame; he is not running again.

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Name: Anna Firth
Party: Conservative
Seat: Canterbury
Legal qualifications: Barrister at 6 Pump Court. Co-chair of Vote Leave’s Women For Britain

She says: “My priority as MP is to protect this beautiful area, make sure we build a country that works for everyone and a more caring, compassionate society.” (Kent Online)

Chances: Canterbury voting Labour for the first time ever was a massive shock in 2017; the Conservatives had held the seat since 1918. Labour has a wafer-thin majority of 187 and the Tories will be hopeful of taking it back. But while Canterbury district voted 51 per cent to leave the EU, the actual Canterbury constituency leaned slightly to Remain.

Firth contested the Erith and Thamesmead constituency in 2015, coming second.

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Name: Kenny MacAskill
Party: SNP
Seat: East Lothian
Legal qualifications: Solicitor, and Cabinet Secretary for Justice in the Scottish government from 2007-14.

Chances: MacAskill is making a political comeback after three years away from Holyrood. He has a good shot of taking this seat from Labour.

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Name: Emma Whysall
Party: Labour
Seat: Chipping Barnet
Legal qualifications: Solicitor at trade union firm Thompsons

She says: “As a lawyer, I represent those who have been mistreated at work. I’ve got the experience to fight your corner when you need help from your MP, and the skills to make the case for our community’s needs.” (campaign website)

Chances: Chipping Barnet has always been Conservative-held but it is most definitely a marginal. This is Emma Whysall’s second shot at taking the seat after she cut Theresa Villiers’ majority to only 353 last time. She is seen as a soft Left Labourite rather than a Corbynista and describes herself as “passionate” about remaining in the EU. A lot may depend on whether the Lib Dems and Greens stand down.

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Name: Peter Gibson
Party: Conservative
Seat: Darlington
Legal qualifications: Solicitor, managing director at Kingly Solicitors

He says: “I have the energy, commitment, resilience and drive to win and be a community champion.”

Chances: Darlo hasn’t been blue since 1992 but a surge of riled-up Brexiters could potentially sweep away Labour’s majority of just over 3,000. Gibson’s campaign website has a space for “Plan for ensuring a successful Brexit”. Sadly, as of September 2019, it only reads: “More coming soon”

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Name: Lauren Dingsdale
Party: Labour
Seat: Middlesbrough South & Cleveland
Legal qualifications: Former Slaughter and May solicitor

She says: “I know that only a Labour government can bring the change we need to make people’s lives better.” (Evening Gazette)

Chances: Strangely enough, Middlesbrough South sees two former Slaughters lawyers go head to head. Lauren Dingsdale was the first in her family to go to uni and goes up against Conservative incumbent Simon Clarke who also trained at the firm. Clarke won the seat for the first time for the Tories in 2017 and he has a narrow majority of 1,020. One would imagine a lot will depend on whether the Brexit Party chooses to stand here.

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Name: Mark McDonald
Party: Stoke-on-Trent South
Seat: Labour
Legal qualifications: International human rights barrister at 33 Bedford Row

He says: “I have fought for social justice and human rights for the last 30 years and have the skills and the determination to bring Labour back to the people of Stoke-on-Trent South and importantly to ensure that no child is left behind and every school leaver has an equal opportunity to achieve something in life.” (Stoke Sentinal)

Chances: McDonald is a Momentum-backed candidate who won the right to contest the seat at the expense of a local. Stoke South is another seat won by the Conservatives for the first time ever in 2017. The majority is slim but in a Leave area, McDonald may find himself hard-pressed to win it back.

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Name: Siobhan Baillie
Party: Conservative
Seat: Stroud
Legal qualifications: Non-practising family solicitor who worked her way up from legal secretary.

She says: “I believe Boris has the vision and confidence to deliver Brexit.” (Gazette)

Chances: A swing seat: the Labour incumbent David Drew held the seat from 1997 to 2010, then won it back seven years later in 2017. He currently has a majority of 687. Baillie has a good chance of taking this one. She apparently won the chance to contest the seat by being the Tory candidate at hustings who when questioned on Brexit, gave the answer “closest to saying ‘just get on with it’.”

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Name: Stuart Brady
Party: Labour
Seat: Loughborough
Legal qualifications: Barrister at Ropewalk Chambers, ex-Saracens rugby player

He says: “From local policing, and children’s centres, to Leicestershire’s NHS funding deficit, the effects of Tory austerity are being felt in this constituency.”  (Leicester Mercury)

Chances: This is nominally a marginal, and the incumbent Conservative, Culture Secretary Nicky Morgan (herself a former Travers Smith solicitor) is standing down. Loughborough voted marginally to Leave; this will be a key battleground.

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Long shots

Name: Catherine Atkinson
Party: Labour
Seat: Erewash
Legal qualifications: Barrister at 9 Gough Square. Secretary of the Society of Labour Lawyers.

She says: “People in Erewash respect a fighter, who doesn’t give up until the job is done.” (Labour List)

Chances: Atkinson takes her third shot at winning this Midlands seat, which was Labour-held during the Blair/Brown years but has otherwise been staunchly Tory. An upset seems unlikely.

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Name: Judith Rogerson
Party: Liberal Democrat
Seat: Harrogate & Knaresborough
Legal qualifications: 1 Crown Office Row barrister specialising in clinical negligence

She says: “Local Conservative MP Andrew Jones [backed] Boris Johnson’s decision to suspend Parliament until mid-October. Since then I have heard from many of his constituents who are appalled by this decision. I share their anger.” (Harrogate Advertiser)

Chances: The Lib Dems held this seat from 1997 to 2010 but it now looks solidly Tory. However, Harrogate was one of the few Yorkshire towns that voted Remain. If winning the seat looks too much of a challenge, a revival in Lib Dem fortunes would certainly be no surprise.

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Name: Robert Eggleston
Party: Liberal Democrats
Seat: Mid Sussex
Legal qualifications: Solicitor, head of credit and legal at Maxxia Limited

How Brexity? Pro-EU

Chances: This seat was held by Winston Churchill’s grandson, Sir Nicholas Soames, who had the Conservative whip withdrawn after rebelling against the government to prevent a no-deal Brexit. He is not standing again. Sir Nicholas had a hefty majority but Mid Sussex did vote Remain. This could be one where odd things happen if a Remain Alliance got its act together; otherwise a Tory victory would seem assured.

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Name: Kamran Hussein
Party: Liberal Democrats
Seat: Leeds North West
Legal qualifications: Solicitor, senior partner at Whiterose Blackmans. Won the Services to Law category of the British Muslim Awards 2018.

He says: “I will continue to campaign for a people’s vote to give the people the final say. And if the deal is not good enough then the people should have the option to exit from Brexit.” (Ikley Gazette)

Chances: The Lib Dems lost this seat to Labour in 2017. Hussein is in with a chance of taking it back depending on how anti-Brexit and/or anti-Corbyn Leeds North West is feeling on the day.

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Name: Tim Styles
Party: Liberal Democrats
Seat: St Austell & Newquay
Legal qualifications: Barrister and employment law consultant

He says: “Liberal Democrats have been fighting for better jobs, the environment and a fairer deal for Cornwall for decades, and will continue to do so.”

Chances: The Liberals held sway here from the 1970s right up until 2015, when the Conservatives won the seat. The Lib Dems fell to third in 2017 but will be hopeful of a revival.

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Name: Kaweh Beheshtizadeh
Party: Liberal Democrats
Seat: Bracknell
Legal qualifications: Immigration solicitor at Fadiga and Co. Former Legal Aid Lawyer of the Year.

He says: “I was inspired to study law by the legal aid solicitor who helped me with my asylum case. My solicitor was really good, but I could see that many other asylum seekers were suffering badly without any proper representation.” (Law Society)

Chances: A refugee to this country, Kaweh Beheshtizadeh has an inspiring story but he will have a job on to win this seat. It is safe Tory territory (though the constituency is currently held by the Lib Dems after Dr Philip Lee crossed the floor earlier this year. Lee is contesting Wokingham this time round).

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Name: Tom Lord
Party: Conservatives
Seat: Oldham East & Saddleworth
Legal qualifications: Legal aid barrister at 15 Winckley Square

He says: “I have been a legal aid barrister for almost 10 years and so I have represented the most marginalised and ignored in society. I want your Leave vote to be honoured and not marginalised.” (Saddleworth Independent)

Chances: Part of Labour’s ‘Red Wall’. Barrister Kashif Ali (standing in Halifax this time, see above) failed to win it last time. Lord may have a better chance if the Tories’ Brexit message has struck a chord, but he has an 8,000 majority to overturn.

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Name: Chris Coleman
Party: Liberal Democrats
Seat: Bristol North West
Legal qualifications: Solicitor advocate specialising in legal aid at Reeds Solicitors

He says: “Politics is at breaking point and our country is in crisis. It is essential that we continue to campaign to Stop Brexit and remain in the EU. And we must continue to fight for our liberal values which are under threat.” (Bristol Lib Dems)

Chances: Bristol North West leans Remain and polls have shown a surge in Lib Dem support but the fact is that they finished a distant third in 2017 and Coleman’s activities may simply take vote share away from a fellow Remain-supporting lawyer, Labour incumbent Darren Jones, in a marginal seat.

Don’t quit the day job

Name: Jo Robb
Party: Green Party
Seat: Henley
Legal qualifications: Worked as a lawyer in Australia, but more significantly was a reporter for this very publication between 2003 and 2006, covering real estate and infrastructure.

She says: “If you want to avoid an environmentally and economically damaging hard Brexit, if you want to see real action on climate change, and if you believe a People’s Vote and Green New Deal are the best way to solve these issues, vote Green.” (The Herald)

Chances: A seat held by the Tories for all but four years since its creation in 1885, with Michael Heseltine and Boris Johnson among those to have served as MP. Even a Home Counties backlash against Boris is unlikely to unseat incumbent John Howell MP.

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Name: Laura Coyle
Party: Liberal Democrats
Seat: Henley
Legal qualifications: Housing solicitor at Turpin & Miller in Oxford

Chances: See above, though Coyle is likely to fare better than Robb.

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Name: Nick Wakeling
Party: Liberal Democrats
Seat: Islington North
Legal qualifications: Solicitor and barrister, ex-Macfarlanes, now of Metro Bank

He says: 

Chances: Jeremy Corbyn’s seat! The Labour leader remains popular on his home turf despite equivocation on Brexit and his constituents’ strong preference for remaining in the EU. The Lib Dems might well see a surge elsewhere in North London’s leafy suburbs but toppling Corbyn would be a shock of epic proportions.

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Name: Beatrice Bass
Party: Liberal Democrats
Seat: Hove & Portslade
Legal qualifications: Trainee solicitor at DMH Stallard

She says: “I take it the @brightonargus is not aware that I work in commercial dispute resolution specialised in IP rights when they copied and published my social media profile picture instead of publishing the photos I provided and licensed (which amounts to copyright infringement)…” (Twitter)

Chances: The Lib Dems attracted fewer than 1,500 votes here in 2017. No doubt they will do better this time but Bass should be able to see out her training contract without being troubled by the demands of high office.

*

Name: Kirsty Finlayson
Party: Conservatives
Seat: Oldham West & Royton
Legal qualifications: Former Weightmans trainee, now qualified and at Browne Jacobson

She says: “Millennials like me routinely consider the environment our number one concern. Yet this issue has been hijacked by the Left for far too long.” (ConservativeHome)

Chances: Finlayson talked to us about her experience of standing in East Ham while a trainee in 2017. There may well be some swing to the Tories here but a win would be a huge shock.

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Name: Graeme Webber
Party: Brexit Party
Seat: Leeds North West
Legal qualifications: Former DLA partner from back in the US pre-merger days. Now self-employed.

He says: “I continue to practice as a solicitor and advise and consult to other professional teams. Some might say that I am single-minded, a self-starter and dedicated.” (Ilkley Gazette)

Chances: With one of the biggest student populations in the country, Webber is going nowhere in Leeds North West.

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Name: Diane Boyd
Party: Labour
Seat: North East Cambridgeshire
Legal qualifications: Criminal barrister

She says: “In my professional capacity as a criminal barrister, I connect, listen and communicate with people from all walks of life on a daily basis, speaking up for those that can’t. My passion for giving others a voice drives my desire to be a Member of Parliament.” (Wisbech Standard)

 Chances: This is Brexit Secretary Stephen Barclay’s seat and fairly safe Conservative ground.

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Name: Owen Prew
Party: Brexit Party
Seat: Canterbury
Legal qualifications: Former Slaughter and May trainee (2008-10). Most recently finished a role as an investment manager at litigation funder Augusta Ventures.

He says: “The EU’s aggressive expansion into Eastern Europe in the 1990’s coupled with its courtship of Ukraine mean it is spoiling for a fight with Russia. Perhaps that is the ultimate plan: the children of Europe can die together on the Eastern Front under an EU flag. #EUArmy #BrexitNow” (Twitter)

Chances: Standing against Conservative barrister Anna Firth (see above) in an attempt to win the seat from Labour. Firth has the better opportunity.

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Name: Bella Sankey
Party: Labour
Seat: Arundel & South Downs
Legal qualifications: Barrister, but she doesn’t appear ever to have practised. Now director of human rights organisation Detention Action

She says: “Government austerity policies have left health, education, transport and social care services in Sussex ravaged with many people feeling vulnerable and isolated. It is time to reverse that with costed plans to improve the quality of life for all. (Brighton Argus)

Chances: Slim to none. The Conservatives have a chunky majority here.

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Name: Vivienne Robinson
Party: Brexit Party
Seat: South East Cambridgeshire
Legal qualifications: Solicitor, sole practitioner, formerly of Stephenson Harwood and Denton Hall back in the 1990s. Also US-qualified.

She says: “Over the many years I have spent dealing with the European Commission, I have become convinced that the UK should not stay in the EU.”

Chances: Robinson faces fellow lawyer and Prisons Minister Lucy Frazer in South East Cambridgeshire. The odds are not in her favour.

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Name: Dr Tariq Mahmood
Party: Brexit Party
Seat: Stoke-on-Trent Central
Legal qualifications: Oddly enough, Mahmood is the second 33 Bedford Row barrister standing in Stoke: his fellow tenant Mark McDonald is fighting Labour’s cause in Stoke South, which must make for some good debates over chambers tea,

Chances: Labour-held since the seat was created in 1950, the Brexit Party could certainly shake things up here. A win seems unlikely but will they steal more votes from Labour (17,000 votes last time), or the Conservatives (13,000 votes)? The answer to that could determine who takes the seat.

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Name: Philip Walling
Party: Brexit Party
Seat: Workington
Legal qualifications: Barrister turned sheep farmer, practised in London and the North for 25 years

He says: “The people are rising up; they are taking back the power to decide the future of their lives and will no longer be ignored.” (Cumbria Crack)

Chances: None now: since this article was first written the Brexit Party has dumped Walling as a candidate in favour of a dentist. Describing himself as “livid” at the decision, Walling said: “I’m not interested in grubby political power, and I think that was the party’s problem with me.”

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Name: Tim Page
Party: Brexit Party
Seat: North Dorset
Legal qualifications: Solicitor, formerly of Latham & Watkins.

He says: “The country is, and always has been, an open, outward-looking trading nation, once democracy is restored our future post-Brexit is bright and exciting, a fit nimble economy for the twenty-first century open to the world, benefitting all those who live and work here. I will work tirelessly in the interests of all of those in North Dorset.” (Dorset News)

Chances: North Dorset is solidly Conservative territory and while UKIP picked up 9,000 votes here to finish second in 2015, a Liberal Democrat revival looks a more likely story in this seat. Page stood for UKIP in Devizes at the last election, coming fourth.

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Name: Sean Kehoe
Party: UKIP
Seat: Erewash
Legal qualifications: Former solicitor at Advance Legal

He says: 

Chances: It takes a certain level of masochism to stand for UKIP now the Brexit Party have comprehensively stolen their thunder.

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Name: Andrew Baker
Party: Conservatives
Seat: Bermondsey & Old Southwark
Legal qualifications: Another former Slaughters lawyer, but now an associate at US firm Brown Rudnick

He says: “It’s been the Labour / Lib Dem story for far too long here. Time to take the fight to Labour and give the voters a real choice” (Twitter)

Chances: As Baker himself says, Bermondsey is a two-way fight between Labour and the Lib Dems. He’s a bright young thing in right-wing think-tank circles though, so no doubt he’s being blooded for a more winnable seat in a future election.

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Name: Julian Malins QC
Party: Brexit Party
Seat: Salisbury
Legal qualifications: Barrister and founder of Malins Chambers. Malins was hired by Cambridge Analytica in 2018 to write an independent report investigating whether the company had misused personal data. It absolved the firm of blame.

He says: “The shocking governmental incompetence cannot go on. I have three daughters and six grandchildren to think of.” (Salisbury Journal)

Chances: It seems likely that all Malins will do is bleed votes away from the Tory incumbent, who has a hefty majority anyway.

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Name: Julie McGuigan
Party: Renew
Seat: Birmingham Ladywood
Legal qualifications: Solicitor, formerly of Anthony Collins and Gateley in Birmingham

Chances: This is a very safe Labour seat held since 2010 by barrister Shabana Mahmood. Renew is one of the new centrist anti-Brexit parties set up after the 2016 referendum.

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Name: Elizabeth Babade
Party: Brexit Party
Seat: Hayes and Harlington
Legal qualifications: The daughter of two judges, but appears to be qualified in Nigeria rather than England & Wales. Currently works as a senior due diligence consultant.

Chances: Originally put down for Hayes and Harlington, Babade has been switched to Warrington North where she will muddy the waters in the fight between Labour and the Conservatives.

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Name: Haseeb Ur-Rehman
Party: Renew
Seat: Hackney North & Stoke Newington
Legal qualifications: Contract lawyer who has done short-term jobs at Skadden, Linklaters and EY among many other assignments. How and where he qualified is unclear, though.

Chances: Ur-Rehman will have a tough time making a dent in a seat held by Labour’s Diane Abbott since 1987/

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Name: Tim Lord
Party: Renew
Seat: Cities of London & Westminster
Legal qualifications: Non-practising solicitor, currently an independent consultant. At Linklaters from 1989-93, went on to regulatory roles at the likes of ITV, Cable & Wireless and the BBC.

Chances: This is the country’s most lawyer-heavy seat in terms of candidates: the Liberal; Lib Dem; and Labour candidates here are also qualified barristers or solicitors. Lord stood in this seat at the last election as an independent candidate aiming to “send a message to the centre of the Tory High Command.” He won 173 votes.

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Name: Chris Boyle
Party: Liberal Democrats
Seat: North Tyneside
Legal qualifications: Immigration solicitor at Iris Law in Gateshead

Chances: This is a safe Labour seat and though the Lib Dems came second here as recently as 2010 their fortunes on North Tyneside have slumped since. A modest revival seems possible, but not much more.

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Name: Amanda Jenner
Party: Conservatives
Seat: Ceredigion
Legal qualifications: Former Eversheds trainee and solicitor turned teacher.

She says: “Me and my husband met at Aberystwyth Uni and I have such great memories of being there!” (Powys County Times)

Chances: That rarest of things, a Plaid Cymru/Lib Dem marginal. Even with a pro-Brexit boost it seems unlikely Jenner will pick up enough votes in an area that is not traditionally accustomed to voting Conservative.

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Name: Martin Saunders
Party: Liberal Democrats
Seat: Bexhill & Battle
Legal qualifications: Solicitor and a “former partner in an international law firm”: if you know which one, let us know.

He says: “This is a wonderful corner of England and we must preserve the beauty and character of this special place. We must also not forget there are areas of deprivation here. Far more needs to be done to improve public services and invest in education and training.” (Bexhill Observer)

Chances: The Tories held on to an 11,000 majority here even in the 1997 Blair landslide and it has only increased since then.

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Name: James Booth
Party: Green Party
Seat: Macclesfield
Legal qualifications: Employed Barrister at Roberts Jackson Solicitors, formerly of Horwich Farrelly, St Johns Buildings Chambers and 8 King Street Chambers

He says: “I am standing because I am passionate about the environment and animal welfare. I want a fair society for all. I feel that it is time for me to stand up and make a difference.” (So Cheshire)

Chances: Booth stood in Macclesfield for the Greens in 2017, coming fourth and winning 1,213 votes (2.2%). Beating that mark will be his primary aim.

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Name: David Jabbari
Party: Brexit Party
Seat: Newbury
Legal qualifications: Former Allen & Overy chief knowledge officer, Barlow Lyde & Gilbert CEO and Clydes COO; most recently founder and CEO of conveyancing firm Muve.

He says: “I have no political background. I was simply shocked by the desire of Parliament to subvert the referendum result and I consider this to be a very great threat to democracy.”

Chances: Newbury has been a safe Conservative seat for 15 years but its MP, Richard Benyon, was one of the 21 expelled from the Tories after voting to rule out a no-deal Brexit. The next election could yet see a run-off between Benyon (now sitting as an independent), Jabbari, another Conservative candidate and the Lib Dems (Newbury voted 51% Remain in the EU referendum). In that landscape, who knows what could happen?

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Name: Rob Colwell
Party: Liberal Democrats
Seat: Norfolk North West
Legal qualifications: Head of family at Norfolk firm Hayes + Storr.

He says: “I love my work but I am not prepared to sit back any longer and allow this government to ride roughshod over our democracy and the rule of law that is so important to me. I hope I have helped a very large number of people in West Norfolk through my work as a solicitor over the last 12 years, but I feel I would be able to help so many more as their local MP.”

Chances: Not to be confused with North Norfolk, where Lib Dem solicitor Norman Lamb MP is standing down. Norfolk North West is a different kettle of fish: a Conservative-held seat where the Liberals have lost their deposit in the last two elections.

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Name: Prof. Janet Dine
Party: Green Party
Seat: Maldon
Legal qualifications: Former barrister, now an academic. Director of the centre for commercial legal studies at Queen Mary University, London

She says: “I am acutely aware of the seriousness of the climate emergency and the detrimental effects of our current economic system.” (Braintree & Witham Times)

Chances: Conservative John Whittingdale will not be toppled here. Dine will need more than 1,504 votes to beat the Greens’ previous best in the constituency.

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Name: Iram Kiani
Party: Independent
Seat: Altrincham and Sale West
Legal qualifications: Freelance lawyer who has previously worked for Eversheds, DLA Piper and in-house for the University of Manchester

She says: “​It’s frightening how deeply divided our country has become and it’s clear that we need to move past Brexit and focus on the myriad issues that matter to, and affect us, such as rebuilding our communities, tackling mental health issues which are rife, especially among our children and dealing more effectively with the biggest emergency of our lifetimes: climate change.” (Her website)

Chances: This is an interesting seat despite being a safe Conservative one: very wealthy and home to lots of Premier League footballers. It has been held by chair of the 1922 committee Graham Brady since its creation in 1997 but there was a big swing to Labour last time. Kiani won’t win and isn’t campaigning on a specific issue beyond “all the parties are bad”, so it’s hard to see why she’s standing.

*

Name: Reece Wilkes
Party: Brexit Party
Seat: Lincoln
Legal qualifications: Describes himself as a “lawyer” on his Twitter profile, and far be it from us to cast aspersions, but there’s no Reece Wilkes on the Roll, his Facebook page says he only graduated in 2017 and the only evidence we can find of any legal qualifications are some Masters degree essays up for sale on Amazon on topics such as “The Foetus and The European Court of Human Rights.”

He says:

Chances: A Conservative/Labour marginal, it seems likely that the Brexit Party running will damage both main contenders here.

*

Name: David Watts
Party: Liberal Democrats
Seat: Newbury
Legal qualifications: Nottingham-based solicitor, though it seems he has given up practice.

He says: “I’m here to win, not just to make up the numbers, and if anyone is going to beat Robert Jenrick and the Tories, it will be us.” (Newark Advertiser)

Chances: Watts has stood twice in Newbury before, just managing to save his deposit the second time. That will remain his chief goal.

*

Name: Matthew Kirk
Party: Liberal Democrats
Seat: Holborn & St Pancras
Legal qualifications: Criminal barrister at 4 Breams Buildings.

He says: “I have practised as a barrister specialising in criminal law for nearly twenty years and spend my working life fighting to secure justice and protect the rights of all concerned in the criminal justice system.” (Who Can I Vote For?)

Chances: Holborn & St Pancras is Sir Keir Starmer’s seat and he has a whopping majority.

*

Name: Peter Telford
Party: Brexit Party
Seat: North Durham
Legal qualifications: A barrister, although it is unclear where he practised. Created pro bono website medlaw.eu for patients with rare disease denied treatment by the NHS.

He says: “The people I speak to cannot believe how the Labour Party has walked away from the working class. It is more than anger now. It is coldness.” (Northern Echo)

Chances: Despite Telfold’s assertion that locals are fed up with Labour, UKIP at its height got around 6,000 votes here so it would be a big shock if the people of North Durham overturn a Labour majority of 13,000.

*

Name: Graham Colley
Party: Liberal Democrats
Seat: Rochester & Strood
Legal qualifications: Sole practitioner in Rochester, Kent. President of the Liberal Democrat Lawyers Association

He says: “Brexit has not only ripped our country apart, but has exposed a social crisis and democratic deficit. Time devoted to Brexit should be spent on problems that politics have ignored for years. I will dedicate myself to exposing and working to overcoming these problems. I am determined to work hard to protect Rochester and Strood from the effects of Boris Johnson’s chaotic Conservative Government.” (Medway Lib Dems)

Chances: This is one of the few seats UKIP ever won (the 2014 by-election). Not natural Lib Dem territory.

*

Name: Khalil Yousuf
Party: Liberal Democrats
Seat: Crawley
Legal qualifications: Senior Legal Director at Bristow Helicopters, formerly a Nabarro solicitor, among other roles. 

He says:

Chances: A Conservative/Labour swing seat, not a Lib Dem heartland, though Yousuf could well take votes from both parties.

*

Name: Dirk van Heck
Party: Liberal
Seat: London & Westminster
Legal qualifications: Deputy head of chambers at Mercantile Barristers

Chances: An old-school Liberal – not a Liberal Democrat – candidate, as the party’s website makes clear. London & Westminster is a constituency where a lot of minor parties stand in the hope of causing an upset. None of them will.

*

Name: Richard Morris
Party: Liberal Democrats
Seat: Tonbridge & Malling
Legal qualifications: Spent four years as a Farrer & Co lawyer between 1967 and 1971; since then had had a varied career in investment banking and publishing.

He says: “Both the Conservative and Labour parties have been deeply split and have been motivated far more by party political considerations than by the national interest. Now voters have a choice between real options, rather than the misrepresented fantasies of 2016.” (Times of Tunbridge Wells)

Chances: Tonbridge & Malling is safe Conservative territory.

*

Name: Michael Jones
Party: Labour
Seat: Horsham
Legal qualifications: Trained as a solicitor, but doesn’t appear to be practising now.

He says: “Labour are the clear challengers here, so if you want an MP who’ll stand up for our communities then the choice is clear.” (West Sussex County Times)

Chances: This has been a Conservative-held seat since 1876.

*

Name: Alex Cunliffe
Party: Liberal Democrats
Seat: Hayes & Harlington
Legal qualifications: Dual-qualified as a solicitor and a barrister; currently a tenant at Lamb Chambers.

Chances: Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell’s seat, where the Lib Dems lost their deposit with a measly 601 votes last time. Cunliffe is a serial candidate, having stood in 2010 (Erith and Thamesmead), 2015 (Eltham) and 2017 (Ruislip, Northwood and Pinner).

*

Name: Jason Charalambous
Party: Conservatives
Seat: Islington South
Legal qualifications: Solicitor-advocate at shipping boutique E. G. Arghyrakis & Co.

Chances: Jason Charalambous stands against Emily Thornberry for the second time in Remain Central, aka Islington South. Last time he recorded the Conservatives’ highest number of votes there since 1992. This time he might reasonably expect to be pushed into third place by the Lib Dems, who did well here before the Coalition years took their toll on the party.

*

Name: Dr Kulvinder Singh Manik
Party: Brexit Party
Seat: Bradford South
Legal qualifications: Says he is a barrister on Twitter but his main career seems have been as a doctor. Bio says he is a member of Gray’s Inn and that he “was looking to move in to human rights law and advocacy before he received his calling from the Brexit Party” so it seems likely he was an aspiring barrister who’s taken another route.

He says: “I voted remain in 2016. It was my 14 year old’s wish. Two years later that same child was despondent and feared for our democracy.” (Brexit Party Bradford)

Chances: Labour-held since 1945 by Bradford South is no longer as safe as it used to be and the Brexit Party could throw a spanner in the works for the incumbent.

*

Name: Robin Tilbrook
Party: English Democrats
Seat: Brentwood & Ongar
Legal qualifications: Sole practitioner at Tilbrook’s in Essex, College of Law Chester graduate

Chances: Chair of the English Democrats, Tilbrook is a serial minor candidate, standing in Epping Forest in 2005, Brentwood & Ongar in the 2010 and 2015 elections, and Clacton in 2017. He returns to Brentwood this time, hoping to beat his all-time best result of 631 votes in 2005 (and indeed his worst, 173 in 2015).

*

Name: Ed Gemmell
Party: Independent
Seat: Wycombe
Legal qualifications: Ex-City lawyer; now a marketing man.

He says: “For me, what would be a huge success is to get a thousand votes in the election and then for another election, in one, two years’ time, whoever represents the main political parties will then know that they are unlikely to win the seats in Wycombe, unless they are ambitious in reversing climate change.” (Bucks Free Press)

Chances: Gemmell is a single-issue candidate solely focused on climate change, who believes the Green Party is not being ambitious enough. Without their name recognition, you have to say his aim of gaining 1,000 votes as an independent is ambitious in itself.

*

Name: Ahmad Nawaz Wattoo
Party: Labour
Seat: Carshalton & Wallington
Legal qualifications: Solicitor at Surrey firm EAmazon Solicitors

He says: “We will deliver the Labour agenda. People are tired of the rigged system and they need radical change. Brexit without consensus is not a portrayal of our democracy.” (South West Londoner)

Chances: This is a Lib Dem/Conservative marginal and Wattoo’s greatest contribution to his party getting a majority would probably be to tell the 9,000 constituents who backed Labour in 2017 to vote tactically.

*

Name: Isobel Whittaker
Party: Green Party
Seat: Enfield North
Legal qualifications: Former legal aid lawyer

She says: “Your Green vote is a vote for Justice. Greens will pass the benefits back to ordinary people, with policies such as universal basic income and the 4 day work week. These were our policies first. Our Green New Deal puts your wellbeing first.” (Enfield Independent)

Chances: Formerly held by Labour’s Joan Ryan, who defected to Change UK and is standing down at this election. There could be some vote churn but it’s unlikely to favour the Greens, who finished last two years ago.

*

Name: James Baker
Party: Conservatives
Seat: Wallasey
Legal qualifications: Describes himself as a “former barrister” and okay, he did indeed complete the BPTC in 2011 so he is technically entitled to call himself one. But his LinkedIn profile suggests he didn’t do pupillage, instead moving straight into a PR job, and he has worked in comms ever since, so “failed barrister”

He says: 

Chances: None. This is a safe Labour seat.

*

Name: Deborah Longe
Party: Christian People’s Alliance
Seat: Walthamstow
Legal qualifications: LLB student at Durham University, with internships and mini-pupillages under her belt at Allen & Overy, Baker McKenzie and 2 Hare Court.

She says: “I have always had a passion for law, politics and changing policy and in 2016 wrote a law report with Big Voice London for law reform in policy concerning hate crime.” (East London & West Essex Guardian)

Chances: Labour’s Stella Creasy got more than 80 per cent of the vote here in 2017. And Longe has misspelled Walthamstow as “Walthamstowe” on her campaign literature. *awkward face*

The lawyers already in Parliament

Those marked in blue are not standing for reelection.

Seat Name Party Barrister/solicitor Elected
Banbury Victoria Prentis Con Barrister 2015
Beaconsfield Dominic Grieve QC Ind Barrister 1997
Bedfordshire North East Alistair Burt Con Solicitor 1983
Belfast East Gavin Robinson DUP Barrister 2015
Belfast North Nigel Dodds DUP Barrister 2001
Berwickshire, Roxburgh & Selkirk John Lamont Con Solicitor 2017
Bexhill & Battle Huw Merriman Con Barrister 2015
Birmingham Ladywood Shabana Mahmood Lab Barrister 2010
Bolton South East Yasmin Qureshi Lab Barrister 2010
Bristol North West Darren Jones Lab Solicitor 2017
Broxtowe Anna Soubry Change UK Barrister 2010
Camberwell & Peckham Harriet Harman Lab Solicitor 1982
Cardiff Central Jo Stevens Lab Solicitor 2015
Carlisle John Stevenson Con Solicitor 2010
Cheltenham Alex Chalk Con Barrister 2015
Chipping Barnet Theresa Villiers Con Barrister 2005
Christchurch Sir Christopher Chope Con Barrister 1983, 97
Colchester Will Quince Con Solicitor 2015
Cumbernauld, Kilsyth & Kirkintilloch East Stuart McDonald SNP Solicitor 2015
Clwyd West David Jones Con Solicitor 2005
Dartford Gareth Johnson Con Solicitor 2010
Dover & Deal Charlie Elphicke Con Solicitor 2010
Dumfriesshire, Clydesdale & Tweeddale David Mundell Con Solicitor 2005
East Renfrewshire Paul Masterton Con Solicitor 2017
East Yorkshire Sir Greg Knight Con Solicitor 2001
Eddisbury Antoinette Sandbach Ind Barrister 2015
Edinburgh South West Joanna Cherry QC SNP Barrister 2015
Ellesmere Port & Neston Justin Madders Lab Solicitor 2015
Enfield Southgate Bambos Charalambous Lab Solicitor 2017
Esher and Walton Dominic Raab Con Solicitor 2010
Fareham Suella Braverman (Fernandes) Con Barrister 2015
Gillingham & Rainham Rehman Chishti Con Barrister 2010
Hammersmith Andy Slaughter Lab Barrister 2005
Havant Alan Mak Con Solicitor 2015
Hexham Guy Opperman Con Barrister 2010
Hitchin & Harpenden Bim Afolami Con Solicitor 2017
Holborn & St Pancras Sir Keir Starmer QC Lab Barrister 2015
Hull East Karl Turner Lab Solicitor 2010
Huntingdon Jonathan Djanogly Con Solicitor 2001
Islington South & Finsbury Emily Thornberry Lab Barrister 2005
Kenilworth & Southam Jeremy Wright QC Con Barrister 2005
Kingston upon Hull North Diana Johnson Lab Barrister 2005
Leeds East Richard Burgon Lab Solicitor 2015
Leicester East Keith Vaz Lab Solicitor 1987
Lewisham West & Penge Ellie Reeves Lab Barrister 2017
London & Westminster Mark Field Con Solicitor 2001
Loughborough Nicky Morgan Con Solicitor 2010
Louth & Horncastle Victoria Atkins Con Barrister 2015
Maidstone & the Weald Helen Grant Con Solicitor 2010
Manchester Gorton Afzal Khan Lab Solicitor 2017
Mid Dorset & North Poole Michael Tomlinson Con Barrister 2015
Middlesbrough Andy McDonald Lab Solicitor 2012
Middlesbrough South & East Cleveland Simon Clarke Con Solicitor 2017
Newark Robert Jenrick Con Solicitor 2014
Newcastle North Catherine McKinnell Lab Solicitor 2010
Norfolk North Norman Lamb Lib Dem Solicitor 2001
North East Cambridgeshire Stephen Barclay Con Solicitor 2010
North East Hertfordshire Sir Oliver Heald QC Con Barrister 1992
North West Cambridgeshire Shailesh Vara Con Solicitor 2005
Northampton North Michael Ellis Con Barrister 2010
Nuneaton Marcus Jones Con Conveyancing mgr. 2010
Old Bexley & Sidcup James Brokenshire Con Solicitor 2005
Orkney & Shetland Alastair Carmichael Lib Dem Solicitor 2001
Rossendale & Darwen Jake Berry Con Solicitor 2010
Rushcliffe Ken Clarke QC Ind Barrister 1970
Salford & Eccles Rebecca Long-Bailey Lab Solicitor 2015
South Belfast Emma Little Pengelly DUP Barrister 2017
South East Cambridgeshire Lucy Frazer QC Con Barrister 2015
South Leicestershire Alberto Costa Con Solicitor 2015
South Ribble Seema Kennedy Con Solicitor 2015
South West Hertfordshire David Gauke Ind Solicitor 2005
Stalybridge & Hyde Jonathan Reynolds Lab Solicitor 2010
Stone Sir Bill Cash Con Solicitor 1984
Streatham Chuka Umunna Lib Dem Solicitor 2010
Swindon South Robert Buckland QC Con Barrister 2010
Torfaen Nick Thomas-Symonds Lab Barrister 2015
Torridge & West Devon Geoffrey Cox QC Con Barrister 2005
Tottenham David Lammy Lab Barrister 2000
Walsall South Valerie Vaz Lab Solicitor 2010
Wantage Ed Vaizey Con Barrister 2005
Witney Robert Courts Con Barrister 2016
Wrexham Ian Lucas Lab Solicitor 2001