Cumbria's General Election campaign is intensifying with a raft of new political candidates selected over the weekend.

The Conservatives are hoping to transform north and west Cumbria into a political sea of blue with the selection of Carlisle's Clark Vasey to take on Labour's Sue Hayman in Workington.

Mrs Hayman launched her own campaign in Workington town centre on Saturday and currently holds a 4,700 majority from the 2015 election.

Mr Vasey, whose mother Trish is a Belah city councillor in Carlisle and on course to become mayor next month, said: "It is not going to be an easy run and I'm going to have to work very hard but I'm absolutely delighted to be selection.

"I'm a really proud as a Cumbria and a Conservative.


Sue Hayman

"I care deeply about the county and when you look at areas like this you only have to look at what happened in 2010 and then down the road in Copeland with Trudy [Harrison] in February, Labour have taken things for granted for a long time."

"I will be a strong Cumbrian voice for the area," added Mr Vasey, who is a corporate affairs manager with a high tech company in London, where his wife Alice works as an NHS obstretician.

Former Special Constable Mr Vasey, who came second to Labour's Frank Field in Birkenhead in the 2015 General Election, argues he will be a "more effective voice" for Workington particularly on local issues such as nuclear and jobs, which he says are "at risk" under Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn.

Meanwhile in Carlisle, sitting MP John Stevenson is hoping to make it a hat-trick of victories.

He has been re-adopted as the Conservative candidate for the constituency, a seat he won from Labour in 2010 and retained two years ago.

Ukip's Cumbria chairman Fiona Mills will be taking him on once again in Carlisle, having been among the candidates two years ago.

She now sits on her party's national executive committee, with a focus on its health policy.

Mrs Mills, an accountant with the NHS, said: "This election is one everyone thinks is going to be about Brexit and our Conservative MP was a Remainer. If they want it to be really about Brexit then they can have that here."


Kerryanne Wilde Mrs Mills, who stood in the Copeland by-election a few months ago, also says the NHS and better social care as well as education funding will be among the key issues raised on the campaign trail.

She added: "I don't think this is a necessary election. Theresa May should be concentrating on Brexit. She is making it more complicated that it should be."

Ukip has also selected a candidate to stand in Penrith and The Border, a Conservative stronghold for Rory Stewart.

Mr Stewart launched his campaign in Penrith town centre on Saturday as Kerryanne Wilde - well known for her role as chief executive of support charity CERT - was chosen.