Reg Keys

Reginald Thomas Keys, better known as Reg Keys (born 1952), is the father of a British serviceman killed in the Iraq War who stood in the 2005 General Election as an anti-war independent candidate for MP of Sedgefield, a constituency held by the current Prime Minister, Tony Blair.

Biography

Keys is a founder member of the campaign group Military Families Against the War. His son Lance Corporal Tom Keys, was a Royal Military Policeman and one of six Red Caps killed by an Iraqi mob in Majar al-Kabir in June 2003.

Reg Keys was an ambulance paramedic for 19 years in Solihull before retiring to Llanuwchllyn, Bala in North Wales. He declared at the outset of the campaign that he had been a Labour Party voter and was still basically socialist, but that he was seeking election as a candidate opposed to Blair's policy on the Iraq War. He claimed that by electing him, voters could keep the Labour Party in power but with Gordon Brown as the likely Prime Minister rather than Blair.

Bob Clay, the left-wing former Labour MP for Sunderland North, acted as Keys' agent. Keys won 4,252 votes (10.3% of the total), coming in fourth place, less than 700 votes behind the Liberal Democrat candidate and about 1700 votes behind the Tory candidate. Blair won with 24,421 votes (58.9%). Keys made a speech at the election results denouncing the war that Blair listened to with an expressionless face.

Well-known supporters

• Felicity Arbuthnot
• Martin Bell
• Margaret Cook
• Brian Eno
• Hillary Wainwright
• David Wilson
• Haifa Zangana
• Rory Bremner
• Benjamin Zephaniah

See also

• UK general election, 2005

External links

• Vote for Reg Keys official campaign site
• A Sedgefield View A blogger in Sedgefield with a jaundiced eye
• Military Families Against the War official site
• Reg Keys' election night speech at Sedgefield Video – WMV (3.6Mb)
• Guardian – Doing It for Tom: Mr Keys Takes on the Prime Minister by Ed Vulliamy April 22, 2005
• CNN – Soldier father bid to unseat Blair April 21, 2005
• Reuters – Father of Slain Soldier Plots Blair "Regime Change" April 21, 2005
• Guardian – "I'll Hold Blair to Account" interview with Stuart Jeffries March 22, 2005