Eddie Izzard FAILS in her bid to become an MP as Labour members opt against choosing comic as their election candidate in Sheffield Central

• Eddie Izzard fails in bid to be chosen as Labour’s candidate in Sheffield Central 
• Comic loses out to local councillor Abtisam Mohamed in Yorkshire constituency
• Contest to become Labour’s candidate had been marked by ‘transphobic’ row

Eddie Izzard has failed in her bid to become an MP after Labour members opted against choosing the comic as their general election candidate in Sheffield Central.

The 60-year-old’s hopes of entering Westminster politics were dashed when local councillor Abtisam Mohamed was chosen as Labour’s candidate in the South Yorkshire city.

Izzard, who has previously spoken about her gender-fluid identity and requests to be referred to with she/her pronouns, was one of three defeated hopefuls in the selection contest.

She had previously said she was the ‘right person’ to represent the long-time Labour constituency, having had a number of past connections to Sheffield. 

The contest was sparked by Paul Blomfield, the incumbent Labour MP, announcing in February that he was standing down at the next general election after 12 years in Parliament.

The battle to become Labour’s candidate in Sheffield Central had been marked by a furious ‘transphobic’ row.

Eddie Izzard has failed in her bid to become an MP after Labour members opted against choosing the comic as their general election candidate in Sheffield Central

Paul Blomfield, the incumbent Labour MP who is standing down at the next general election, congratulated Abtisam Mohamed on being chosen as Labour’s candidate

Labour’s Rosie Duffield, the MP for Canterbury, used a fringe event at the party’s conference in Liverpool in September to threaten to quit the party if Izzard was allowed onto an all-women shortlist. 

She also said: ‘Eddie Izzard is not a woman.’

Tory backbencher Lee Anderson, MP for Ashfield, was criticised after declaring he would not ‘be following him into the toilets’ if Izzard became an MP.

He also questioned whether female representation in Parliament would ‘increase or decrease’ with Izzard’s election.

In response to the comments, Izzard said that ‘some people haven’t joined the 21st century’ and hit out at ‘bullying’ and ‘transphobic attitudes’.

Izzard is a former member of Labour’s ruling National Executive Committee and has previously spoken about standing for election as London mayor. 

Mr Blomfield had been supporting Ms Mohamed in the contest to become Labour’s general election candidate in Sheffield Central.

He said last night he was ‘delighted’ she had been selected by local party members and predicted she would become a ‘brilliant MP’.

Mr Blomfield won the Sheffield Central seat at the 2019 general election with a majority of more than 27,000 votes.

The constituency has been held by Labour ever since it was revived at the 1983 general election.

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