General Election candidates announced

General Election candidates are seeking your vote

In Blackpool, where 67.5 per cent of voters opted to leave the EU at last year’s referendum, UKIP candidates are also standing in both constituencies - Blackpool South, and Blackpool North and Cleveleys.

The campaign against fracking is likely to be prominent in the Green Party’s fight for votes.

The full list of those standing has been revealed today following yesterday’s deadline for nominations.

The list of candidates is - Blackpool South: Peter Anthony (Conservative), Bill Greene (Lib Dem), Gordon Marsden (Labour), Noel Matthews (UKIP), and John Warnock (Green Party); Blackpool North and Cleveleys: Sue Close (Lib Dem), Paul Maynard (Conservative), Duncan Royle (Green Party), Chris Webb (Labour), and Paul White (UKIP; Fylde: Mark Menzies (Conservative), Tina Rothery (Green Party), Jed Sullivan (Labour), and Freddie Van Mierlo (Lib Dem); Lancaster and Fleetwood: Robin Long (Lib Dem), Rebecca Novell (Green Party), Eric Ollerenshaw (Conservative), and Cat Smith (Labour); Wyre and Preston North: Michelle Heaton-Bentley (Labour), Ruth Norbury (Green Party), John Potter (Lib Dem), and Ben Wallace (Conservative).

Labour has started its campaign strongly in Blackpool targetting the resort for visits by members of the Shadow Cabinet.

This week saw Shadow Education Secretary Angela Rayner visit the town.

Ms Rayner told The Gazette: “I have been in Blackpool to highlight the £5.6m that schools in the town will be facing in terms of real cuts between now and 2020 due to broken promises by the Conservatives.

“It has led to head teachers writing to the government about the schools crisis, which is unprecedented.”

Ms Rayner also highlighted Labour’s pledge to make lifelong learning a priority.

She added: “This will be a game changer for people in Blackpool, because you won’t have to think you have missed your chance to be a teacher or a nurse, or whatever you want to be.”

Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell was due to speak at the Fire Brigade Union (FBU) conference at the Imperial Hotel today, and Shadow Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Rebecca Long-Bailey is due to address a conference at the Savoy Hotel tomorrow organised by the Blackpool Trades Union Council.