Chris Williamson: Former Derby MP confirms election bid

Chris Williamson resigned from the Labour party in 2019

Former Derby MP Chris Williamson has confirmed he intends to stand as a candidate at the next general election.

The 67-year-old is deputy leader of the Workers Party of Britain, led by George Galloway MP, who won the Rochdale by-election two weeks ago.

Mr Williamson is expected to stand in the Derby South seat, currently held by Labour veteran MP Margaret Beckett.

He said he had been approached by "numerous people" asking him to be a candidate.

Mr Williamson served two stints as the Labour MP for Derby North, between 2010 and 2015, and from 2017 to 2019.

He is also a former leader of Derby City Council.

He resigned from the Labour Party in 2019 following his suspension for comments about its investigation into antisemitism allegations in the party.

Asked if he aimed to return to politics for the Workers Party of Britain, he said: "That's the plan."

Baggy Shanker has won the race to become Labour's Derby South candidate

The party's leader, Mr Galloway, won a landslide victory to become the MP for Rochdale after Labour's candidate was disowned by the party for comments about the ongoing situation in Gaza.

The current leader of Derby City Council, Baggy Shanker, has been selected as Labour candidate for Derby South.

Fellow city councillor Jamie Mulhall has been selected as the Conservative candidate for the seat, which has been held by Mrs Beckett for more than 40 years.