September 20, 2010 2:00pm by David Farrar

Wigram Woods

The woman who put up a strong challenge for the Christchurch mayoralty three years ago is Labour’s pick for the Wigram seat, either in a by-election or next year’s general election.

Megan will be the next Labour MP for Wigram. Little doubt of that.

But I would caution media from applying labels which are not that accurate.

In 2007 Woods only got 32% of the vote in the Mayoral election, despite being the centre left candidate in a fairly leftish city. Parker got 45% and Jo Giles (former ACT) got 14%.

A member of the Spreaydon-Heathcote community board between 2004 and 2007, she put up a strong challenge for the Christchurch mayoralty that year, polling 34,000 votes, about 10,000 less than Parker.

She polled 32,821 votes and it was not about 10,000 less than Parker – it was about 14,000 less.