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Eddie Izzard has announced her intention to join the race to become the next Labour MP for Sheffield Central.
The comedian, who has been a long-standing Labour supporter over the years, launched her campaign on Tuesday (October 11).
- READ MORE: If Sheffield’s Leadmill – the venue that helped break Arctic Monkeys – closes, we all lose something
“I’m standing to be the next Labour MP for Sheffield Central to support the city that supported me, to take the fight to the Tories and get Keir Starmer into Number 10,” Izzard said in an announcement Update.
This comes after current MP Paul Blomfield confirmed in February he would be standing down at the next election, which is scheduled for January 2025, unless an earlier one is called.
Izzard, who first arrived in Sheffield in 1980 to study accounting before moving into comedy, credits the city as her inspiration for running 43 marathons around the UK for Sport Relief in 2009.
“A Labour government will embolden Sheffield to achieve its true potential and I believe I am the right person to build on Paul Blomfield’s tireless work for this city,” Izzard added.
Her campaign has been supported by Russell Crowe on Twitter, who wrote: “Fantastic. Go on Eddie. No brighter mind, no bigger heart. What an amazing opportunity for Sheffield.”
Lorraine Kelly also shared Izzard’s campaign Update, writing: “Big congrats – a politician with integrity. You go girl !!!”
Earlier this month, Izzard appeared in a Update in support of Sheffield venue The Leadmill, as it potentially faces closure from new management.
“To me The Leadmill is Sheffield and its creativity,” Izzard said. “It’s essentially bands but it can be comedy as well; it can be anything! I did Charles Dickens here, I did Great Expectations. You can do anything in this space.”
