Newport Lawyer To Contest Newport West

12.00.00am GMT Wed 19th Jan 2005

Newport West Liberal Democrats have selected NIGEL FLANAGAN as their Prospective Parliamentary Candidate in the Newport West constituency for the expected general election in May 2005.

NIGEL FLANAGAN was elected using a one member one-vote system in a vigorously contested selection campaign.

He was born in 1971 into a Royal Navy family, his father being a senior rating officer.

His family moved to Bassaleg, Newport, where Nigel & his brother, Graham, attended Bassaleg Comprehensive School. After completing GCSE's, he moved to the sixth form College at Crosskeys to complete his A levels.

Before attending Nottingham Trent University's Law degree course in 1992, Nigel worked overseas for two summers.

After gaining a law degree and diploma, NIGEL FLANAGAN's legal career started in a local Newport law firm John W. Davies. In 1998, he completed his training contract and worked with Loosemores solicitors, until setting up his own law firm, fwdlaw, in Newport four years ago.

fwdlaw, now an award winning law firm, having been voted Business of the Year in the 2004 Five Counties Business Awards, narrowly missed being voted Employer of the Year in the Elwa Young Apprentice Awards in 2004 to Airbus.

The success of the business has enabled NIGEL FLANAGAN to spend time on issues that matter to him.

Having stood for in the City Council elections last year, Nigel has been keen to build on this and is thrilled to have been selected as the Liberal Democrat prospective parliamentary candidate for the Newport West seat in the upcoming election.

NIGEL FLANAGAN said, "I am delighted to have been selected to stand in the Newport West constituency. The Liberal Democrats made major gains in Newport at last year's city council elections and I am lucky to have a talented and enthusiastic team behind me for the forthcoming campaign."

"Locally we know that there is widespread disillusionment about Labour here and no appetite for a return to the Conservatives under Michael Howard. Many people are telling us that they intend to vote Liberal Democrat."

NIGEL FLANAGAN added, "Labour and the Tories intend to fight the general election campaign on the 'politics of fear'. Both of them support the setting up of a national ID system which has little to do with preventing terrorism and crime, and everything to do with the state wanting to intrude, interfere and control aspects of our daily lives. Being from a service family, I see the need and fully support for a strong defense and security policy, but not at the cost to our country's values and way of life."

Michael German, leader of the Liberal Democrats in the Welsh Assembly said, "I am pleased that we have a young, determined prospective candidate in Nigel Flanagan. His experience in life makes him an ideal choice to be the next Member of Parliament for Newport West. I will be campaigning to support Nigel all the way."