Liberal Democrat general election candidate for Corby constituency announced

A former Northamptonshire county councillor has been chosen to fight the Corby and East Northamptonshire seat for the Liberal Democrats at the forthcoming general election.

Chris Lofts has been selected as the candidate who will run against incumbent Conservative Tom Pursglove and Labour candidate Lee Barron.Chris has lived in Northamptonshire since 1996, where he is married with two daughters and two granddaughters.

He has been involved in public services for many years, working in various district councils including South Northamptonshire Council as deputy chief executive. After retiring Chris became a councillor on Towcester Town Council and was appointed its Mayor in 2009. In 2011 Chris was elected to South Northamptonshire Council and Northamptonshire County Council in 2012, serving as a county councillor until 2017.

Chris has been involved in local charities including Age UK, Citizens Advice and Norpip. He is a trustee for the Hawksmoor Learning Trust that delivers primary school education in the county.

Chris volunteers one day a week in the gardens at the National Trust’s property at Canons Ashby and has a keen interest in environmental issues.

Chris says that, having seen at first hand for decades the impact government policies have on the lives of communities, he wants to see change at Westminster. He said: “Fourteen years of Conservative rule have reduced public services to a shadow of their former selves. These policies have been driven by centralised dogma that devalues local voices. Those that rely most on support from Government, NHS and Councils have paid for the deliberate withdrawal by the Conservatives of funding for public services.

“The public have lost faith in national politicians - it is time to rebuild trust and create links between central government and the people that elect them.

"Liberal Democrats exist to build and safeguard a fair, free and open society, in which we seek to balance the fundamental values of liberty, equality and community, and in which no-one shall be enslaved by poverty, ignorance or conformity.”

If elected, Chris says his priorities will be to:

Work to ensure we build the homes we need, where we need them

Support and improve local services particularly for vulnerable people

Fight for improved access to NHS dentists and GPs across Corby and East Northants

Ensure protecting the local, national and global environment is delivered and not just talked about

Stop sewage being dumped into our rivers, and make sure it is water bosses and not customers who pay

Make sure decision makers hear the voice of the public

The boundaries of the seat have recently been changed so that Cottingham and Stanion move into the Kettering constituency. The name of the constituency has also been altered to add in East Northamptonshire.