Labour has selected 26-year-old Keir Mather to fight the Selby and Ainsty by-election, triggered by the resignation of Conservative MP Nigel Adams.
Oxford history and politics graduate Mr Mather is a former parliamentary researcher who works as a senior public affairs advisor at the Confederation of British Industry.
Mr Mather, who would become one of the youngest MPs, was born in Hull and grew up near Selby.
His candidacy was supported by the unions GMB and Unison.
Many villages close to Harrogate, Knaresborough and Boroughbridge, including Spofforth, Follifoot, Kirkby Overblow, Goldsborough, Little Ouseburn, Nun Monkton, Green Hammerton and Kirk Hammerton, will go to the polls on July 20.
The Conservatives, who will defend a 20,137 in the by-election on July 20, have named Michael Naughton as their candidate while the Greens have selected Arnold Warneken.
It is expected to be a close contest between the Tories and Labour, with political forecasting website Electoral Calculus predicting a 55% chance of Labour victory and a 45% chance of Conservative victory.
A by-election in Boris Johnson’s Uxbridge and South Ruislip constituency will also take place on the same date.
Mr Mather said:
“It is an honour to have been selected to fight to represent this brilliant constituency. Whilst the Conservatives are too distracted by their own chaos to deliver, the people of Selby and Ainsty have been left without a voice.
“We are facing the worst fall in living standards in a generation. Mortgages are up, our public services are broken, and the economy is stagnating.”
Read more:
- Tories and Greens name candidates as local by-election looms
- Selby and Ainsty MP resigns with immediate effect
