Horsham Labour candidate is revealed for the 2019 general election

Labour Group Leader on West Sussex County Council, councillor Michael Jones, launched his campaign at the Carfax on Saturday afternoon with members and supporters of the party.

Mr Jones, a qualified solicitor, said he was ‘incredible honoured’ to be chosen by the party.

He added: “Labour are the clear challengers here, so if you want an MP who’ll stand up for our communities then the choice is clear.

“This area has been taken for granted by the Tories for too long, and that needs to change.

“We’re going to be fighting right across Horsham constituency, certainly in Horsham town itself but also down to Southwater and Billingshurst in the south of the constituency, up to Rusper and Colgate in the north and everywhere in between.”

Labour is going to be campaigning on ‘the issues that matter most to residents’, said Mr Jones.

He added: “No-one should doubt that I’ll be speaking out strongly on their behalf.

“Jeremy Quin should pay attention, because we are going to hold him firmly to account.”

Constituency Secretary of Horsham Labour Party, David Hide said: “We have secured an absolute star of the Labour movement and Michael is the most experienced Labour politician in West Sussex bar none.

“If he is elected as our Member of Parliament here in Horsham constituency, he will be outstanding.

“We look forward to a good, constructive campaign.”

A Horsham Labour Party spokesman said Mr Jones spoken out against the continuing the plans to cut library services.

Mr Jones also joined calls to declare a climate emergency.

The spokesman added: “In 2016 Michael was Labour’s candidate in the Sussex-wide election for Police and Crime Commissioner, beating UKIP, the Lib Dems and Greens to face Tory Katy Bourne in the final round.

“Michael has been a long standing campaigner for Labour across Sussex, including previously being Labour’s Parliamentary candidate in Bexhill and Battle and Bognor Regis and Littlehampton.

“Michael has long fought for more council housing, a Rent Act to protect tenants, a properly funded NHS and schools, and for railways to be renationalised, giving West Sussex commuters a better deal.

“When he was cabinet member for housing in Crawley, he led a significant and ambitious council house building programme which is housing hundreds of families in need.

“He already has extensive knowledge of the responsibilities and demands on MPs, from his work as a Parliamentary Assistant over several years both to former Cabinet Minister John Denham, previously MP for Southampton Itchen, and Crawley’s own former Labour MP Laura Moffatt.”