Mixed results for capital’s accountants in election

Election night saw wins and losses for accountants standing in London’s constituencies.

January 2020

It was a mixed bag of results for candidates in the capital with an accountancy background standing in the general election.

Liberal Democrat Sarah Olney, an AAT-qualified accountant, regained the Richmond Park seat from the Conservatives’ Zak Goldsmith with a majority of 7,766. Olney had previous held the seat following her by-election win in 2016, only to lose it again in the 2017 general election.

However, ICAEW-qualified Kim Caddy, who was standing as a Conservative candidate in the constituency of Battersea failed in her attempt to defeat Labour’s Marsha De Cordova, losing by 5,668 votes.

LSCA member Justine Greening stood down as Conservative MP for Putney at the election; the seat was lost to Labour’s Fleur Anderson.

However, two newly elected MPs brought the overall total of ICAEW MPs to 11 across the country. Saqib Bhatti won the safe seat of Meriden, while Andrew Griffith won Arundel and South Downs.

The nine other ICAEW MPs, all Conservatives, are: Peter Bone, Wellingborough; Karen Bradley, Staffordshire Moorlands; Nick Gibb, Bognor Regis and Littlehampton; Mark Harper, Forest of Dean; Craig Mackinlay, South Thanet; Kit Malthouse, North West Hampshire; Nigel Mills, Amber Valley; Alok Sharma, Reading West; and Anne-Marie Trevelyan, Berwick upon Tweed.

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