BURY South’s MP Ivan Lewis has announced he will stand as an Independent at the forthcoming general election.

He quit Labour in December last year having been suspended from the party since November 2017 over allegations of sexual harassment.

The 52-year-old has been MP for the seat since 1997.

His Labour opponent will be Lucy Burke, constituency Labour Party secretary.

The Liberal Democrats have selected 27-year-old Cllr Richard Kilpatrick,the deputy leader of the Manchester Liberal Democrats., the fight the seat.

Mr Lewis said: “Following consultations with local people I have decided to stand as the independent candidate for Bury South at the next General Election. It has been an honour to serve as the MP for my hometown over the past twenty-two years. The people of Bury South need a strong independent voice more than ever before.

“We have a democratic crisis nationally and locally. Corbyn’s extremism and the scourge of anti-semitism have destroyed the Labour Party. The Conservatives continue to fail disabled and vulnerable people Parliament has failed in its democratic duty to implement the referendum result and deliver Brexit. It is time to end the political game playing.

“Locally, for too long Bury Council has neglected the townships of Radcliffe, Prestwich and Whitefield.”

Cllr Kilpatrick said: “The Liberal Democrats are campaigning to Stop Brexit.which will be economically disastrous for Britain.”

The Conservative candidate for Bury South is Cllr Christian Wakeford and the Brexit Party’s is Andrea Livesey,

The Libdems have selected Gareth Lloyd-Johnson, 28, to fight Bury North,