Former Heywood & Middleton MP standing in Stratford-on-Avon

Former Heywood & Middleton MP Chris Clarkson

Former Heywood and Middleton MP Chris Clarkson has been selected as a parliamentary candidate in Stratford-on-Avon.

The former local MP was chosen from a final three to stand for the Conservatives in the area.

Mr Clarkson, 41, won his Heywood & Middleton seat from Labour in December 2019 and was the first-ever Conservative MP for the constituency. Mr Clarkson was elected with a majority of 663 votes ahead of then-MP Liz McInnes.

He announced he would stand down at the next general election in June 2023, due to the boundary changes to the constituency.

The current Heywood and Middleton constituency is set to be replaced by two new seats, Heywood & Middleton North, and Blackley & Middleton South.

The changes will mean the renamed constituency will be made up of the three Heywood wards, the West and North Middleton wards, Castleton, Norden, Bamford and Spotland and Falinge wards.

South Middleton and East Middleton wards will be hived off to the new ‘Blackley & Middleton South’ constituency.

In Heywood & Middleton North, the Conservatives have selected Rossendale councillor Laura-Beth Thompson as their candidate. Labour has put forward councillor Elsie Blundell, who represents Balderstone & Kirkholt.

Tom Shaw is standing for the Liberal Democrats and former Middleton councillor Chris Furlong is standing as an independent.

The general election is scheduled for 4 July and nominations close this Friday (7 June).
 

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