THE Tories have formally nominated their candidate for the highly-contentious Poplar & Limehouse seat in London’s East End. Tim Archer has handed in his nomination papers at the Town Hall

Tim... with his wife Jane at the Town Hall

By Mike Brooke

THE Tories have formally nominated their candidate for the highly-contentious Poplar & Limehouse seat in London's East End.

Tim Archer handed in his nomination papers to Tower Hamlets Council's Chief Executive at the Town Hall last Friday.

He now begins his quest as the official Conservative candidate hoping to oust Labour's beleaguered Farms Minister Jim Fitzpatrick and try and head off a heavy challenge from Respect's George Galloway.

It is probably London's most marginal constituency with seven candidates so far running for election on May 6, carved out of the former Poplar & Canning Town seat. The boundary has now been drawn along the Lea River with the constituency shunted westwards towards the City.

Poplar loses Canning Town, the heartland of Fitzpatrick's Labour support, while adding more Tory Limehouse and part of Wapping and Shadwell with its support for Respect.

Galloway, who ousted Labour's Oona King at Bethnal Green & Bow at the last General election on an anti-war ticket, is switching to the new constituency to take on Fitzpatrick head on.

But it is no straight fight between the two MPs.

Archer, who is also a Tower Hamlets councillor running for re-election at the Town Hall as well, is hoping to snatch victory in what the Conservatives have marked as a 'high priority' seat which also includes the prosperous Canary Wharf and Isle of Dogs.