9:47am Monday 3rd November 2008
By Sarah Cosgrove
Council Leader Clyde Loakes has been selected to run as the Labour Party’s Parliamentary candidate for Northampton South, according to reports.
Northampton South has been held by Conservative MP Brian Binley since 2005, when he took it from Labour’s Tony Clarke with just 4,419 votes.
Mr Clarke had held the seat since winning it from the Tories during Labour’s landslide election of 1997.
But Labour party insiders say that he is considering standing as an independent candidate, which could split the local vote.
The seat is expected to be hotly contested at the next election, which must be held by June 3, 2010.
Cllr Loakes will also be fight against Mr Binley and Liberal Democrat Paul Varnsverry, a current member of Northampton Borough Council.
Cllr Loakes, 38, who grew up in Northamptonshire, previously told the Guardian he could canvass for the seat in his spare time and would not need to resign as council leader.
He has been a Leytonstone councillor for ten years and the council leader since July 2003.
When he took over he was the youngest council leader in the country.
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