Selby and Ainsty by-election: Yorkshire Party names candidate

Mike Jordan sits as a councillor on North Yorkshire Council

The Yorkshire Party has named its candidate to stand in the Selby and Ainsty by-election on 20 July.

Mike Jordan, who sits as a local councillor on North Yorkshire Council, will contest the vacant seat.

The election was triggered by incumbent Conservative MP Nigel Adams announcing he would stand down.

Mr Jordan, who has served as a councillor for 16 years, quit the Conservatives last week to join the Yorkshire Party.

He said his priorities were tackling the housing crisis and improving public transport.

Mr Jordan also said he wanted to make sure "that solar and wind farms can be developed without adversely affecting quality farmland".

The Yorkshire Party campaigns for a regional parliament for the county, with powers similar to the devolved assemblies in Scotland and Wales.

"Nothing is achievable without real local powers. Yorkshire needs a Regional Parliament, controlling a fair budget. Vote for it and make London listen. When the Yorkshire Party wins, Yorkshire wins," Mr Jordan said.

"I believe Selby and Ainsty - and the whole country - has been let down by two London-based parties that have consistently either taken places like this for granted or ignored them altogether.

"We need a change and I ask the voters in the constituency to back the Yorkshire Party and help me make that change."

Nigel Adams has represented the seat since it was created in 2010

He previously contested the seat for the Yorkshire Party in 2019.

In addition to his council duties, Mr Jordan is also Chairman of the Mark 1 Ford Cortina Owners Club.

Mr Adams held the seat in 2019 with a majority of 20,137.