Ref. 72773-68A FORMER teacher is hoping to step into the shoes of South Swindon MP Julia Drown.

Winning candidate Anne Snelgrove blitzed the selection process with an overwhelming majority.

Ms Drown, who was elected when Tony Blair swept into office in 1997, announced she would be standing down at the next General Election to spend more time with her young family.

And on Saturday the Labour Party picked the person they want to replace her.

Mrs Snelgrove, 47, is determined to keep her feet firmly on the ground and concentrate on the job in hand.

"Actions speak louder than words and I want to hit the ground running," she said.

"Julia is a hard act to follow and I will have my work cut out. But I want there to be a seamless transfer."

Mrs Snelgrove, who vowed to take the Labour Party back to its working-class roots, now has an excellent chance of picking up the coveted

£50,000 a year seat in Parliament in the General Election, expected in May.

Ms Drown won in South Swindon with a comfortable 7,300 vote majority at the last election, making Labour hot favourites to win it

again.

A daughter of a blue-collar worker, Mrs Snelgrove grew up on a rough housing estate in Bracknell, Berkshire.

And she reckons that upbringing will give her an edge when it comes to shaping Swindon's future.

"Bracknell is very similar to Swindon in that both towns are relatively new," she said.

"My old estate was very similar to Park and I believe I can help change things for the better." Not surprising perhaps given her former profession, education is her top priority.

She said: "I was the first girl in my family to go to university and I'm very proud of that fact. But that only happened thanks to the support that I was given by my teachers and family.

"Sadly, fewer people in Swindon stay on to complete A Level and degrees than in other towns.

"I want to change that, ensuring that everyone has the same opportunities regardless of their background."

Mrs Snelgrove and husband, Mike, 52, only arrived in the area three months ago but already she lays claim to having done her homework on some of town's big issues such as the proposed university at Coate.

Mrs Snelgrove said: "I am a great lover of the outdoors but I believe Swindon does need another campus.

"I firmly believe that a compromise can be reached without the need to impact on Coate Water."

Ms Drown said: "I am absolutely delighted that Anne has been elected by the Labour Party.

"She has an excellent knowledge of the party's policy and is passionate about making a difference."

Not least the proposed development of land adjacent to Coate Water Country Park.

The University of Bath want to build a new campus next to the beauty spot, but green campaigners insist the plans should not be given the go-ahead.

She also expressed concern over the recent announcement of further job losses at BMW-owned Swindon Pressings Limited.

"On the surface level Swindon has low unemployment, but there are worrying long-term unemployment figures in some areas of the town.

"Firms say they have to recruit from elsewhere to find staff. That implies to me that we have a skills mismatch as the traditional manufacturers move out."

After an eight-year teaching stint, Mrs Snelgrove went on to become an advisor with a Local Education Authority.

In 1982 she joined the Labour party - determined to make a stand for the ordinary man.

She said: "For three years I ran a constituency office in the House of Commons. It's here that I learnt how to get things done."

Ms Drown says it's this quality that will make her a hit with constituents.

Most pundits predict the General Election is going to be in May 2005.

Ten things about Anne

1) She's been a frequent visitor to Coate Water Country Park in recent weeks citing the fresh air as a great stress buster

2) She's a keen gardener.

3) Her favourite film is Casa Blanca.

4) Her favourite author is Jane Austen.

5) She has 45 cousins, most of whom live in the Berkshire area.

6) A lover of animals, she has two cats.

7) She's a dab hand in the kitchen and loves cooking up a good Indian curry.

8) She says she has a soft spot for Swindon Town Football Club.

9) She and her husband share a house in Stroud. They have no children.

10) She's a keen theatre goer but hasn't been to a show for several months due to work commitments